So thank goodness we have a canon of treasured composers to fall back on. I think with all the things about shitting in the bed and so on, those are just expressions, schroeder tells mel. We talked to leading mozart scholars about the composers love. A biography told by letters the mozart project anne. Mozart and his infamous letters of scatalogical humour. It didnt occur to him that anyone would be interested. Preface a full and authentic edition of mozarts letters ought to require no special apology. I cannot recommend mozarts letters, mozarts life highly enough to anyone interested in wolfgang mozart. Its our cultures obsession with genius that makes the letters seem significant to us in the first place. Now, when he gets into some of the more sexualized language, especially with his. In mozart s letters, we find the eternal optimist even in the most trying times. Several of mozart s scatological letters were written to his cousin and probable love interest, according to solomon maria anna thekla mozart. Love true true true until the grave mozarts letters.
The marvel of mozarts letters composers letters can make frustrating reading. Those were sometimes vulgar and reeked of a scatological content. The adolescent mozart carried on a flirtation with a cousin in a flurry of famously xrated letters. But its not flirting with his cousin thats weirdits his. He was also a prolific letter writer, and fortnately many of the letters were saved that he wrote to his mama, his papa, his sister nanerl, his cousin maria anna thekla mozart, his wife constanza, and others. Simkins highlights the 1938 publication of mozarts letters earlier editions removed many of the crass remarks to protect the sensitivity of readers, in which an introduction from emily anderson states. Mozart s magnificent love letter to his wife brain pickings. The classic english version some 616 letters covering the period 1762 to 1791 comes in three fat volumes, translated by emily anderson in 1938 in the best possible taste. The scatological letters are found not only from mozart but also his family members include anna maria, mozarts cousin. This edition contains 275 letters written only by mozart. Mozart, masonry and catholicism national catholic reporter.
Endocrinologist ben skinner estimates that 39 of mozarts letters include scatological passages, with the majority of them directed at his own family members in particular his dad, leopold, his mom anna maria, his sister, maria anna nicknamed nennerl, and his cousin, also named maria anna. In nine letters written to his cousin, mozart uninhibitedly referred to defaecation and anal issues which clearly suggested coprographia. When mozart wasnt writing one of his 600 masterpieces he was writing letters to his female cousin, the contents of which were usually in a. Ten letters of their subsequent correspondence have been preserved, all from wolfgang to marianne. In mozarts letters, we find the eternal optimist even in the most trying times. On 9 may 1781, mozart was liberated from all court responsibilities, left to pursue his ca. This is starkly obvious in a letter to his cousin maria anna. Mozarts basle letters when mozart first met maria anna thekla mozart in 1777, the two cousins immediately hit it off. Wolfgang amadeus mozart left behind more than just music. Born in salzburg, germany, in 1756, mozart was the son of a violinist at the court of the local princearchbishop, leopold mozart. Maria was the nineteenyearold daughter of mozarts uncle, franz alois mozart. The letter is part of the gertrude clarke whittall foundation collection, and formerly was in the possession of the.
Love true true true until the grave, if i live that long and do behave. One particular individual was wolfgang amadeus mozart, a prolific german composer, who seemed to have a thing for scatology, as evidenced in some of his letters and compositions. He also left behind a whole series of flirtatious love letters written to his younger cousin, maria anna thekla. Robert spaethlings rendered translation of part of a letter mozart. Between 1777 and 1781, while in his twenties, wolfgang amadeus mozart wrote twelve letters to this cousin maria anna thekla mozartthe early ones are often alliterative and obsceneduring which time he and his father were seeking out a new post for him. Some of the letters full of jokes have survived until today. This over the years very sensual contact influenced the often mentally unstable man positively. His odd penchant for toilet humor was rampant in many of his letters to family members. Several of mozarts scatological letters were written to his cousin and. Shortly before his sudden death, in a letter from september of 1790 found in love letters of great men public library a collection of romantic correspondence featuring lord byron, f. The fine example below translated by robert spaethling was penned to mozarts 19yearold cousin and possible love interest, marianne. We talked to leading mozart scholars about the composers. The adolescent mozart carried on a flirtation with a cousin in a.
After his family members letters has been reveled, public who support mozarts scatological words as part of jock rather than symptom of scatological pervert. I did a symphony and the concert ex b of vanhal on the violin which was applauded. Those letters are a gold mine of insight, and give us a wonderfully intimate view into wolfgangs real life. In the first place, mozart s use of spoken and written words merit some examination. Among his most famous works, with lorenzo da ponte as librettist. Like any good dramatist, he identified the things that suited his story mining mozarts letters for scatological baby talk to his cousin, for example and left out the things that weren. Did mozart feel a tension between his masonry and his catholicism. One year later, he fell more seriously in love with aloysia weber, the oldest daughter of a viennese family of. The young composer was in the german city of augsburg looking for work, providing him with the opportunity to reacquaint himself with his relatives.
In his letters, mozart made excessive use of obscene words, primarily focusing on defecation and anal vulgarities, suggesting the presence of coprographia. But with mozart, you get the whole personality candid, perceptive, irresistibly alive. In his early twenties, when he came to augsburg with his mother to find employment, he had a crush on his cousin maria thekla mozart, his beloved bunny cousin. Selected letters from mozart translated by wolfgang hildesheimer.
In mozarts letters, mozarts life, robert spaethling presents mozart in all the rawness of his driving energies spectator, preserved in the zany, often angry effervescence of his writing observer. Though these were simply common jokes at the time, schroeder says, mozarts letters to his cousin take a more pointed and sexual turn. Wolfgangs potty mouth the strange toilet humor of mozart. Wolfgang amadeus mozart 17561791 austrian composer, widely recognised as one of the greatest composers in the history of western music. The lengthy letter shows off the composers fondness for wordplay and, yes, poop jokes, with lines like i now wish you a good night, shit in your bed with all your might. He had a startling fondness for scatological humor, which is preserved in his surviving letters, notably those written to his cousin maria anna thekla mozart around 17771778, but also in his correspondence with his sister and parents. Full text of the letters of wolfgang amadeus mozart 1769. Mozart and scatology wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Or so it seems from the letters mozart left behind like a trail of smelly droppings to use an analogy of which the whole mozart family would. There are nine surviving letters by wolfgang amadeus mozart to his cousin maria anna thekla mozart, written between 1777 and 1781. Although the letters displayed mozarts fondness for wordplay, there were lots of scatological humor toiletrelated humor in them.
Unbeknownst to most people, mozart employed scatology liberally. Robert spaethling, mozarts letters, mozarts life norton 2000. The fine example below translated by robert spaethling was penned to mozarts 19yearold cousin and possible love interest, marianne also known as betsie little cousin. In fact, publishing music wasnt even common during mozart s life. What mozarts letters reveal about the composers complexities. Spaethlings idiomatic translation has won accolades for preserving mozarts lively style, so this is a musthave book. Though these were simply common jokes at the time, schroeder says, mozarts letters to his cousin take a more pointed and. They are striking for their abundance of scatological and sexual humor. These memories shaped wolfgang amadeus mozart, who also in that part of his life, even when he was ill, he wrote provocative letters to his cousin. Maria anna thekla, the daughter of one of the brothers of mozart s father leopold, met mozart in 1777 when he came to augsburg. Scott fitzgerald, james joyce, voltaire, leo tolstoy, and dozens more lovers of letters mozart writes to constanze from frankfurt, where he had gone. Mozart and his infamous letters of scatalogical humour thepiano. Wolfgang amadeus mozart left behind a trail of letters that he wrote to his cousin, a possible love interest. The surprising scatology found in mozarts letters has not yet been satisfactorily explained.
I now write early in the morning to say that my cousin is pretty, intelligent. Have a look at his suggestive love letter to his cousin, marianne, written when the music. Mozarts honesty, his awareness of his own genius and his contempt for authority all shine out from these letters. It is an unparalleled firsthand account of mozarts life by the man himself, and is a must have for any classical music enthusiasts. But mozart had no intention of immortalizing these playful verses to his cousin. Just take a look at the most recent letter up at the archival blog letters of note, from 21yearold mozart to his 19yearold cousin and probable love interest, marianne. In these letters, written after mozart had spent a pleasant two weeks with his. Hologarph letter written by mozart to his sister, nannerl. The marvel of mozarts letters the spectator australia.
All the lyrics are too bland, repetitive, and racy. Many of mozarts personal letters and compositions written for friends included scatology. Wolfgang amadeus mozarts odd penchant for toilet humor. Quite how gamey they get varies with the translation. Maria anna thekla, the daughter of one of the brothers of mozarts father leopold, met mozart in 1777 when he came to augsburg. Full text of the letters of wolfgang amadeus mozart 1769 1791 see other formats. When he wasnt busy composing some of the most beautiful music ever to seduce the human ear, wolfgang amadeus mozart could often be found writing shockingly crude letters to his family. Mozart even wrote scatological music, a series of canons that he sang with his friends. These are called the basle letters basle is a diminutive form in german, meaning little cousin.
Several of mozarts scatological letters were written to his cousin and probable love interest, according to solomon 14 maria anna thekla mozart. Just after leaving to go to mannheim in 1777 he requests her to deliver his compliments to two women, mutual acquaintances. Mozarts letters, mozarts life by wolfgang amadeus mozart. To his cousin, marianne, november 1777 to every good friend i send my greet feet. A full and authentic edition of mozarts letters ought to require no special apology. A letter to his cousin maria on 5 november 1777 contains the following verse. Nine of these letters were written to his cousin, marianne. Thats probably the most notorious aspect of mozarts letters.