Part 16 (1/2)

This I ae may soon occur; for I cannot deny, and indeed at once frankly confess, that I shall be delighted to be released fro lessons is no joke here, and unless you wear yourself out by taking a number of pupils, not much money can be made You must not think that this proceeds froenius and ed into music,--that I am occupied with it the whole day,--that I like to speculate, to study, and to reflect Now my present mode of life effectually prevents this I have, indeed, some hours at liberty, but those few hours are more necessary for rest than for work

I told you already about the opera One thing is certain--I reat opera or none If I write only s is done at a fixed price, and if it should be so unfortunate as not to please the obtuse French, it is all up with it I should get no more to write, have very little profit, and find ed

If, on the other hand, I write a great opera, the re in reater chance of being appreciated, because in a great work there is ain approval I assure you that if I receive a commission to write an opera, I have no fears on the subject It is true that the devil hie, and I see the difficulties which all composers have found in it But, in spite of this, I feel myself as able to surmount these difficulties as any one else

Indeed, when I sometimes think in my own mind that I may look on my opera as a certainty, I feel quite a fiery ih the eager desire to teach the French more fully how to know, and value, and fear the Gerreat opera never intrusted to a Frenchner? To ers Well, I aed I kno to defend myself

If it runs its course without a duel, I should prefer it, for I do not care to wrestle with dwarfs

God grant that soe may soon come to pass! In the mean time I shall certainly not be deficient in industry, trouble, and labor My hopes are centred on the winter, when every one returns froht of the happy day when I shall once more see and embrace you

The day before yesterday s, wrote to me that the day after the Elector's arrival it was publicly announced that he was to take up his residence in Munich, which cauishi+ng the universal illumination by which the inhabitants had testified their joy on the previous day The fact was also communicated to all the court musicians, with the addition that each was at liberty to follow the court to Munich or to re the saive a written and sealed decision to the Intendant Weber, who is, as you know, in the most miserable circumstances, wrote as follows:--”I anxiously desire to follow racious master to Munich, butso” Before this occurred there was a grand court concert, where poor Madlle Weber felt the fangs of her ene! It is not knoas the cause of this Afterwards there was a concert at Herr von Ge two arias of mine, and was so fortunate as to please, in spite of those Italian scoundrels [the singers of Munich], those infamous charlatans, who circulated a report that she had very s were finished, Cannabi+ch said to her, ”Mademoiselle, I hope you will always continue to fall off in this manner; to is certain; if war had not already broken out, the court would by this time have been transferred to Munich

Count Seeau, who is quite deter undone to insure her co to Munich, so that there was soht have been placed in better circuain quiet about the Munich journey, these poor peopletime, while their debts daily accumulate If I could only help them! Dearest father, I recommend them to you from my heart If they could even for a few years be in possession of 1000 florins!

111

To HERR BULLINGER

Paris, August 7, 1778

MY VERY DEAR FRIEND,--

Allow me above all to thank you ave , and then kindly consoling him for his loss [see No

106] You played your part admirably These are my father's oords My kind friend, how can I sufficiently thank you? You saved my father for me I have you to thank that I still have him Permit me to say no ratitude, for I feel too weak and incompetent to do so My best friend, I am forever your debtor; but patience! It is too true that I am not yet in a position to repay what I owe you, but rely on it God will one day grantby deeds what I am unable to express by words Such is my hope; till that happy ti you to continue your precious and valued friendshi+p to me, and also to accept e myself in all sincerity of heart It will not, indeed, be of much use to you, but not on that account less sincere and lasting You knoell that the best and truest of all friends are the poor The rich know nothing of friendshi+p, especially those who are born to riches, and even those whom fate enriches often become very different when fortunate in life But when a man is placed in favorable circuood fortune andhis early and less prosperous days never lost courage, re to be an honesthow to value his true friends,--in short, one who really deserves better fortune,--froratitude is to be feared

I must now proceed to answer your letter You can be under no further anxiety as to my health, for you must have ere this received three letters fro the sad news of my mother's death, was enclosed, ive hts recur to it constantly You write that I should now think only of hts, and place entire confidence in him How unhappy should I be if I required this injunction! It was expedient that you should suggest it, but I alad to hear it) that I do not need this advice In my last letter to my dear father, I wrote to hi hi, and candidly tell hi confident of his fatherly care, love, and goodness I feel assured that at a future day he will not deny me a request on which my whole happiness in life depends, and which (for he cannot expect anything else from me) will certainly be quite fair and reasonable My dear friend, do not let my father read this

You know his, and to no purpose

Now for our Salzburg affair You, , not only on account of the injustice shown to h to et such a place, and to blot it out wholly from our memory But do not let us refer to that, if we can contrive to live respectably there To live respectably and to live happily, are two very different things; but the latter I never could do short of witchcraft,--it would indeed be supernatural if I did,--so this is ier any witches Well, happen what reatest possible pleasure to me to embrace my dear father and sister, and the sooner the better Still I cannot deny that my joy would be twofold were this to be elsewhere, for I have farhappily anywhere else Perhaps youis on too small a scale for me If so, you are quite mistaken I have already written some of my reasons to my father In theis no place for my talent In the first place, professional musicians are not held inThere is no theatre, no opera there; and if they really wished to have one, who is there to sing? For the last five or six years the Salzburg orchestra has always been rich in what is useless and superfluous, but very poor in what is useful and indispensable; and such is the case at the present mo without a Capellmeister

[FOOTNOTE: The old Capellmeister, Lolli, had died a short time previously] I therefore feel assured that quiet and order are now reigning in the orchestra This is the result of notprovision in time Half a dozen Capellmeisters should always be held in readiness, that, if one fails, another can instantly be substituted But where, at present, is even ONE to be found? And yet the danger is urgent It will not do to allow order, quiet, and good-fellowshi+p to prevail in the orchestra, or therun beco, no dunderhead forthco, to restore the concern to its former disabled condition? I shall certainly do e for the day, and visit all the hospitals and infirmaries, to see if I can't find a Capellmeister in one of theive them the slip, and he so near too? [See No

64] He would have been a prize, and one not so easy to replace, --freshly eed, too, from the Duke's Clementi Conservatorio He was just the man to have awed the whole court orchestra by his presence Well, we need not be uneasy: where there is money there are always plenty of people to be had My opinion is that they should not wait too long, not froet one at all,--for I aerly and anxiously as the Jews do their Messiah,--but sio on at all under such circumstances It would therefore be more useful and profitable to look out for a Capell NONE at present, than to write in all directions (as I have been told) to secure a good feer

[FOOTNOTE: In order the better to conciliate Wolfgang, Bullinger had been desired to say that the Archbishop, no longer satisfied with Madlle Haydn, intended to engage another singer; and it was hinted to Mozart, that he ht be induced to make choice of Aloysia Weber; (Jahn, ii 307) Madlle Haydn was a daughter of Lipp, the organist, and sent by the Archbishop to Italy to cultivate her voice She did not enjoy a very good reputation]

I really can scarcely believe this Another feer, e have already so h we do not require one either, I could more easily understand--but a prima donna, e have still Cecarelli! It is true that Madlle Haydn is in bad health, for her austere mode of life has been carried too far There are feho since lost her voice froellations, her hair-cloth, unnatural fasts, and night-prayers! But she will still long retain her powers, and instead of beco worse, her voice will daily improve When at last, however, she departs this life to be nu the saints, we still have five left, each of whom can dispute the palm with the other So you see how superfluous a new one is But, knowing how es and novelty and variety are liked with us, I see a wide field before me which may yet form an epoch [FOOTNOTE: Archbishop Hieronymus, in the true spirit of Frederick the Great, liked to introduce innovations with an unsparing hand;both necessary and beneficent] Do your best that the orchestrato stand on, for that is what is most wanted A head they have [the Archbishop], but that is just the e isWhen it does take place, I a to come and to turn over the leaf as often as I see V S [volti subito] written Now as to the war [the Bavarian Succession] So far as I hear, we shall soon have peace in Ger of Prussia is certainly rather alarmed I read in the papers that the Prussians had surprised an Imperial detachi the tumult, came at once to their rescue, and attacked the Prussians, placing the five of their cannon The route by which the Prussians entered Bohemia is now entirely cut up and destroyed The Bohemian peasantry do all the mischief they can to the Prussians, who have besides constant desertions a their troops; but these are matters which you must know both sooner and better than we do But I must write you solish to retreat, but it was not a very hot affair Theis that, friends and foes included, only 100 rand jubilation here, and nothing else is talked of It is also reported that we shall soon have peace It is a matter of indifference to me, so far as this place is concerned; but I should indeed be very glad if ere soon to have peace in Germany, for many reasons Now farewell! Your true friend and obedient servant,

WOLFGANG ROMATZ