Middletown transcript., 1868-04-18
NO.. 16.
MOZART.

Mozart, gay and hopeful in tempera-
ment, and confident in his own genius,
never desponded, but he was worn out by
the struggle with adverse circumstances.
He was in love, and the mother of the
sweet and faithful Constance Weber sternly
refused to consent to his marriage with
her daughter, until he had obtained set
tied position; and this position the fates
as sternly denied him. Finally, he mar
ried Constance in spite of all opposition,
and neither of the lovers had cause to re-
gret their resolution. They were happy
in their affection, and remained so until
after Mozart's death, but they were never
free from the torment of poverty, debt,
harrassing cares. The brilliant and sue
cessful composer, the author of g Idomen-
eus," Figaro" "Don Giovanni" the
Magic Flute" operas that made the for
tunes of all the managers who produced
them, was obliged to waste his precious
time and strength in giving music lessons
even to little children from morning until
night. For Don Giovanni he received
hundred ducats, for the % Magic Flute
nothing. He wrote it to assist Schiker-
neder, the director of the Leopold Thea
tire, who was in distress, and the ungrate-
full manager sold it to all the other thea
tres in Germany, the sole right which Mo-
zart had reserved for himself, after giving
it to Schikerneder for his own use. In
our day, in which really great artists die
tate their terms to managers, and are so
magnifcently rewarded for their-exertions,
it is almost impossible to conceive Mo-
zart crushed by such injustice. Yet
crushed he was not, His spirit was indomi-
table, and rose superior to fortune. But
his physical strength gave way, and sink
ing beneath the double burden imposed
upon him-the necessity of his own ma
ture to labor necessarily in creating, and
the necessity of laboring for painful sup
port--he died.
Nothing can be more touching, more
pathetic and poetic than Mozart's death.
He received mysterious order to compose
" Requiem" and already conscious of
his failing strength, felt too clearly that
the Requiem would be for himself He
wrote it, and his task was fulfilled. His
friends gathered around him and he wished
to hear it sung--the wonderful death
song! Gussmmayer sat down at the pi-
ano, Schaed sang the soprano, Hoffer the
tenor, Carl the bass and Mozart-the dy-
ing Mozart-the alto. Softly the waves
of music swept through the dimly- Lighted
chamber, and when they ceased the silence
was unbroken. Then suddenly, one of
Mozart's friends entered, bringing him the
joyous news that the City of Vienna had
elected him Capellnester of St. Stephens
Cathedral. Three letters were brought
him, the first offering him the position of
musical director of one of the first Capel-
les of Germany; the other two, from
Pressburg and Amsterdam, giving orders
for the composition of several works, at a
large price. The composer passed his
small, wasted hand over his forehead and
murmured, scarcely audibly, and with un-
speakable sadness; g 1t is too late."
A few years, it may be even few
months earlier, these letters would have
secured him long and happy life; they
came now to offer mocking tribute to
his genius, when he was sinking into the
grave. Almost the last words that he
uttered were =" Constance, keep my
death a secret till Albrechtsberger can
get my place"
" Even in his last hour his thoughts
were not for himself, but for his friends!
He whom fate and men had repulsed and
forgotten through his whole life, on his
very death-bed was planning that his
friend might receive tho only gift that he
could leave him--his own position.