I should be quite reconciled (to the marriage), if I did not discover
a great fault in my son: he is too indolent and easy-going, perhaps
occasionally too proud, and all these qualities united make a man
inactive; or else he grows impatient and cannot wait for anything. He is
altogether ruled by opposite extremes--too much, or too little, and no
medium. When he is in no pressing need he is quite content, and becomes
indolent and inactive. Once set going, he is all on fire, and thinks he
is going to make his fortune all at once. Nothing is allowed to stand
in his way, and unfortunately it is just the cleverest people, the
exceptional men of genius, who find continual obstacles in their path.
What is there to prevent his having a prosperous career in Vienna, if he
only has a little patience? Kapellmeister Bono is an aged man. Salieri
will be promoted at his death, and will leave another place vacant. And
is not Gluck also an old man? Honoured madam, exhort him to patience,
and pardon me for asking the favour of your ladyship's opinion on the
matter.
{MARRIED LIFE.}
(274)
His remonstrances had the desired effect upon Wolfgang; he was obliged
to acknowledge to his father (August 24, 1782) that it would be better
to prolong his stay at Vienna; that he could go to France or England
at any time. L. Mozart, reassured, wrote to the Baroness (September
13, 1782): "My son has relinquished his intention of leaving Vienna at
present, in consequence of my letters; and as he now intends to visit
me in Salzburg, I shall be able to make the strongest and most necessary
representations to him on the subject."
These representations were all the more effective since Mozart had
at this juncture every reason to be satisfied with the sympathy and
applause of the Vienna public. It is true that on the revival of Italian
opera his works were excluded from the theatre; but in the year 1786
the Emperor proved that he had not forgotten him by commissioning him
to compose the "Schauspieldirector" and "Figaro." But when Mozart,
nevertheless, failed to obtain a permanent post, the idea again
seriously presented itself of leaving Vienna and going to England.
An Englishman named Thomas Attwood (1767-1838) had come from Italy
to Vienna in the year 1785, and become Mozart's pupil. By a singular
coincidence also the English tenor, Michael Kelly, and the English
prima donna, Nancy Storace, were engaged at the Italian Opera. Stephen
Storace, the brother, was also resident in Vienna as a composer for a
considerable time. Mozart was on very friendly terms with them, and his
design was thereby strengthened. At the beginning of November, 1786, he
wrote to his father that he intended in the latter part of the Carnival
to undertake a journey through Germany to England if his father would
consent to receive and take charge of his two children and the servants.
Constanze was to accompany him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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