The Sun.
London, England, 1818-03-26 00:00:00

DEPARTURR3.

General, Mrs. and Miss Dalrimple, from York-place to
Wexham Lodge, Berks.

ANECDOTES
OF THE CIII!,DHOOD uF MOZART.

(Extracted from tIIK P ito,onqertl • Trin,c!jorr," and
communicate:thy the Ifono,trieit,! DAISES LtAttitiNGTo.)
JOAININPA CHRYSOST,MR WOLFGANGLT.? THRO.
PHILO3 MOZART was 1)4411 at Ssltzbutg, 111 Ba-
varia, on the 17th January 1756.
I have been informed (says Mr. Barrington) by a most
able musician and composer, that he 'frequently saw him at
Vienna when be 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 Dowaer, who used to place him on her
knees whilst he played upon the harpsichord. This notice
taken of him by so great a personage, together with a co: .
sciousness of his most singular abilities, had much em-
' holdened the little 'musician. Being, therefore, the next
year at one of the German Courts, where the Elector encoo-'
raged 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 hal played before the Einpress.
At seven years of age his father carried him to Paris, where
he so distinguished himself by 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 also little Mozart, who is stilted " Corepesiteur et
Maitre de Musique agd de Sept. Ans. ;" after the name of the
Engraver follows the date, which is in 1764; Mozart was,
therefore, at that time, in the eighth year of his age.
Upon leaving Paris he came ever to England, where he
continued more than a year. As during this time I was wit-
ness of his most extraordinary abilities as a musician, both at
some public concerts, and likewise by having been alone with
him for a considerable time at.his father's house, I send you
the following account, amazing and incredible as it may
•
appear :

I carried to him a manuscript duet, wh'ch was composed by
an English Gentleman to some favourite words in Metastasiv%
Opera of Dentofoonte. The whole score was is five parts,
viz. accompaniments for a first and second violin, the two
vocal parts, and bass. The scare was no suoner 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 cor-
responded with the intention of the composer. The symphony
ended, he took the upper part, leaving the under one to his
father. His voice, in the tone of it, was thin and infantinr,
but nothing could exceed the urasterlyanaimer 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 -
cult than those. in' the upper one ; on which occasions the
son looked back with sonic anger, pointing out to him his
mistakes, and setting, hint right ; and not only did he du
complete justice to the duet, by singing his own part in the
truest taste, and with the greatest precision : he also threw in
the accompaniments of the two viulins wherever they were
most necessary, and produced the best effects. When he had
finished the duct, he expressed himself highly in its appro.
batiun, asking with some eagerness whether I had brought
any more such music.
Having been informed that he was often visited with musi-
cal 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 en•
tirely upon his being as it were musically inspired, but that
might ask him whether he was in humour for -such a compo-
sition. Happening to know that little Mozart was much
taken notice of by Manzole, the famous singer, who came
over to England in PM, I said to the boy that I shrink' be
glad to hear an extemporary love son;, such as his friend.
.Manzole might choose in an Opera. The boy on this (who
contimed to sit at his harpsichord) looked back with crutch
archness, and immediately imps fire or six lines of a jargon
recitative proper to introduce a lore sing: He their prayed
a symphony which might correspond with an ate composed to
the single word affetto. it .had a first and Second part,
which, together with the symphonies, was of the length.
Opera songs generally last: if this extemporary cora-
position was not amazingly capital, -yet it was really above
mediocrity, and shewed most extraordinary readiness of in-
vention. •
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 buy again looked hack with
much archness, and began five or six lines of a jaigun Recita-
tive proper to precede a song of anger. This also lasted
about the same time with the sung of love, and in the middle
of it he bad worked himself up 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 extem-
porary composition was Perfido.
:After this he played a difficult lesson which be had finished
a day or two before ; his execution was amazing, consideri:ig
that his little fingers could scarcely reach a fifth un the harp-
! sichord. His astonishing readiness, Irowevet, did not arise
merely from great practice, Ise bad a thorough knowledge of
the fundamental iiiciples of composition, as 'rpm' produc-
ing a treble, he immediately wrote a bass trader it, which
when tried had a very good effect. Hs was also a great
waste' of modulation, and his transitions front one 'hey
to another were excessively natoral and judicious; he
practised in this manner for a considerable time with
an handkerchief over the key, of the harpsichords--
The facts which I
,have been mentioning, I was myself au
eye witness of; to which I must add, that I have been in-
formed by two or titre able musicians, when Bach, the cele-
brated composer, hail begun a fugue and left off abruptly,
that little Moza; t bath immediately taken it up, and worked
it after a most masterly manner. I have made fre-
quent inquiries with respect to this very extraardinary geniis
since se left England, and was told last summer that lie was
then at Saltzburg, where he had composed several Oratorios
which were much admired. I am also informed, that the
Prince of Saltzburg, not crediting that such masterly com-
positions were really those of a child, shut him up for a week,
during which he was not permitted to see any one, and was
left only with music paper, and the words of an Oratorio.—
During this short time be composed a very capital Oratorio,
which was most highly approved of upon being performed.

CAUTrON TO BREWERS.—A drayman was fined
by Sir .Infst EAMER, at the. Town Hall, South-
wark, in the mil of 40s. for' letting down beer
into the cellar of the Doke of Clarence
Public-
house after the hour of eight in the morning.

We are authorized to state, that since the Me-
dical Board has been established at Charlotte-
House Great Charlotte-street, opposite the Rev.

Rowland. Hill's Chapel, and Woodstock-street,
adjoining New Bond-street, upwards of Thirty
Thousand Patients of both sexes have been re-
stored to perfect health, many of whom had
lingered for years under the most painful and ob-
stinate diseases, were pronounced incurable by
respectable practitioners, and several discharged
from Hospitals—Such is the effects resulting from
combined talents ! !
Messrs. COOPER and Co. of Medical and Sur•
gical celebrity, after forty years experience in this
Metropolis, art. consulted daily at both boufes
until nine at night, and the poor have- advice,
gratis, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday Morn-
ings, until twelve o'clock.
Patients at a distance, describing their case,
immediately attended to.—All letters to be direct-
ed to Charlotte House, Blackfriars-road, but noTle
are answered which do not contain a consult'
ing fee: