Mozart: The Man and the Artist, as revealed in his own words | Page 6

and
fresher the oftener we hear them?"
The more we realize that Wagner places a heavy and intoxicating
draught before us the more we shall appreciate the precious mountain
spring which laves us in Mozart's music, and the less willing we shall
be to permit any opportunity to pass unimproved which offers us the
crystal cup. In the mind of Goethe genius was summed up in the name

of Mozart. In a prophetic ecstasy he spoke the significant words: "What
else is genius than that productive power through which deeds arise,
worthy of standing in the presence of God and Nature, and which, for
this reason, bear results and are lasting? All the creations of Mozart are
of this class; within them there is a generative force which is
transplanted from generation to generation, and is not likely soon to be
exhausted or devoured."

CHIPS FROM THE WORKSHOP

1. "If one has the talent it pushes for utterance and torments one; it will
out; and then one is out with it without questioning. And, look you,
there is nothing in this thing of learning out of books. Here, here and
here (pointing to his ear, his head and his heart) is your school. If
everything is right there, then take your pen and down with it;
afterward ask the opinion of a man who knows his business."
(To a musically talented boy who asked Mozart how one might learn to
compose.)
2. "I can not write poetically; I am no poet. I can not divide and
subdivide my phrases so as to produce light and shade; I am no painter.
I can not even give expression to my sentiments and thoughts by
gestures and pantomime; I am no dancer. But I can do it with tones; I
am a musician....I wish you might live till there is nothing more to be
said in music."
(Mannheim, November 8, 1777, in a letter of congratulation to his
father who was born on November 14, 1719. Despite his assertion
Mozart was an admirable dancer and passionately devoted to the sport.
[So says Herr Kerst obviously misconceiving Mozart's words. It is
plain to me that the composer had the classic definition of the dance in
mind when he said that he was no dancer. The dance of which he was
thinking was that described by Charles Kingsley. "A dance in which
every motion was a word, and rest as eloquent as motion; in which

every attitude was a fresh motive for a sculptor of the purest school,
and the highest physical activity was manifested, not as in coarse
pantomime, in fantastic bounds and unnatural distortions, but in
perpetual delicate modulations of a stately and self-sustained grace."
H.E.K.])
3. "The poets almost remind me of the trumpeters with their tricks of
handicraft. If we musicians were to stick as faithfully to our rules
(which were very good as long as we had no better) we should make as
worthless music as they make worthless books."
(Vienna, October 13, 1781, to his father. He is writing about the libretto
of "Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail," by Stephanie. The trumpeters at
the time still made use of certain flourishes which had been
traditionally preserved in their guild.)
4. "I have spared neither care nor labor to produce something excellent
for Prague. Moreover it is a mistake to think that the practice of my art
has become easy to me. I assure you, dear friend, no one has given so
much care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely a famous
master in music whose works I have not frequently and diligently
studied."
(A remark to Conductor Kucharz in Prague, who led the rehearsals for
"Don Giovanni" in 1787.)
5. "They are, indeed, the fruit of long and painstaking labor; but the
hope which some of my friends aroused in me, that my work would be
rewarded at least in part, has given me courage and the flattering belief
that these, my offspring, will some day bring me comfort."
(From the dedication of the Six Quartets to Haydn in 1785. The
quartets were sent back to the publisher, Artaria, from Italy, because
"they contained so many misprints." The unfamiliar chords and
dissonances were looked upon as printers' errors. Grassalkowitsch, a
Hungarian prince, thought his musicians were playing faultily in some
of these passages, and when he learned differently he tore the music in
pieces.)

6. "I can not deny, but must confess that I shall be glad when I receive
my release from this place. Giving lessons here is no fun; you must
work yourself pretty tired, and if you don't give a good many lessons
you will make but little money. You must not think that it is
laziness;--no!--but it goes counter to my genius,