Mozart: The Man and the Artist, as revealed in his own words | Page 7

counter to my mode of
life. You know that, so to speak, I am wrapped up in music,--that I
practice it all day long,--that I like to speculate, study, consider. All this
is prevented by my mode of life here. I shall, of course, have some free
hours, but they will be so few that they will be necessary more for
recuperation than work."
(Paris, July 31, 1778, to his father.)
7. "M. Le Gros bought the 'Sinfonie concertante' of me. He thinks that
he is the only one who has it; but that isn't so. It is still fresh in my head,
and as soon as I get home I'll write it down again."
(Paris, October 3, 1778, to his father. An evidence of the retentiveness
of Mozart's memory. In this instance, however, he did not carry out his
expressed intention. Le Gros was director of the Concerts spirituels.)
8. "Melody is the essence of music. I compare a good melodist to a fine
racer, and counterpointists to hack post-horses; therefore be advised, let
well alone and remember the old Italian proverb: Chi sa piu, meno
sa--'Who knows most, knows least.'"
(To the English tenor Michael Kelly, about 1786, in answer to Kelly's
question whether or not he should take up the study of counterpoint.)
9. "One of the priests gave me a theme. I took it on a promenade and in
the middle (the fugue was in G minor) I began in the major, with
something jocose but in the same tempo; finally the theme again, but
backwards. Finally I wondered if I might not use the playful melody as
a theme for a fugue. I did not question long, but made it at once, and it
went as accurately as if Daser had measured it for the purpose. The
dean was beside himself."
(Augsburg, October 23, 1777, to his father. Daser was a tailor in

Salzburg.)
10. "Above us is a violinist, below us another, next door a singing
teacher who gives lessons, and in the last room opposite ours, a
hautboyist. Merry conditions for composing! You get so many ideas!"
(Milan, August 23, 1771, to his "dearest sister.")
11. "If I but had the theme on paper,--worked out, of course. It is too
silly that we have got to hatch out our work in a room."
(A remark to his wife while driving through a beautiful bit of nature
and humming all manner of ideas that came into his head.)
12. "I'd be willing to work forever and forever if I were permitted to
write only such music as I want to write and can write--which I myself
think good. Three weeks ago I made a symphony, and by tomorrow's
post I shall write again to Hofmeister and offer him three pianoforte
quartets, if he has the money."
(Written in 1789 to a baron who was his friend and who had submitted
a symphony for his judgment. F.A. Hofmeister was a composer and
publisher in Vienna.)
13. "You can do a thing like this for the pianoforte, but not for the
theatre. When I wrote this I was still too fond of hearing my own music,
and never could make an end."
(A remark to Rochlitz while revising and abbreviating the principal air
in "Die Entfuhrung.")
14. "You know that I had already finished the first Allegro on the
second day after my arrival here, and consequently had seen
Mademoiselle Cannabich only once. Then came young Danner and
asked me how I intended to write the Andante. 'I will make it fit the
character of Mademoiselle Rose.' When I played it, it pleased
immensely....I was right; she is just like the Andante."

(Mannheim, December 6, 1777, to his father. Rose Cannabich was a
pupil of Mozart's, aged thirteen and very talented. "She is very sensible
for her age, has a staid manner, is serious, speaks little, but when she
does speak it is with grace and amiability," writes Mozart in the same
letter. It is also related of Beethoven that he sometimes delineated
persons musically. [Also Schumann. H.E.K.])
15. "I have composed a Quintet for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and
Pianoforte, which has been received with extraordinary favor. (Kochel,
No. 452.) I myself think it the best thing I ever wrote in my life."
(Vienna, April 10, 1784, to his father.)
16. "As an exercise I have set the aria, 'Non so d'onde viene,' which
Bach composed so beautifully. I did it because I know Bach so well,
and the aria pleases me so much that I can't get it out of my head. I
wanted to see whether or not in spite of these things I was able to make
an aria that should not be a bit like Bach's. It isn't a bit, not a bit