 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: joevacc
Date: 2001-10-17 04:00
I just read the most fantastic book- "Mozart's Letters, Mozart's Life" by Robert Spaethling.
If you have any interest in Mozart at all I am sure that you will love this book! The book has very little commentary by the author so it is almost entirely written by MOZART!!! The translations are superb and if you can not speak German this book is just grand.
The suspense!- the thrill!- the defeat!... Can you tell I liked it??? I hope that if you are interested in Mozart you will enjoy it as much as I did!
Happy Reading...
-=[ Joe Vacc]=-
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Author: Werner
Date: 2001-10-17 11:38
German alone doesn't help a lot in Mozarts case.
The letters of the young Mozart are a wild mixture of
italian, english, german and whatever ..
An he certainly never expected them to be published ..
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Author: Werner
Date: 2001-10-17 12:22
There are many translations of Mozarts letters
into German language. Not by Robert Spaethling though.
I went to www.amazon.de,
typed the words 'mozart' and 'briefe' into the search - box
and had 12 hits.
(letters = briefe (german))
And these translations are nessecary .. I am able
to translate the German, English and a bit of the
French parts .. but this is not enough to understand
his letters.
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Author: beejay
Date: 2001-10-17 15:59
The Anderson translation of the Mozart letters remains a treasure.
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Author: joevacc
Date: 2001-10-18 03:23
Great point Werner. In reading the letters you can't help but wonder what goes through a mind like that! I have, in the last couple of years become somewhat obsessed with Mozart's life because,, well because he is Mozart!!!
One of the biggest question in my mind is - What became of his children Carl Thomas and Franz Xaver Wolfgang and their descendants??? They died in 1858 and 1844 respectively, not terribly long ago - Can anyone recommend a book?
I am reading "1791: Mozart's Last Year" by H. C. Robbins Landon" now but unfortunately I left my copy on a plane somewhere and am awaiting a new copy in the mail. I will post if I like it. So far so good.
Thanks beejay, I will certainly try to add a copy to my collection!
Best,
-=[Joe Vacc]=-
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-10-18 04:06
Unfortunately, the lives of Mozart's two children were not nearly as documented as their famous father. What is known is that the eldest son Karl began earning a living as a merchant, tried the life of a musician (he was a fine pianist and adequate conductor) , and finally took an official government position. He died working in a rather menial government position in Milan in 1859.
Mozart's youngest son Franz Xavier Wolfgang became a musician. He was rather famous as both a pianist and composer, but his famous last name prevented him from attaining the stature he might have deserved. He performed in public, went on many professional tours, and served as music director at both Lemberg and finally in Vienna. He died in Carlbad in 1844.
Inrterestingly Mozart's wife Constanze remarried in 1809, and the Mozart children had a step father (Georg Nissen) who treated them very well. He eventually died in 1826, and Costanze died in 1842 (the same day of the arrival of a model for a statue of Mozart)....A good source of course (if you haven't read it) is Otto Jahn's "Life of Mozart"- there are some inaccuracies, but it is still required Mozart reading...GBK
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-10-18 08:15
Thanks to all of you for this informative topic and the resorces. Winter is acumin in and this sounds like a fine curl-up project.
Gosh, this board is interesting and informative!!!!!!
Jim
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2001-10-18 08:22
I found there was a Japanese academic who gathered - provably from Salzburg Mozarteum society etc - Mozart letters, translated them, and published a small book in Japan some 30 years ago. This kind of work seems prevalent now in many countries. I felt as a child this kind of work is like peeping into another person's personal life, even he is Mozart. All the more so, since Mozaart uses scatological words too often.
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Author: Werner
Date: 2001-10-19 16:50
My memories made up something that doesn't seem to exist,
and nobody corrected me .. so I have to do it by myself.
Susannah: There are no translations of Mozart's letters into
the 'modern' German language. At least I haven't found
such a book yet.
In German books his letters are printet *as is* and the worst
passages are explained or translated in footnotes.
Some of these letters are very difficult to read.
It's perhaps easier for me to read them translated in English.
Hiroshi: Your are not alone with your 'feeling like peeping
into another person's personal life'. I'm always again realising
myself to be embarassed by reading some of his letters for his
sister or his wife. As if reading someones diary without his
permission.
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Author: JC
Date: 2001-10-19 18:34
GBK, the really interesting (in a trivial sort of way) about Constanze's second husband is that his tombstone actually reads "Mozart's wife's second husband." Poor guy never did anything more important than marrying Constanze Mozart.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-10-19 18:51
Actually, George Nissen, Constanze's second husband and the Mozart children's step father was fairly well known in his native country (Denmark) where he worked for the Diplomatic Service until he resigned the post in 1820. He lived in Salzburg with Constanze until he died in 1826. How quickly they (the Austrians and the Danes) forgot...GBK
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