Vienna, 7 June 1793

My dearest friend,

You have no idea how joyous I became when I’ve learned that you have learned the trick that I already used in Vienna: A public concert done with impresarios to profit from the tickets sale. It so much better than to suck up to some Bishop who makes you sit to eat with the chariot-driver and the cook.

But, How should I express this to you my friend? It seems to me the audience won’t be too enthusiastic about your music. It is true that you express in it your inner drama and depth, but when you write a concerto that you wish will support you, you have to give the audience what it wants and not be so deep and heavy in style.

Yours with love,

Wolfgang

P. S. Please convey my greatest love to Constanza. Tell her I forgive her for my cheep burial. I understand her wish to save money now that she is a widow. But she should come see me more (she still hadn’t been here). The cross that marks me fell (it rot rather fast), but I can tell you that I’m about five steps north from the large pine tree in the poor-mans section.

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Vienna, 5 March 1812

My dear and most beloved friend,

Yesterday there was a really awful snow-storm above. You probably are asking yourself how I know that? Well we here below also suffer, my crackling bones freeze from the frost that penetrates the ground from the snow above. Not only that, but probably the snow is heavy as it pressures all my feet’s bones (not to speak of the tooth ache from the cold).

But let us stop this complaint, all in all, its not so bad here. Two rows from me lays a girl with a such a voice – You have never heard such a dreamy soprano. If she hadn’t been born poor, she probably would have become a great singer. I would have given her a part in one of my operas most likely…

I heard my concertos were selling not to bad, and the royalties are handful. You are most fortunate that today you could receive royalties for pieces from the publishers. In my time you had to beg for them even to be printed. If I would have lived today I probably would have been rich considering the number of symphonies I wrote, and Hayden would have been a multi-millionaire. Also, I could have written pieces more to my taste without consideration to the audience of Nobles of the time – like I did do only near the end of my life on the earth.

I wanted to tell you I’m most admiring of your Eroica. Yes, me too was disappointed with Napoleon, but what wonderful idea: freedom, equality. In my days you could not even express such ideas because of the censorship of the Kaiser (It seems to me that today there is not a big difference between us too – only his coffin is a little larger than mine. The earth treats everybody with equality).

Yours forever,

Wolfgang

P.S. Please tell Constanza that came to visit me once in 1801 that she had mistaken the grave. The tree that I mentioned in my last letter was cut down and almost nothing remain of it. But, There is a large marble stone that drifted above my tomb (I’m on the left upper side of the stone).

In any case I’m pretty mad of this slot who need her husband to force her to visit me – Its might be that I over appreciated her and mistaken in her.

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Vienna, 7 April 1817

Beloved and dear friend,

I was absolutely astonished by your talent (although I am not fond of the dramatic flavor of it).

In the ninth symphony you are planning to add a choir – what a great idea! Tremendous indeed!!!.

Regarding the ideas forming inside you to turn to counterpoint, I do not know what to advise. Indeed, I’m unable to answer whether we used up all the possibilities of our style, called today “Clasical” by the public, It might be that we did. I did not achieve that stage of using up my style.

Pardon my for advising you on such a personal matter, but it seems to me you must marry a wife. Why not, your young student, the blond, what was her name? I forgot…

Yes, I know that after what Constanza did to me. That she neglected me completely and did not come to visit (It seems to me, that now we should understand my disgraceful burial, not on the background of economical difficulty, but rather that she never really loved me, the slot), It seems odd that I should advice thus. However, it seems to me that staying alone is even worse (and anyway might give rise to vicious gossip after your death. Not that it is of importance what the gossipers say according to me personally. But remember that you are my heir, and represent the whole world of musical creation and not a single person).

Personally, I regret that I wasn’t enough careful in my letters, especially to Constanza. But on the other hand, who knew that she would not get rid of them and that they will be published after my death. And that people will pay more attention to them and my life than my work – for it is it that is important.

Yours with much love,

Wolfgang

P.S. I was reminded that there is no point that you should try to come visit me as I came to know you are planning to. These days, drifted for some time the marking to my grave and I’m no longer sure where it is placed (the place is rather neglected today, above me there is only grass and nobody tends to the place). But I thank you, it is the intention that counts.

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Vienna, 1 January 1827

My dear friend and colleague Ludwig,

I am grieved to see you in your old age suffering so much from your deafness. I’m beginning to be glad that I did not had to undergo the decline of the body, and death with which I learned to live made a grace with me and took me at a relatively early age.

There is nothing more horrible than being a deaf musician and I understand the deep rage that probably attacks you at times.

I am prevented from informing you, when you will join me in this under world. But I’m working days and nights to convince them to take you soon and not leave you in your misery, in the hell you are living today in the upper world.

I hope you are not angered with me for my doings,
they are made only with the best intention at heart.

Yours, for eternity,

Wolfgang

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Review (Dr. Ruth HaCohen):

I enjoyed profoundly.
Your Mozart, probably ignored the fact of the difficulty Beethoven undergoes (for example – the sketches) and accompanies him with everything he does, in comparison to the unbearable lightness of the "Mozartian" existence.

The New Pavarotti: Mr. Camel from the Opera Amnon

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My Biography

© 2003 Emails are gladly received: shakedtg@hotmail.com

Josquin Des Prez : Biography; At the court of Louis XI; Two Textual layers in Josquin 's 'Tu Solus'; The Motet-Lament 'Absalon, fili mi'

Johannes Ockeghem : Biography; S’elle m’amera-Petite camusete: A sophisticated game of meaning and structure; Polytextuality from Machaut to Ockeghem

ABSTRACT: The painting "Libreria Musicale" (Musical Library) by Giuseppe Maria Crespi, as a source of information on the "Storia della Musica" (History of Music) by Father Martini

A translation of Girolamo Mei's letters go Vincenzo Galilei and Giovanni Bardi

Vincenzo Galilei as the Forefather of Opera

The allegory of Monteverdi, Peri and Caccini's Operas on "Orfeo" (Orpheus)

Girolamo Mei's biography

Amnon and Tamar : Biblical opera

Other articles by G. Shaked: ART BIBLICAL STUDIES BIOLOGY CINEMA LITERATURE MUSIC PHILOSOPHY PHYSICS (ACOUSTICS)