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cahnAnd including Emperor Joseph II!
from Derek Beales: Joseph II, Volume 2: Against the World, 1780 - 1790:
Joseph's alleged comment to Mozart about the Entführung, "Too many notes", has been taken as evidence of his ignorance. But he probably said something like, "Too beautiful for our ears, and monstrous many notes." It is always necessary to bear in mind, when appraising the emperor's remarks, his peculiar brand of humor or sarcasm. He was usually getting at someone. And he did not use the royal "we". The ears in question were those of the Viennese audience, whom he was mocking for their limited appreciation of Mozart's elaborate music.
(though not gonna lie, I think it is a LOT of notes)
from Derek Beales: Joseph II, Volume 2: Against the World, 1780 - 1790:
Joseph's alleged comment to Mozart about the Entführung, "Too many notes", has been taken as evidence of his ignorance. But he probably said something like, "Too beautiful for our ears, and monstrous many notes." It is always necessary to bear in mind, when appraising the emperor's remarks, his peculiar brand of humor or sarcasm. He was usually getting at someone. And he did not use the royal "we". The ears in question were those of the Viennese audience, whom he was mocking for their limited appreciation of Mozart's elaborate music.
(though not gonna lie, I think it is a LOT of notes)
Re: Helga Peham: Leopold II. Herrscher mit weiser Hand. (Vienna 1987) - I
Date: 2022-02-20 06:28 pm (UTC)LOLOLOL. Tell us how you really feel, Wandruszka!
Leopold was named Peter Leopold, Peter after Elizaveta's Dad
That's Peter the Great,
Now, as a ruler, Leopold undoubtedly kicked ass.
See, I want to read more about this! But I can't get Peham's book for less than $68, or Wandruszka for less than $100, and I don't want them *that* much, grumble gripe. I have gone from asking you to read German books because I can't read them, to asking you to read them because I can't (easily) *get* them. I.e. you continue to be the best thing that ever happened to salon. <33
Also, while Leopold had abolished the death penalty in Tuscany early on, he reintroduced it as Emperor because there was a Tuscany uprising during his two years of Imperial rule, which he could not understand - hadn't he been a model Duke? And now they were turning against him?
Thus joining Fritz, Catherine, and Joseph in the list of enlightened monarchs going, "What do you *mean* people are abusing the privileges my idealistic younger self wanted to give them?? They should be grateful and not force me to partially revoke these privileges!" I didn't know Leopold had revoked his revoking of the death penalty, but I feel like this was kind of a normal trajectory. Alas.
There was that time Marchese C. made fun of Leopold's many girlfriends, and before he knew it, he got orders not to stay in Florence but remain on his countryside estates, because Leopold's spies were that efficient. But that doesn't mean he was against criticism, per se!
*chokes*
Okay, somebody's inner stan is showing here. :P
On August 6th, 1753, one Chevalier Balde tries to assassinate MT.
Did not know that either! Wow.
I can't help but think it would have had a very different ending if that knd of thing had happened in FW's Berlin...
I feel like maybe it would have!
Leopold in his "everyone sucks but me!" rant, titled "stato della familiglia", about Joseph and youngest brother Max(imilian):
Yeah, Amalie's "Everyone sucks but Luise, probably including me" rant was much more interesting! I can see why you haven't latched onto him fannishly.
Re: Helga Peham: Leopold II. Herrscher mit weiser Hand. (Vienna 1987) - I
Date: 2022-02-21 08:38 am (UTC)At least he's open about. Gotta respect that.:)
Thus joining Fritz, Catherine, and Joseph in the list of enlightened monarchs going, "What do you *mean* people are abusing the privileges my idealistic younger self wanted to give them?? They should be grateful and not force me to partially revoke these privileges!" I didn't know Leopold had revoked his revoking of the death penalty, but I feel like this was kind of a normal trajectory. Alas.
Alas. I think the most tragic case has to be Struensee who initialized a super modernation and enlightenment program in Sweden, freedom of the press included, and promptly got vilified as the most evil schemer ever by said free press, which certainly contributed to his downfall, tragic ending and the complete restoration of a backwards regime.
Chevalier Balde: I checked Stollberg-Rillinger, and she does have the story, which I thus must have forgotten. Additional information. The Chevalier de Balde was the illegitimate son of the last Count of Mömpelgard and a dressmaker. Because the Mömpelgards were dying out, the Count had adopted his bastard son, which his relations did not want to recognize. So the Chevalier was involved in series of law suits and was fighting to be recognized as the new Count Mömpelgard, and trying to get an audience with MT. The serving Chamberlain told him to come back at one of the days where MT gave public audiences, right now she was working. And that's when he turned violent. The servant whose job it would have been to guard the door to her cabinet was unfortunately elsewhere to fulfill a natural need ("zur Verrichtung der Notdurft"), and when the Chamberlain tried to put himself in the way of Balde, Balde drew his sword and attacked him. The Chamberlain, who is a small and fragile man, slips on the floor and hurts his hand at the sword. MT hears the noise, calls for the guards and withdraws to the Emperor's cabinet, Joseph's Chamberlain comes to the rescue. S-R also after reporting he was brought first to the hospital and then to the monastery says there was actually a hot debate at court whether he was insane or had acted simply in a bad temper. But if the later, he still would have been due for the gruesome punishment that came with any physical attack on royalty, so MT deciding to treat him as a madman instead was definitely saving the guy's life and limbs.
Yeah, Amalie's "Everyone sucks but Luise, probably including me" rant was much more interesting!
Good comparison, and it was. Amalie thus showed both more self knowledge and the capacity for attachment and admiration for at least one other person.
Re: Helga Peham: Leopold II. Herrscher mit weiser Hand. (Vienna 1987) - I
Date: 2022-02-24 05:43 am (UTC)The Chevalier Balde is also interesting, thank you! Especially her treating him as a madman as an act of mercy, in a way.
Re: Helga Peham: Leopold II. Herrscher mit weiser Hand. (Vienna 1987) - I
Date: 2022-02-22 06:17 am (UTC)Aww, yeah, I'd forgotten about this! <3 That was a really sweet rant, really.