Evening star., 1940-12-29
Mozurt's Greatest riumDh
Marriage of Figaro Brought Success
In New Field Near Close of Life

they delighted to make much of the
charming and ingenious child artist,
TO give him presents and to exhibit
him to select circle at their
courts. From country to country
the boy had journeyed under the
watchful eye of his father, and
doors that many an older artist
would have been proud to enter
were flung open to him. Money was
less quick in coming to replenish
the purse of this family which had
staked its all on the genius of the
younget child. Much MONEY had
been spent also on appropriate
clothes and on trips, always with
the hope that some influential per-
son would express his admiration
by offering some permanent posi-
ton which would put an end to their
difficulties.
Marriage Complicated Life.
None OF this had happened, how
ever, and Mozart. having further
complicated his life by marrying a
happy-go-lucky wife who was ready
for any nonsense that would en-
liven their poverty-stricken existence
was no better off in his 29th year
than when he started his career.
He was acknowledged as a great
composer, and his workers were per-
formed publicly. he had friends
among the nobility, who paid him
for private concerts in their homes
and he had some pupils. but neither
he nor his wife knew how to save,
and debts piled high about them.
Where others with less talent OF
personality had succeeded, Mozart
with his genius and his charm was
unsuccessful.
What the clever Da Ponte had
brought about must be the turning
of the tide, Mozart believed. Some
time previously he had heard of the
trilogy of plays written about the
character Of Figaro by the French
dramatist Beaumarchais. one OF
which, The Barber of Seville hac
been set to music by Rossini. "Tht
Marriage of Figaro was the mos
daring of the three. with its satire
on conditions in courtly circles, ano
the police of Paris had decreeo
against its public performance
The rumor of its delicious anc
malicious humour, just the kind to
appeal to the Partisan of that period
whetted the desire to hear it, and
many performances were given in
secret. The German theaters were
no more friendly to~the idea, and il
was likewise banned in Germany
One evening, at party, the con-
versation turned to the subject OF
the play and its censorship. Mozart
bought the book Immediately and
was soon wrapped in a vision of il
as an opera with dazzling. witty
music setting off the plot. So when
Da Ponte. on a visit to Mozart, Sug-
gested that they write an opera to-
gether and that he, with his position
at court would get permission to
produce it, the young composer
jumped at the chance Of setting to
music the story which had so fas-
cinated him.
Two Worked Furiously.
They worked furiouSly but con-
genially at it. They tried to keep ii
secret, but Mozart was so enthusi-
astic over each new aria or scene
that he could not refrain from hav-
ing one or another of his friends in
to hear it and soon there was daily
gathering at his house to assist al
a review of each bit of the days
work. The actual composing of the
opera took place before Da Ponte
spoke to the Emperor, so that when
he consented to have it produced, il
was ready for the parts to be copied
The great success of its premiere
was foreshadowed by the wild en-
thusiasm with which the cast anG
orchestra received it at the dres;
rehearsal. The italian clique al
the opera, however. resented the
intrusion on what they considered
their rights, and the first act of the
performance was given in mos
slovenly fashion. It was only wher
the Emperor, who was present, un.
derstood that the bad performance
was deliberate that he sent an angr.
order, with the threat of banishins
the offenders unless they did better
in the succeeding acts, that the
company put aside its rancor ane
gave its best, to win overwhelming