The Manufacture of Mozart

[Musicology]

No, but you asked for clarification of my terms. And, to illustrate these I briefly sketched the difference between Venice and Rome.

Never asked you on-your version of-Venice!

Yanni,

In an earlier letter you refer to a letter written by Gluck to Padre Martini in Bologna -

Gluck's letter(wherefrom I wonder!) on the 26th October 1773 to padre Martini re what to stage next in lower, Bourbon controlled, "Italy" and what not

This is very interesting. Is it available online ? Certainly I would like to read its text if available.

Can you please direct me to where it can be seen ?

Regards

[yanni]

You still failed to answer my basic question (on where and what would "western civilization" be without its two sole pillars).

Re Glucks letter to padre Martini:

See:
"Words on music: essays in honor of Andrew Porter on the occasion of his 75th...." page 148, the re letter quoted from "Collected correspondence and papers of Cristoph Willibald Gluck" pages 45-46.

Gluck is allegedly writing to Padre Martini from Vienna. As he writes, he is about to leave for Paris to prepare for the staging of his next opera there, "Iphigenie" (it's on this performance-staged April 1774- the comments are made).According to same source as above, Padre Martini has previously asked him for a portrait of his for his colllection and Gluck advises him to ask Durazzo for a copy be made from the one in his posession. (ie the existing "Gluck" portrait was supplied and authenticated by "Durazzo")

My opinion:

I have every reason to believe that the letter was "manufactured". Its creator wants to dissasociate "Gluck" from "Grimm"(already in St Petersburg at the time, Prince Paul's wedding on 9th October) while reconfirming the existence of "Durazzo"(another alias) and persuading on the originality of the famous "Gluck" sole portrait (his face distorted from smallbox or syphilis or whatever he supposedly suffered from), all three birds in one shot, the familiar pattern "one alias authenticating another",or more in this case, in full bloom!

IE He was,most propably, the "creator", he did spend an awfull lot of time as from about his "Confessions" onwards to "establish historically" all his important personalities afterall.

Here is his reasoning (quoted from a wise websource yourstruly failed to keep address), an honest "first" of "the end justifying the means" principle or else "how to elegantly acknowledge in public the neccessity- or good use-of dishonesty":

In general, it is not very difficult for little minds to attain splendid situations. It is much more difficult for great minds to attain the place to which their merit fully entitles them.
- [Position]

Montesquieu had the style of a genius; Buffon, the genius of style.
- [Style]

The blind fanaticism of one foolish honest man may cause more evil than the united efforts of twenty rogues.
- [Fanaticism]

The glory of a people and of an age is always the work of a small number of great men, and disappears with them.
- [Glory]

The greatest men have not always the best heads; many indiscretions may be pardoned to a brilliant and ardent imagination. The prudence and discretion of a cold heart are not worth half so much as the follies of an ardent mind.
- [Greatness]

There is nothing so sure of succeeding as not to be over brilliant, as to be entirely wrapped up in one's self, and endowed with a perseverance which, in spite of all the rebuffs it may meet with, never relaxes in the pursuit of its object. It is incredible what may be done by dint of importunity alone; and where shall we find the man of real talents who knows how to be importunate enough!
- [Success]

[Musicology]

I have not failed to answer your question. If you ask a specific question you get a specific answer.

Civilization is goodwill. The Golden Rule. The rest is meaningless and no definition at all.

Thanks for the information on the letter from Gluck to Durazzo. To me this is very useful. It was Durazzo who bought Vivaldi's manuscripts on his death in Vienna. And it was Durazzo who arranged the career of Andrea Luchesi, the Kapellmeister of Bonn, to come from Italy and be Beethoven's first teacher there. (The same Luchesi who has been deleted from textbooks on Beethoven). Durazzo was also a cousin to Esterhazy, where Haydn was for many years. And Durazzo, together with Earl Cowper and Padre Martini were major players in shaping the musical situation in Vienna, Paris and in London. For decades. It was Durazzo who created the fashion for French productions in Vienna. Cowper, the Englishman who stayed for decades in Florence. Further east was Abbe Georg Vogler and others such as Lobkowitz, plus the rulers in Mannheim, Munich, Berlin, Oettingen Wallerstein and Donaueschingen, etc. A vast network, in fact. Extending even in to Russia. Plus, of course, Prague, major publishers and other propagandists.

[yanni]

You continue to refuse answering,
and
ommited a few more "Golden rules" of "'western" conception

such as:

"Gold makes the Golden rule"
and an earlier
"The road to Heaven is paved with good intentions"
summarised later in
"All good things are either illegal, immoral or fatening"

btw Vivaldi's (+1741) music archive compares well to Gluck's Venice performances in same year as well as to a previous short Rousseau "first appearance" in Paris 1739, explaining his next "Durazzo" appearance and official duties in lower Italy.

I am interested in Cocchi-"Durazzo's" relation to Esterhazy: "A cousin", you say, but I need more details (fit for a family tree, sort of).

Luchesi's (Cocchi's pupil) relations -as from 1763-to prince Nikolaus Esterhazy, Haydn's patron, are indicatory.

Good day!

[Musicology]

Yanni,

If there is a question I've not answered please ask it again. To my knowledge I've answered the question you asked. But if not please ask it again. And please be more specific.

Regarding your question on Durazzo's relation to Esterhazy -

1. Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy 2nd (1714-90)
Married on 4 March 1737 Freiin Marie Elisabeth, daughter of Reichsgraf (Count of the Holy Roman Empire) Ferdinand von Weissenwolf.

and -

2. Count Giacomo Durazzo (1717–1794)
In 1750, he married eighteen-year-old Freiin Ernestine Aloisia Ungnad von Weissenwolff.

(Sisters, in fact. So that Durazzo and Niklaus Esterhazy (patron of Haydn) were cousins. And there was a third sister of the same von Weissenwolff family who married an important person in this story).

Reference Luchesi - Andrea Luchesi supplied several symphonies to Esterhazy in his early career. These falsely attributed (with so many others) to Josef Haydn at Esterhazy. (Earlier they had been provided to Esterhazy by Sammartini and others). I can give some details of these if it is interesting. The best research on it has been made by Italian researcher, Giorgio Taboga.

Regards

p.s. The third lady of the same family who married in to an important character in this story was -

3. Franziska Xavera, Gräfin Ungnad von Weissenwolf (1773-1859)

who married -

Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg (1711-1794)

(Kaunitz's most important and influential office was that of Staatskanzler, a position which he held from 1753 to 1792 and which allowed him to greatly influence Austrian, and thus European, events. His service to Maria Theresa brought him and his family elevation to the rank to Reichsfürst (or Prince of the Holy Roman Empire). So these 3 sisters united the Durazzo, the Kaunitz and the Esterhazy families. A vitally important connection in the Mozart story and the story of music at this time).

Regards

You continue to refuse answering,
and
ommited a few more "Golden rules" of "'western" conception

such as:

"Gold makes the Golden rule"
and an earlier
"The road to Heaven is paved with good intentions"
summarised later in
"All good things are either illegal, immoral or fatening"

btw Vivaldi's (+1741) music archive compares well to Gluck's Venice performances in same year as well as to a previous short Rousseau "first appearance" in Paris 1739, explaining his next "Durazzo" appearance and official duties in lower Italy.

I am interested in Cocchi-"Durazzo's" relation to Esterhazy: "A cousin", you say, but I need more details (fit for a family tree, sort of).

Luchesi's (Cocchi's pupil) relations to prince Nikolaus Esterhazy as from 1763 are indicatory.

Good day!

'Antonio Rosetti'
Concerto in E Flat
For Two Horns and Orchestra
c.1785/6

Any similarity to 'Mozart's' horn concertos is purely coincidental (!).


http://www.mediafire.com/?i5hwmezdmoh

[yanni]

I did not bring up the subject of "western civilization" being worst off because of "oriental influences" (in fact from the start of this thread I wrote something about "too big to fail" lies and what to do about them) so, let's drop this discussion and return to "count of Durazzo-another alias of
G" ("G"=Gioachino, Gluck, Grimm, Germain etc).:

The as per quote data were new to me and, while I do thank you, I do it noting that they force me to face, once again, the usual "nightmare" every new alias brings along.

The amount of work necessary to unveil the previous, many, more important and better known, faces of "Comte Saint Germain" was great, the "job" completed, the matter closed, no use or fun in further beating a fallen "adversary", so I have refused, until now, to address "Durazzo" but lightly.

I will now do it because of your "Mozart" interest but please be patient: It will take a couple of days but I have to find them first.

Cheers.

(BTW: For early 19th links of various Rosetti names to Cocchi-Caussin check my thread "Two works by Poe decoded")

Yanni,

If there is a question I've not answered please ask it again. To my knowledge I've answered the question you asked. But if not please ask it again. And please be more specific.

Regarding your question on Durazzo's relation to Esterhazy -

1. Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy 2nd (1714-90)
Married on 4 March 1737 Freiin Marie Elisabeth, daughter of Reichsgraf (Count of the Holy Roman Empire) Ferdinand von Weissenwolf.

and -

2. Count Giacomo Durazzo (1717–1794)
In 1750, he married eighteen-year-old Freiin Ernestine Aloisia Ungnad von Weissenwolff.

(Sisters, in fact. So that Durazzo and Niklaus Esterhazy (patron of Haydn) were cousins. And there was a third sister of the same von Weissenwolff family who married an important person in this story).

Reference Luchesi - Andrea Luchesi supplied several symphonies to Esterhazy in his early career. These falsely attributed (with so many others) to Josef Haydn at Esterhazy. (Earlier they had been provided to Esterhazy by Sammartini and others). I can give some details of these if it is interesting. The best research on it has been made by Italian researcher, Giorgio Taboga.

Regards

p.s. The third lady of the same family who married in to an important character in this story was -

3. Franziska Xavera, Gräfin Ungnad von Weissenwolf (1773-1859)

who married -

Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz-Rietberg (1711-1794)

(Kaunitz's most important and influential office was that of Staatskanzler, a position which he held from 1753 to 1792 and which allowed him to greatly influence Austrian, and thus European, events. His service to Maria Theresa brought him and his family elevation to the rank to Reichsfürst (or Prince of the Holy Roman Empire). So these 3 sisters united the Durazzo, the Kaunitz and the Esterhazy families. A vitally important connection in the Mozart story and the story of music at this time).

Regards


'Antonio Rosetti'
Concerto in E Flat
For Two Horns and Orchestra
c.1785/6

Any similarity to 'Mozart's' horn concertos is purely coincidental (!).


http://www.mediafire.com/?i5hwmezdmoh

[Musicology]

Yanni,

I hope you found this useful. Your research into multiple aliases needs good source material and is certainly unusual. But, in an age when some people were being described as 'immortal' and when there was no musical copyright, and when 'pen-names' were common, anything may be correct.

The strangest cases in music, perhaps, are major composers of the 18th and even the 19th century who were once famous and who, today, are virtually unknown. Andrea Luchesi, Kapellmeister at Bonn and Beethoven's true teacher of composition is one case. He held a post of being in charge of one of the great music centres of Germany which was sought by Mozart himself, but nobody (almost) has ever heard of Andrea Luchesi. Amazing but true. He worked for over 20 years in that post. Who could imagine entire biographies on Beethoven have been written in which his name does not once appear ! Even books on Beethoven's early years in Bonn ! There really is a huge problem with that. Giorgio Taboga realised this and started his research because of it.

And what of the remarkable French/English composer George Onslow ? Whose works, for years, were as popular as those of Beethoven and other major composers ? (Yesterday I heard his 4th Symphony for the first time). No wonder he was very famous in Germany for years ! As famous as household names today. But who has heard of George Onslow today ? Or his music ? Or the operas of Sarti, and of others ?

There is no doubt the cultural landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries is very distorted which we find in textbooks. But the chief reason may be the suppression of influence and input from those whose very existence is inconvenient for sustaining the industry mythology of 'great' composers. Instead of substituting one hero for another I think we are slowly moving to the realisation groups of people made works of art, or were involved in their creation far more than has often been supposed. So the model of a pantheon of individualist 'great' composers is not really appropriate and probably never was.

[yanni]

You share, like many scholars (in other fields than just music, I regret to say), an obvious reluctance to discuss the subject of "aliases" of my hero, relatively well laid out in other threads, you as well have been invited to take part in but markedly abstained.

The subject of "greatness" does not concern me but I presented in previous the re views of my hero for you to examine and comment upon, but......nix!

I have even explained, in earlier threads, the essential elements for an opera to be succesfully staged in the times concerning our subject (putting talent backstage to other requirements such as position, power, influence etc) for you to comment upon: Nix and nix again.

So please release me from commenting on such "lectures" otherwise I'll never be able to complete "Durazzo".

Cheers.

Yanni,

I hope you found this useful. Your research into multiple aliases needs good source material and is certainly unusual. But, in an age when some people were being described as 'immortal' and when there was no musical copyright, and when 'pen-names' were common, anything may be correct.

The strangest cases in music, perhaps, are major composers of the 18th and even the 19th century who were once famous and who, today, are virtually unknown. Andrea Luchesi, Kapellmeister at Bonn and Beethoven's true teacher of composition is one case. He held a post of being in charge of one of the great music centres of Germany which was sought by Mozart himself, but nobody (almost) has ever heard of Andrea Luchesi. Amazing but true. He worked for over 20 years in that post. Who could imagine entire biographies on Beethoven have been written in which his name does not once appear ! Even books on Beethoven's early years in Bonn ! There really is a huge problem with that. Giorgio Taboga realised this and started his research because of it.

And what of the remarkable French/English composer George Onslow ? Whose works, for years, were as popular as those of Beethoven and other major composers ? (Yesterday I heard his 4th Symphony for the first time). No wonder he was very famous in Germany for years ! As famous as household names today. But who has heard of George Onslow today ? Or his music ? Or the operas of Sarti, and of others ?

There is no doubt the cultural landscape of the 18th and 19th centuries is very distorted which we find in textbooks. But the chief reason may be the suppression of influence and input from those whose very existence is inconvenient for sustaining the industry mythology of 'great' composers. Instead of substituting one hero for another I think we are slowly moving to the realisation groups of people made works of art, or were involved in their creation far more than has often been supposed. So the model of a pantheon of individualist 'great' composers is not really appropriate and probably never was.

[Musicology]

Yanni,

Thank you for your last post.

I'm certainly not reluctant to discuss aliases. But in my view your tree of aliases needs to be illustrated graphically, by you, and not so much in words only, so that confusion is avoided and a clear image is presented of its significance, purpose and achievements. Again, by your goodself. Nor have I abstained from discussing this interesting subject. But that thesis is your own and my own is the life, career and alleged musical achievements of W.A. Mozart. So that our respective subjects, though closely related, are not indentical.

Since you wish to examine Durazzo more closely it was Durazzo who, of course, recruited Andrea Luchesi to come to Bonn. Who brought him there to become (from 1771 to 1774) the personal Kapellmeister of Max Friedrich. And, from 1774 this Luchesi became official Kapellmeister of Bonn Hofkapelle. A position he retained for the next 20 years. During which time he was the true teacher of the young Ludwig van Beethoven. A fact which has time and time again been suppressed in textbooks. During which time the new Elector (Max Franz, who arrived in 1784) had already promised the Kapellmeister post at Bonn to W.A. Mozart. But this promise made by the new Elector of Bonn was not kept, and Luchesi managed to remain in his post. From 1784 onwards Luchesi seems to have stopped being the daily teacher to the pupils at Bonn because of the arrival there of men such as Reicha and his uncle.

Durazzo's role in the theatrical productions of Vienna was massive. It was he who oversaw the introduction there of French style operas and ballet, for example. And Luchesi's final years were spent in opera, at the newly constructed German National Theatre in Bonn. The arrival of the Napoleonic army in Bonn in 1794 caused the entire music archive of the Bonn Hofkapelle to be evacuated from Bonn. None of which was ever returned to the city. Parts still today in Modena, Italy and other parts in Vienna and elsewhere. This after briefly being stored for a time in Prague.

So, yes, Durazzo's career is fascinating and vital in the Mozart story. He was one of the major figures. And he was closely associated with the career of Haydn also. (Another figure of great exaggeration). Whose career at Esterhazy is itself full of contradictions and inventions.

Cheers

[yanni]

I have already enough described and identified beyond doubt Giochino Cocchi’s music related aliases , ie comte de Saint Germain, Rousseau, Gluck, Chastellux, and Grimm, and briefly named a few more, music related as well, that also belong to him (Graslin, chevalier de Chaumont, de Magnanville, Bellegarde*) in parallel to many other aliases, also clearly identified, depicting his long term diplomatic role in Europe (Raynal, Galliani, Stroganov etc) and others linking him to the French Foreign Ministry,the Royal Secret Service while,in parallel, uncovering his particular blood relation to France’s Royal House and the role of other members of his family in French affairs before, during and after his time, his cooperation in particular with his cousin Charles Nicholas Cochin (who managed “secondary to music” arts for France, also engraved the front pages of the Encyclopedia and other books by different aliases of Cocchi).

Compared to his other accomplishements, his musical feats are obviously of secondary importance, thus my recent interest in both Myslivecek and Durazzo,his "massive role in the theatrical productions of Vienna" and what he did with, to, or without, Mozart, must and will forever remain “pianissimo”!

Nevertheless, having searched him through in the web, I have found little original and true info, imo, including the site below that persuaded me to put him through my “all aliases timeline test" and finally and conclusively include him as yet another:

http://www.genmarenostrum.com/pagine...o/DURAZZO2.htm

I can obviously not repeat the exercise on line in this forum but among the many re “indications”, their number in itself excluding mere coincidence, I am now preparing a list which will take some time.

For your preliminary perusal however:

Data from above site immediately tallied with “Pierre Michel Hennin’s” early diplomatic carreer (as from November 1749) while his(Durazzo's) “Armida” pointed to "Gluck’s" own ("Armide")!

In the meantime (may take me a while due to other obligations):

If you can recommend any other informed web source on “your” Durazzo,or have any further biographical info (confirmed presences, place-date) do not hesitate to provide.

Cheers!

*Which translates as "Mirabeau" as well!

[Musicology]

Yanni,

You have convinced yourself Cocchi's music related aliases were numerous. But only one of these Cocchi 'aliases' (Gluck) was a recognised composer of major musical works. As for Baron Grimm (who was born in Regensburg, Germany, while Gluck was born - so we are told - in Bohemia) you have not explained that. Nor their different birth and death dates. The others were certainly involved in various cultural productions and were agents of the Englightenment. With very different dates of birth and different life spans. With entirely different nationalities, in fact. So the required proof they are one and the same person consists (so far) in the fact they were all involved in the European cultural enlightenment. We already know they were all members of that movement. Which nobody doubts. But I remain unconvinced they are all one and the same person. The links between them are clear. But nothing else.

In fact, you say yourself -

'Compared to his other accomplishments, his musical feats are obviously of secondary importance'.

This is your own view. So you say all music attributed to Cocchi, and to Rousseau, and to Gluck, to Cagliostro and to others was actually by Cocchi. And that all writings of Rousseau were actually by Cocchi also. And that all writings by Rousseau were by Cocchi. That all the letters and travels of Baron Grimm were also by Cocchi. And so on. Cocchi therefore lived the lives and had the achievements of at least 6 different people. Which is a view I am happy to accept if you can show us better evidence than the mere coincidence of dates and places. In the meantime it is easier to believe they belong to a network of the Englightenment than to believe they were one and the same person.

Durazzo (1717-94) was a nobleman with generations of contacts with Venice. He became an ambassador for the Austrian government to Venice. He was a great collector of art, of books, a major patron of musical products, an inspector of theatres in Vienna, and a very important propagandist for French theatrical practices in Austria. A simple study of his life shows his ancestry was Venetian. This is the man who recruited Andrea Luchesi for the post of Kapellmeister in Bonn in 1771. If you need an article on Durazzo's career please ask me. He worked closely with Gluck in Vienna etc.

At least, that is what all the sources say.

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache...&hl=en&ct=clnk

He was not a composer. He was a major patron and manager of musical productions, an art collector and a major figure in 18th century music. You might care to study his family's long history. He, with Cowper, Martini and a few others helped to arranged Mozart's Italian tours and others. Co-ordinating them with Austria, Salzburg and elsewhere.

Regards

[yanni]

Waste your talents nofurther, Robert, the contradictory logic in your arguments and your selective interest and scolarship have made your cloak transparent.

...and, yes, opera reforming composers grew on trees in the 18th and Greece's recent downgrading by S&P has shaken the otherwise solid foundations of the system....

...and put the "one and only Rossini" in your pipe to smoke!!!



Cheers and out!

[Musicology]

Yanni,

What is meant by 'contradictory logic' ? If a thing is logical it is not contradictory.

'Opera reforming composers' did what they were told to do. Because their employers were powerful patrons who shaped the operatic world of that time. These employers themselves dictated the fashions and the forms of opera and not the composers.

My selective interest is in the life, career and invented achievements of W.A. Mozart. This means I remain on my main subject. The careers of Cocchi, of Rousseau, Rossini and other people are very interesting to me. But they are not the main subject. And you have still not told us the reason for Cocchi having many aliases.

I have no 'transparent cloak'. In fact, these things are open. As this thread shows. The overwhelming evidence shows Mozart's musical career was manufactured from an early age by a network of composers, propagandists, biographers, patrons and vested interests. Who, after his death, started to dominate the publication and performance of music in the belief that their invention would never be discovered. The details of which are slowly emerging. So that textbooks would be written and the giant icon of Mozart would dominate the landscape. A brilliantly successful invention. So far.

Anyway, best regards

'Antonio Rosetti'
Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in D Major
Second Movement
Adagio Molto
(Oettingen/Wallerstein/Mannheim)
c.1779/81

http://www.mediafire.com/?dmatfijmgmi

Cheers

Waste your talents nofurther, Robert, the contradictory logic in your arguments and your selective interest and scolarship have made your cloak transparent.

...and, yes, opera reforming composers grew on trees in the 18th and Greece's recent downgrading by S&P has shaken the otherwise solid foundations of the system....

...and put the "one and only Rossini" in your pipe to smoke!!!



Cheers and out!

[yanni]

You were correct to notice the similarities and then repeatedly suggest "bohemian Roesler"-Rosetti's music: You may indeed now claim the discovery of "Rosetti", for, without your input, I wouldn't have passed his few and very shaky biographical data.....

http://www.mozartforum.com/Contempor...ti_Contemp.htm

...through my mastertimeline to now confirm that "Rosetti", just like "Rossini" and "Rousseau" (and a Zante name I was searching for long ago: "Rossi" and possibly their contemporary american "John Ross") are all "russian sounding" (like Goethe's "von Gleichen-Russwurm") aliases of "Cocchi-Cocchini" the "red" (in grk)*.

Needless to comment on "Rosetti's" links (and influence at least as great as "Myslivecek's", hah-hah) to Mozart and "his" work, that's for future musicologists to do!

Rosetti moved from Bohemia and in September 1773 he joined the Hofkapelle of Kraft Ernst, Prince (Fürst) von Oettingen-Wallerstein

Grimm is in St Petersburg October 10, Oktober 1773 for the wedding of prince Paul

Myslivecek: Am 4. November 1773 leitete er die Aufführung von Orfeo ed Euridice von Christoph Willibald Gluck but we still search for "wo?" exactly

...and other indications as well!

The main thing of course is that reform opera composers in those days were of "strictly limited" issue and the theory they were all sons of shoemakers, flourmillers, watchmakers or butchers is for laughs (and he had a great sense of humor)!

Cheers


* From a Rosetti site (which includes the english branch, starting with Gabriele Rossetti, the "redshirt" or "carbonaro" who escaped imprisonement in Naples assisted by a british admiral and lived in London eversince.See my "Poe decoded" thread for links to Zante Polidori family)

LEGEND:

Tradition has it that the "Rossetti" name of the family came into being with Maria Rossi who married Nicola Della Guardia. It is not known whether they were at odds with the rest of the family or if her maiden name, or the red hair color of their offsprings, or both prompted them to call their children the "Rossettis" meaning "little red ones". During the many years of political turmoil and upheavals, so many events went unrecorded, or their documentation were lost or destroyed. As a general rule most information and dates prior to about 1750 are mainly legendary data handed down by word of mouth from one generation to the next one.

Author, Louis Rossetti - Florida, 1976.

also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriele_Rossetti (mostly for for the two s's spelling of the name)
and
read Christina Rossetti's poem "An artist's studio" at http://174.133.97.227/forums/showthread.php?t=16895 and read my comments there.

[Musicology]

Yanni,

Yes, certainly, here with this 'Rosetti' is something very unusual. A composer whose works are remarkably 'Mozartean'. Even stranger, the memorial service held in Prague for Mozart in December 1791 - i.e. within a few weeks of his death - (attended by hundreds, even thousands of people - according to local newspaper sources) at which a Requiem Mass was performed. Whose composer was not W.A. Mozart, but.....'Rossetti' !

http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache...&hl=en&ct=clnk


Around 2 years ago I spent quite a lot of time on this subject of 'Rossetti' in an attempt to understand more of how this music could possibly be virtually unknown and what place it occupies and has occupied within the body of studies known as 'Mozart studies'. The first fact is that the place where this music comes from is the court of Oettingen/Wallerstein. The very place from which two important composers definitely came. Anton Reicha and his uncle who, in 1783/4 are transfered to serve in Bonn. To the musical regime there which was under the control of Kapellmeister Andrea Luchesi. And Bonn, from that time onwards was a major centre of 'Mozart's' music. Although, prior to 1783/4 (when a detailed survey of music was made there of its musical archives) not a single piece existed there by Mozart ! This was so strange that it contradicts almost everything we always assumed about the reputation and popularity of Mozart at that time. And yet, by 1794 (the date when these music archives were evacuated from the city) we know that around 10 symphonies of 'Mozart' are said to exist there, 9 of which are today held at the library of Modena, in Italy. Having arrived there a few years later. But detailed study of these (including their watermarks) shows many were definitely in existence before 1784. Some of them written on paper which was itself in common use in Bonn.

Researchers such as Giorgio Taboga in Italy, Luca Bianchi, Anna Trombetta and others have noted these strange features of the Modena 'Mozart' symphonies. Which are definitely early copies of works today attributed to Mozart. In fact, the orchestral scoring of these works (many of them famous 'Mozart' symphonies) also clearly indicates these are earlier than many of the versions we know today. They include the 'Haffner' (No. 35), the 'Linz' (No. 36) and even the 'Prague' (No. 38) and 'Jupiter' (No. 41) although each has its own story.

The conclusion I reached was that the name of 'Rossetti' was a label given to various works arriving at Oettingen/Wallerstein from various sources, only some of which eventually became 'Mozart'. But that Oettingen/Wallerstein was only one source of this incoming music. That, from 1783/84 this 'Mozartification' process became more centralised in Bonn. Even including preparing operas and other music to be finally attributed to Mozart. This process was quite complicated and later included numerous other composers and locations including London, Bohemia and Bonn. Both before Mozart's death and in the decade or so after his death.

Your comments on the 'Rossetti' subject are very interesting. Naples was certainly involved in 'Mozart' operas, together with Rome, Florence and other locations in Italy. And of course London. (especially from 1783 to around 1815). You refer to 'Gabriele Rossetti, the "redshirt" or "carbonaro" who escaped imprisonement in Naples assisted by a british admiral and lived in London ever since'. I will certainly read your "Poe decoded" thread).

Gabriele Rossetti is refered to here in this document from the British Library as one of the Italian political refugees in England -

''Panizzi, Gladstone, Garibaldi, and the Neapolitan Prisoners''
Denis V. Reidy

http://www.bl.uk/eblj/2005articles/pdf/article6.pdf

In the meantime, here is another Youtube video recording - again, very remarkably 'Mozartean' -

'A. Rossetti'
Concerto in E Flat Major
Allegro maestoso
c.1783/5
(from Oettingen/Wallerstein archives)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw7KR4vMEzk

Radek Baborak (horn)
Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie
Johannes Moesus