The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-01

he promised to marry her when he was
old enough. Court dresses money and
many tokens of genuine affection were
showered upon them.
As a pianoforte player, Mozart was
ever surfeited with applause, and as
composer his work is mastery. His de-
votion to his family was intense. When,
in 11IS, his mother sickened and died,
his grief was terrible to witness. When
Mozart was fairly launched in his ca
reer, he found that among composers
and singers many differences arise.
This caused him much annoyance in
the production of his operas, and his
father gave him the following advice:
You know that there are a hundred ig-
norant people for every ten true con-
noisseurs, so do not forget what is called
popular, and tickle the long ears!"
The 18th of August, 1882, Mozart mar
ried Constance Weber. He was 26 and
she Is. They married with the final but
reluctant consent of Mozart's father,
who thought little of the Weber family,
and had previously broken Off an at
tachment between Mozart and AloySia
Weber who was a singer and much in
love with Mozart. She never forgave
him for obeying his fathers commands
in the affair. The young couple began
married life upon an uncertain and pre-
cariouS income but they loved each
other and were happy, and to the date of
Mozart's death their devotion was un-
diminished. The saying is proverbial
that Mozart and his Wife We're the
handsomest couple in Salzberg. He told
her everything, even his petty faults
and sins, and she was ever tender and
faithful. She herself was not unmu-
steal, being something of a singer, and
it is said she was especially fond of
fugues. Mozart taught and gave con-
certs at which his own music was per-
formed with great success. At one of
these his first love, Aloysia, sung, and
Gluck sat in a box and applauded. But
it was not until the appearance of the
| Magic Flute that he was recognized a S
a great composer and then it was too
late TO benefit him.
In 1889 Mozart had suffered numer-
Gus failures. The people, ever appre-
ciative of his wonderful playing, were
slow to understand his mastery compo
sitions. He was poor and in debt, his
wife was often sick, and he was
wretched and unhappy over the state
of affairs.
Meanwhile his pupils began to fall off
just as his expenses We're increasing.
One evening, as the writing Of the
Magic Flute" was drawing to a close.
he was visited by a tall, strange, gaunt-
looking man, haggard of face and SOL
emn of demeanor, who gravely handed
him a letter sealed in black, which
begged him to write a requiem as soon
as possible, and asked how much it
would be. Mozart named fifty ducats as
the price (SOme say it was 100 The
visitor paid the sum, and as Mozart did
not name the time for it's completion the
unknown man left him, saying: L shall
return when it is time This event was
for some time a mystery in the minds of
all who have heard of the peculiar Incl
dent, but the mystery has been solved
The stranger was Leutgeb, the steward
! of Count Franz Won Walsegg of Stup-
pach, who was in the habit of ordering
thus mysteriously compositions from
different musicians, which he would
copy and have performed as his own.
The requiem was ordered in memory Of
his wife, and was sung as Walsegg S
own and under his direction Decem Der
II, 1Il3. Mozart however knew moth
ing of all this, and the incident filled
him with superstition. Once after this,
as he was stepping into the carriage for
his journey to Prague, where he was to
give concert the thin, haggard man
appeared suddenly and asked what
would become of the requiem. Mozart
made his excuses. when will you be
ready?" demanded the man. II swear
that l shall work on it increasingly when
I return answered Mozart. Il rely on
| your promise" said Leutgeb. And as
soon as the Magic Flute" was com
pleted and performed, Mozart worked
/ eagerly on the requiem. He postponed
everything that could hinder the work,
/ saying he had a composition on hand
! that lay very near his heart, and until
it was finished he could think of moth
/ ing else. He had become subject to
fainting fits, and in Prague was not at
all we'll He became gloomy and super
I stitious, and thought someone had poi
soned him. He told Constance he was
writing the requiem for himself. The
condition Of his health became alarming.
/ The Magic Flute" now became an as
sured success, and he was certain of an
uted by some of the Hungarian mobiles,
and of a larger sum from Amsterdam, in
return for the production of some of his
compositions, but it all came too late.
! The day before he died he said to
| Constance: Il should like to have heard
my Magic Flute once more" and he
| feebly hummed the birdcatcher's song.
In the afternoon he had the requiem
brought and sung the alto part. At the
! first measures of the 'Lacrimosa" he
wept violently, and laid the score aside.
[ Soon after he became delirious busying
himself with the Instrumentation of his
requiem. He died at l o'clock Deem
Der 9th. The funeral services were poor,
and there was hardly enough money to
pay for them. The next day the body
/ was blessed after great reluctance on
the part of the priests, for, though a
good Roman Catholic, Mozart was a
Mason and at first they refused posi-
lively to go to him. AS a fierce storm
was raging, no one accompanied the
body to the grave. II was placed in a
common vault, which was dug up every
ten years. and no stone was laid above
his resting place.
Two children were left, beside the wife
of his poverty and sorrows. Thus died
one of the few truly great men in the
history of music. Whatever his religious
convictions may have been, after he
/ reached mans estate he wrote to his
father on hearing of his illness: GAS
death, strictly speaking. is the true end
and aim Of our lives, | have for the last
two years made myself so familiar with
this true, best friend of mankind, that
ina lnrncclat- h,1