cahn | 18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 37

More diaries of our favorite 18th-century Prussian diary-keeper have been unearthed and have been synopsized!

January 18th: Blessed be thou to me! Under your light, my Prince Heinrich was born!

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From:

mildred_of_midgard

Nice detective work!

but the Amalie passage goes further than I've seen quoted in biographies

It's always like that, isn't it?! Preferably after I can get my French up, I still have plans to go through a Fritz bio (probably MacDonogh) and just look up a bunch of the passages in the original sources and see what biographers leave out. I can't forget the Lafayette passage, or quoted "The Dutch invited Fritz to be stadtholder" vs. original "They invited one of his brothers to be stadtholder."

he most ridiciluous thing was that she really wanted to talk me into heading not for Paris but for Berlin, and tried this with propositions which I didn't want to believe, so I shan't mention them here;

LOLOLOL! And your AU being validated! A measly two years is nothing, I say!

buuuuuut maybe a concert or several. And come on. Could even Fritz with his hardcore old fashioned taste have resisted child!Wolfgang?

Oh, man. Talk about a missed historical opportunity!

...I can just hear Leopold muttering something about an "evil man in Potsdam." :PPP And especially given the timing! October 1763? Lol.

And come on. Could even Fritz with his hardcore old fashioned taste have resisted child!Wolfgang?

Now is your opportunity to finish the crack round robin and answer this very question! If you wish to do so with emojis, I would not say no. ;) (Which reminds me...

*some time later*

The latest emoji gem is now up at

rheinsberg.)

From:

selenak

Because unlike

cahn, you probably haven't read it quoted in any Mozart essays or bios, here's Leopold's earlier letter - 16th October 1762, the start of the big European tour - about Vienna and meeting the imperial family, which also tells you some useful stuff about how non-nobles with musical interests travelled, in case it might come in handy for your AUs:

On the feast of Saint Francis we set out from Linz at 4:30 in the afternoon with the so called Wasser-ordinaire,and reached Matthausen the same day by dark night at half past 7. The following Tuesday, we came to Ips in the afternoon, where 2 Minorites and a Benedictine, who were with us on the ship, read Holy Mass, during which our Woferl so cavorted around on the organ and played so well that the Franciscan fathers, who were at that moment sitting with some guests at their midday meal, left their food, took the guests with them, ran to the choir and almost died of astonishment. In the night we were at Stein,
and on Wednesday we reached Vienna at 3 o’clock, where we took what was at once our midday and evening meal at 5 o’clock. On the journey we had constant rain and much wind. Wolfgangl had already had catarrh in Linz and, despite all the disorder, early rising, disorderly eating and drinking, he remained, praise God, in good health. People make more of the whirlpool and vortex than the matter itself amounts to. At the landing, Herr Gilowsky’s servant was already in attendance, came onto the ship and then conducted me to the rooms. But we soon hurried to an inn in order to still our hunger, having previously placed
our baggage in safety and in order in our accommodation. That was also where Herr Gilowsky came to welcome us. Now we have been here for 8 days already and do not yet know where the sun rises in Vienna, for up to this very hour it has done nothing but rain and, with a constant wind blowing, it has occasionally snowed a little, so that we even saw a little snow on the roofs. [30] At the same time, it was not, and still is not, genuinely cold, but genuinely frosty. I must remark on one thing specifically: at the Schanzl customs office we were cleared very quickly and entirely exempted from the Main Customs Office. Once again, the blame goes to our Herr Wolferl, for he was immediately on familiar terms with the
customs officer, showed him the clavier, invited him to listen, played him a menuet on his little violin, and with that we were sent on our way. The customs officer requested with the greatest politeness, and obtained from us, permission to visit us, and to this purpose noted our lodgings. (...)
Count Daun has also given me a letter to take with me for Baron Schell. He is giving me good cause to hope that I will leave Vienna satisfied. This seems to be the case, too, inasmuch as the court is demanding to hear us before we have presented ourselves. For young Count Palfi was going through Linz precisely when our concert was due to start. He went to pay his respects to Countess von Schlick, who
told him about the youngster and persuaded him to have the post-coach stop before the Town Hall and to come to the concert with the Countess. He heard it with astonishment, and told Archduke Joseph of it with much commotion. The latter told the Empress. As soon, then, as it became known that we were in Vienna, the order came that we should come to the court. You see, that was the source of it.
The preceding lines were written on the 11th with the firm intention of reporting on the 12th, when we came back from Schönbrunn, on how it went, but we had to drive in a bee line from Schönbrunn to the Prince of Hildeburghausen’s. The 6 ducats were worth more than sending of the letter. I am putting my trust in Frau Hagenauer and promise myself so much kindness from her friendship that she will accept the good wishes for her name-day now, even though they are so brief that I only say that we will ask God that he may preserve her in good health, along with all who belong to her, even in the most advanced years,
and that he may invite and receive us all, at his chosen time, into heaven for a game of Brandl. Now time no longer permits anything, other than to say in haste that we were so extraordinarily graciously received by Their Majesties that if I were to recount it, one would take it to be a fable. [80] Enough! Wolferl jumped onto the Empress’lap, got hold of her round the neck and kissed her roundly. In brief, we were with her from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock and the Emperor himself came out into the other room to fetch me in order to hear the Infanta playing the violin. On the 15th, the Empress sent 2 sets of clothing with the Privy Paymaster, who drove up in front of our house in gala dress: 1 set for the boy and 1 for
the girl. As soon as the command comes, they must appear at court and the Privy Paymaster will collect them. Today, at 2:30, they must go to the 2 youngest Archdukes, at 4 o’clock to Count Palfi, the Hungarian Chancellor. Yesterday we were at Count Kaunitz’, and the day before at Countess Kinsky’s,43 and then later at Count von Ulfeld’s. We are invited to concerts in 2 days’ time again. Say everywhere in the name of grace that we are well and happy, praise God. I commend myself and am as always your
Mozart

From:

mildred_of_midgard

Thank you!

Also, I meant to add earlier that of course Amalie didn't have money to spare, the Seven Years' War has just ended, *and* she's traveling.

From:

selenak

As you're the woman for the numbers, I looked up some for you.

Leopold had to pay in Aachen, where the Mozarts were staying at the inn "Zum goldenen Drachen" (now there's a good name!) "The Golden Dragon": 75 Gulden, for a relatively short stay. This was two and a half times his monthly salary as First Concert Master in Salzburg.

In Vienna, he received for the three hours concert his kids gave to MT & her kids & husband: 100 Golden Ducats, which were 450 Silver Gulden, which was what Leopold earned in a year. Plus some silver snuff boxes plus a gala gown/ costume each for Nannerl and Wolfers from an arch duchess and an arch duke. The last, btw, wasn't a shabby gesture but a very complimentary and practical one. These gala gowns weren't worn often, the kids grew out of them, and because of the perdigree and the expensive material, undoubtedly the Mozarts could sell them once Wolferl and Nannerl had grown out of them, too.

Entrance fee for public concerts per person, not special performances like the one for MT: Four Gulden in a city like Frankfurt (Goethe Senior, JWG's Dad, wrote this in his account book).

From:

cahn

The last, btw, wasn't a shabby gesture but a very complimentary and practical one. These gala gowns weren't worn often, the kids grew out of them, and because of the perdigree and the expensive material, undoubtedly the Mozarts could sell them once Wolferl and Nannerl had grown out of them, too.

This I did not know, thank you! (I think I may have heard that they got fancy dress, but I think I did think it was a shabby gesture.)