Professor Graff Gregory Kurgansky
Arts in NYC October 1, 2014
MOZART
“It is a mistake to think that the practice of my art has become easy to me. I assure you, dear friend, no one has given so much care to the study of composition as I. There is scarcely a famous master in music whose works I have not frequently and diligently studied.” As delineated by the greatly intellectual and talented composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, an incredulous amount of effort and details were incorporated into each piece created. Therefore, it is evident from this quote and Mozart’s correspondence that Mozart possessed an extremely genuine and caring character, which was able to relate to the individuals that the composer was in contact with.
Mozart’s character is clearly gregarious and very kind as the talented musician addressed each and every single letter with diligence, utmost thoughtfulness, and described each miniscule event completely. For instance, as exhibited in Mozart’s letter to Professor Anton Klein, “Most estimable Herr Geheimrath, I am much at fault, I must confess, for not having at once acknowledge the safe receipt of your letter and the accompanying packet.” (227) As Mozart continues to discuss how he will address the information received from Professor Klein, it can be seen that Mozart genuinely values his colleagues and maintains a high set of morals. Furthermore, his caring and loving character is evident through his postal exchange with various family members. Firstly, when writing to his sister, “Dearest, best Sister! … Be assured my dear that if you desire a kind and loving brother to care for you, you will find one in me on every occasion. My dearest, best Sister!”(234) The repetition and the diction of utilizing dearest and best sister show how greatly Mozart cherishes the positive and strong bonds with his family. Furthermore, the fact that he reassures his sister that he loves her unconditionally and will always be there for her, delineates that Mozart loves and understands the importance of maintain relationships with the people who are dear to you. In addition, Mozart exemplifies his honest and caring character through his letters to his wife, where he writes “Farewell, and love me for ever as, I love thee. A million tenderest kisses to thee. I am ever Thy tenderly loving… P.S. Is our Karl being a good boy? I hope so. Kiss him for me. All kind messages to Herr and Frau Puchberg.” Overall, as evidenced in Mozart’s conclusion and postscript, Mozart makes sure to exhibit his feelings to his wife through paper, while sending kisses and regards to his son and dearest friends Mr. and Mrs. Puchberg.
Mozart maintained a great ability to relate others on various different topics and occasions. As shown throughout the letters, there were times when Mozart was in good health and good financial standing, while other times Mozart and his wife were both sick and he was in massive debt. When composing an important letter, which was every letter for Mozart, he placed much effort into connecting with the other individual and making sure that both parties are in agreement on a certain topic or situation. For example, in July 1789, Mozart wrote a letter to his long time friend Michael Puchberg, in which he writes, “Dearest Friend and Brother! Since you did me that great and friendly service, I have lived in such misery that, not only have I not been able to go out, but I could not write for very grief! … The tears flow as I write-If you can, dearest friend, come to see us. And if you can, give me your advice and help in the matter you know of.”(244) Throughout this and other verisimilar letters, Mozart describes each detail of the current events in his life and shows the horrible situation that his family is going through. Then, he connects and relates with the person he is writing to, by exhibiting sincerity, honesty, care, and respect. By being open about his mishaps and explaining that he’d rather lend money from his dearest friend and brother than from a heartless loan shark, Mozart can relate to his friend on an emotional and deep mental level. Another instance, in which Mozart relates to the individual, to which he is writing, is Sebastian Winter, Royal Groom of The Chambers. In the letter, Mozart requests that his services be hired on a yearly basis, and be paid for composing several pieces of music annually. However, instead of bluntly asking for funds, Mozart explains why he specifically is corresponding to the Highness for employment. As stated in the letter, “I hope his Highness will not take my proposition amiss, even should he be disinclined to accept it, for indeed it arises from an impulse of genuine zeal to serve his Highness diligently…”(230) Hence, the careful and respectful manner in which Mozart relates to the court of the highness exhibits the fact that the composer takes great pride, care, thought, and morals in to consideration when preparing a letter to a colleague or another person of interest. In general, Mozart possesses a great ability to relate to individuals on both a personal and a professional level, with appropriate diction and demeanor to show that his intents are entirely genuine, trustworthy, and positive.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was an extremely intelligent composer who had a positive, caring, and honest character that enabled the talented musician to relate to other individuals through highly respectful and morally proper correspondence. As evidenced throughout the collection of Mozart’s letters, it is clear that Mozart was an individual who believed in describing his situation genuinely and treating people who were close to him with the most admiration and love possible.
