| Citation |
SCAGG.771.056
4-11 Nov 1771:41, 42 (14/682)
[About 30% of the first column of this article is missing on
the left edge. The missing text has been supplied from an
identical copy of this account in Otto Erich Deutsch.
Mozart A Documentary Biography. trans. by Eric Blom, et
al. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1965, pp. 95-100.
In this section, the line breaks of the newspaper layout are
retained to distinguish the supplied material clearly.]
London, September 3. Account of a very remarkable young
musician by the Hon. Mr. Barrington. Read before the Royal
Society.
Johannes Chrystostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was
born in Saltzburgh in Bavaria on the 17th of January, 1756.
I have been informed by a most able musician and composer
that he frequently saw him at Vienna when he was little more
than four years old. By this time he not only was capable
of executing lessons on his favourite instrument, the
harpsichord, but composed some in an easy stile and taste
which were much approved of.
His extraordinary musical talents soon reached the ears
of the present Empress-Dowager, who used to place him upon
her knees whilst he played the harpsichord. This notice
taken of him by so great a personage, together with a
consciousness of his most singular abilities, had much
emboldened the little musician. Being therefore the next
year at one of the German courts where the Electour
encouraged him by saying that he had nothing to fear from
his august presence, little Mozart immediately sat down
with great confidence to his harpsichord, informing his
Highness that he had played before the Empress.
[At se]ven years of age his Father carried him
[to Paris, ] where he so distinguished himself by his
[compositions, ] that an engraving was made of him.
[The father] and sister who are introduced in this
[print, are] excessively like their portraits, as is al-
[so little] Mozart, who is styled "Compositeur &
[Maitre de] Musique, Age de sept ans." After
[the name of the] engraver follows the date, which
[is in 1764;] Mozart was therefore at this time
[in the eighth] year of his age.
[Upon leaving] Paris he came over to England
[where he continued] more that a year. As duri-
[ng this time I was] witness of his most extraor[dinary]
[abilities as a] musician, both at some pub-
[lick concerts, and] likewise by having been alone
[with him for a cons]iderable time at his father's
[house; I send you the fol]lowing account, amazing and
[incredible almost as] it may appear. I carried to
[him a manuscript] duet, which was composed by
[an English gentlem]an to some favourite words in
[Metastasio's opera] of Demofoonte. The whole
[score was in five] parts, viz. Accompaniments for
[first and second] violin, the two vocal parts and a
[base. I shall here] likewise mention that the parts
[for the first and se]cond voice were written in what
[the Italians stile] the contralto clef, the reason for
[taking notice of] which particular will appear here-
[My] intention in carrying with me this ma-
[nuscript co]mposition, was to have an irrefragable [sic]
[proof of his] abilities as a player at sight, it being
[absolutely] impossible that he could have ever seen
[the musi]ck before. The score was no sooner put
[upon his] desk, than he began to play the symphony
[in a most] masterly manner, as well as in the time
[and stile] which corresponded with the intention
[of the c]omposer. I mention this circumstance,
[because the] greatest masters often fail in these
[particu]lars on the first trial. The symphony
[ended, ] he took the upper part, leaving the under
[one to] his father. His voice in the tone of it
[was thi]n and infantine, but nothing could ex
[ceed the] masterly manner in which he sung.
[His father, ] who took the under part in this duet,
[was once or twice] out, though the passages were
[not more difficult] than those in the upper one;
[on which occasions the son] looked back with some
[anger pointing] out to him his mistakes, and setting
[him right. He] not only however did compleat
[justice to the] duet by singing his own part in the
[truest taste, ] and with the greatest precision; he
[also threw ] in the accomplishments of the two
[violins, wher]ever they were most necessary, and
[produced the] best effects. It is well known that
[none but the] most capital musicians are capable
[accompanying] in this superior stile.
[As many] of those who may be present when
[this letter may] have the honour of being read
[before the society, ] may not possibly be acquainted
[with the difficulty] of playing thus from a musical
[score, I will end]eavor to explain it by the most
[similar comparison] I can think of. I must, at the
[same time admit, ] that the illustration will fail in
[one particular, as] the voice in reading cannot
[comprehend more] than what is contained in a
[single line. I must] suppose, however, that the
[reader's eye, by habit] and quickness may take
[in other lines, though] voice cannot articulate
[them, as the musician a]ccompanies the words of
[an air by his harpsichord.]
Let it be imagined
[therefore, that a child] of eight years old, was di-
[rected to read five lines] at once, in four of which
[the letters of the alphabet] were to have different
[powers. For example, ] in the first line A, to have
[it common powers. ] in the second that of B; in the fourth
of D. Let it
[be conceived also, that] the lines so composed of
[characters, with different] powers are not ranged
[so as to be read at] all times one exactly under
[another, but often] in a desultory manner:
[Suppose then, a capital] speech in Shakespeare ne-
[ver seen before, and] yet read by a child of eight
[years old, with all] the pathetic energy of a Gar-
[rick. Let it be conceived] likewise that the same
[child is reading, with] a glance of his eye, three
[different comments on] this speech tending to its
[illustration; and that] one comment is written in
[Greek, the second in] Hebrew and the third in
[in Etruscan characters.] Let it also be supposed that
[by difference signs he] could point out which com-
[ment is the most material] upon every word, and
[sometimes that] perhaps all three are so, at others
[only two of] them. When all this is conceived,
[it will con]vey some idea of what this boy was capable of
in singing such a duet at sight in a masterly manner from
the score, throwing in at the same time all its proper
accompaniments. When he had finished the duet he expressed
himself highly in its approbation, asking, with some
eagerness, whether I had brought any more such musick.
Having been informed, however, that he was often visited
with musical ideas to which, even in the midst of the night,
he would give utterance on his harpsichord, I told his
father that I should be glad to hear some of his extemporary
compositions. The father shook his head at this, saying
that it depended entirely upon his being, as it were,
musically inspired, but that I might ask him whether he was
in a humour for such a composition. Happening to know that
little Mozart was much taken notice of by Manzoli, the
famous singer who came over to England in 1764, I said to
the boy that I should be glad to hear an extemporary love
song, such as his friend Manzoli might choose in an opera.
The boy on this (who continued to sit at his harpsichord)
looked back with much archness, and immediately began five
or six lines of a jargon recitative proper to introduce a
love song. He then played a symphony which might correspond
with an air composed to the single word affeto. It had a
first and second part which, together with the symphonies,
was of the length that opera songs generally last. If this
extemporary composition was not amazingly capital, yet it
was ready above mediocrity, and shewed most extraordinary
readiness of invention. Finding that he was in humour, and
as it were inspired, I then desired him to compose a song
of rage, such as might be proper for the opera stage. The
boy again looked back with much archness and began five or
six lines of a jargon recitative proper to precede a song of
anger.
This he did also in about the same time with the songs of
love, and in the middle of it he had worked himself to such
a pitch that he beat his harpsichord like a person
possessed, rising sometimes in his chair. The word he
pitched upon for this second extemporary composition was
perfido. After this he played a difficult lesson which he
had finished a day or two before. His execution was
amazing, considering that his little fingers could scarcely
reach a fifth on the harpsichord.
His astonishing readiness, however, did not arise merely
from great practice; he had a thorough knowledge of the
fundamentals of composition. As upon producing a treble,
he immediately wrote a base under it, which, when tried, had
a very good effect.
He was also a great master of modulation, and his
transitions from one key to another were excessively natural
and judicious; he practised in this manner for a
considerable time with an handkerchief over the keys of the
harpsichord.
The facts which I have been mentioning I was an eye-
witness of; to which I must add that I have been informed by
two or three able musicians when Bache, the celebrated
composer, had begun a fugue and left off abruptly, that
little Mozart hath immediately taken it up and worked after
a most masterly manner. Witness as I was myself of most of
the extraordinary facts, I must own that I could not help
suspecting his father imposed with regard to the real age of
the boy, though he had not only a most childish appearance,
but likewise had all the actions of that stage of life. For
example, whilst he was playing to me, a favourite cat came
in, upon which he immediately left his harpsichord, nor
could we bring him back for a considerable time. He would
also run about the room with a stick between his legs by way
of horse. I found likewise that most of the London
musicians were of the same opinion with regard to his age,
not believing it possible that a child of so tender years
could surpass most of the masters in that science. I have
therefore for a considerable time made the best enquiries I
was able from some of the German musicians resident in
London, but could never receive any further information than
that he was born near Salzburgh, til I was so fortunate as
to procure an extract from the register of that place
through his excellency Count Hasling. It appears from this
extract that Mozart's father did not impose with regard to
his age when he was in England, for it was in June, 1765
that I was witness to what I have above related, when the
boy was only eight years and five months old.
I have made frequent enquiries with regard to this very
extraordinary genius since he left England and was told last
summer that he was then in Salzburgh, where he had composed
several oratorios which were much admired. I am also
informed that the Prince of Salzburgh, not crediting that
such masterly compositions were really those of a child,
shut him up for a week, during which he was not permitted to
see anyone and was left only with musick paper and the words
of an oratorio. During this short time he composed a very
capital oratorio which was most highly approved of upon
being performed.
Having stated the abovementioned proofs of Mozart's
genius, when of almost an infantine age, it may not be
improper, perhaps, to compare them with what hath been well
attended, with regard to other instances of the same sort.
Amongst these, John Barratier hath been most particularly
distinguished, who is said to have understood Latin when he
was but four years old, Hebrew at six, and three other
languages at the age of nine. This same prodigy of
philological learning also translated the travels of Rabbi
Benjamin when eleven years old, accompanying his version
with notes and dissertations. Before his death, which
happened under the age of twenty, Barratier seems to have
astonished Germany with his amazing extent of learning, and
it need not be said that its increase in such a soil, from
year to year, is commonly amazing. Mozart, however, is not
now much more than thirteen years of age, and it is not
therefore necessary to carry my comparison further.
The reverend Mr. Mainwaring (in his memoirs of Handel) hath
given them a still more aposite instance, and in the same
science. This great musician began to play on the
clavichord when he was but seven years of age, and it is
said, to have composed some church services when he was only
nine years old, as also the opera of Almeira when he did not
exceed fourteen. Mr. Mainwaring likewise mentions that
Handel when very young, was struck sometimes whilst in bed
with musical ideas, and that like Mozart, he used to try
their effect immediately on a spinnet, which was in his bed
chamber. I am the more glad to state this short comparison
between these two early prodigies in musick, as it may be
hoped that little Mozart may possibly attain to the same
advanced years as Handel, contrary to the common observation
that such ingenia praecocia are generally short lived. I
think I may say without prejudice to the memory of this
great composer, that the scale most clearly preponderates on
the side of Mozart in this comparison, as I have already
stated, that he was a composer when he did not much exceed
the age of four. His extemporary compositions also, of
which I myself was a witness, prove his genius and invention
to have been astonishing; least, however, I should
insensibly become too strongly his panegyric, permit me to
subscribe myself, Sir, your most faithful humble servant,
Daines Barrington.
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