Mozart's Six Notturni, the Jacquin Family and Stadler (random thoughts and citations)

Mozart wrote these "utterly charming" pieces for three voices and three basset horns/clarinets as a result of his relationship to the Jacquin family of Vienna. Since they were meant for informal, social, and apparently very friendly occasions (ie: not for commercial publication), their sources and publication history are obscure. The atmosphere of happy, loving companionship that imbues these pieces is illustrated perhaps by this passage from Holmes' biography (The Life of Mozart, 1845), which illustrates Mozart's prefered writing environment: "In September 1787, we find him in the country, composing serenades and sonatas for piaono and violin. The summer-house in a garden continued to be his favourite resort for composition. He dates various pieces from the country-house of his friend, M. Gottfried von Jacquin..."

The dating is uncertain and it has even been suggested that Herr Jacquin wrote the voice parts for some, while Mozart supplied the basset horn accompaniments. Until recently, the only sources for the Notturni were: a facsimile autograph of K. 437 (the original was lost); sketches for K. 436 and K. 438; Mozart's entry in his work catalog of the opening bars of K. 549 (voice parts only - no basset horns!); and copies of the score printed after Mozart's death. As Dennis Pajot notes below, Mozart's manuscript of four Notturni surfaced in 1989.

In his forward to the Neue Mozart Ausgabe (NMA), Moerner writes: "Although these compositions are a matter of so-called 'occasional works,' they never the less reflect Mozart's struggle with the problems of three part vocal arrangement. It is no accident that the five three part Wind Divertimenti KV 439b (created likewise probably in 1783) demonstrate stylistic similarities with the Six Notturni, particularly tangible in the slow movements of the Wind Divertimenti, as is shown in a comparison between the Larghetto of Divertimento No. 2 with the trio "Ecco quel fiero istante" (KV 436). There are further stylistic relationships to the Piano/wind Quintet KV 452 (1784) and to the Wind Serenades KV. 375 and KV. 388 from 1781/82. Finally, we note the striking internal and external connections between the two Notturni KV. 437, 438 and the little Garden Serenade, "Secondate, aurete amiche" from Cosi fan tutte (Act II, Nr. 21). " Again, back to Jacquin's Garden of Eden!

About that Jacquin Family: Caroline Pichler, who knew the family well, recalled lovingly in 1844: "It was the family of the famous Freiherr von Jacquin that was already then 60-70 years ago a bright light for the intellectual world within and beyond Vienna, and which was also much sought after for its pleasant society." Pichler wrote that the young son, Gottfried, was an excellent musician and singer; his sister, Franziska, was an excellent pianist and one of Mozart's best students. Mozart wrote his trio for piano, clarinet and viola (KV. 498) for Franziska. She also sang "very prettily." Did Mozart write the Notturni for the young Jacquins? Probably.

And what about the basset horn parts? Moerner speculates that basset horn/clarinet parts were likely played by the brothers Johann and Anton Stadler, who were also members of the Mozart-Jacquin circle of friends. We know that Mozart wrote his great clarinet concerto and quintet for Anton Stadler. Constanza Mozart wrote that Stadler had in his posession copies of these as well as the five basset horn divertimenti, all of which seem to have been lost. Stadler claims they were stolen. Holmes painted an ugly portrait of the man Stadler: "This man [Stadler] was the familiar acquaintance of the composer [Mozart] - his inmate [?] at all times, fed at his table, employed by him in business, and enabled to turn the knowledge thus gained to his own advantage. His unprincipaled character, and the incredible forbearance of Mozart, will appear from another anecdote. He was constantly lurking about, on the watch to discover the best opportunity of borrowing money. The emperor, on a certain occasion, sent Mozart fifty ducats, which as soon as Stadler knew, he came to the composer, representing that he should be utterly ruined if he could not borrow that sum. Mozart wanted the money himself - but, never proof against a tale of distress, he gave him two valuable watches (repeaters) to raise money upon, with the words: 'there - go and bring me the [pawn] ticket, and take care to have them out at the right time.' Stadler neglecting to do this, Mozart, in order to save his watches, was obliged to advance him the fifty ducats with interest - which the fellow actually kept! Mozart gave him a severe reprimand for his base and dishonest conduct - but continued, as usual, to receive him at his table and to be his benefactor... One of the last acts of his life was for the benefit of this very Stadler, who wished to try his fortune at Prague. Towards this expedition, he furnished him with a new concerto for the clarionet [K622] - money for his travelling expenses, and a letter that procured him an engagement on his arrival." (Holmes, pp. 277-278)

Here's an excellent essay about Mozart's Basset Horn Divertimenti, K439b, by Dennis Pajot, a senior member of the Mozart Forum (www.mozartforum.com)

The first we know of the Divertimenti K439b is from Constanze Mozart's letter of J.A. André of May 31, 1800, in which she wrote "For information about this kind you should apply to the elder Stadler, the clarinetist, who used to possess the original, and has copies of some still unknown trios for Bassetthorns. He declares that while he was in Germany his portmanteau, with these pieces in it, was stolen". As Constanze wrote of copies, the autographs were apparently lost even then.

The oldest source for any of these pieces is an 1803 printing by Breitkopf & Härtel with the title "Little pieces for 2 Bassetthorns and Bassoon by W.A. Mozart". These consisted of what we know today as movements 2,3,4 of Divertimento II, and the alternative ending to this Divertimento. A compete edition in 2 sets of "3 Serenades for 2 Clarinets and Bassoon composed by W.A. Mozart" appeared by Simrock in Bonn containing 25 of the pieces (excluding the alternative ending from the B & H edition). The exact dating of this Simrock printing is unknown, but it is no earlier than 1806 and K6's 1813 is taken for the latest date. Besides the 25 pieces divided into 5 Serenades, Simrock's edition contained a sixth Serenade consisting of transcriptions of Arias from Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni, but is considered a spurious arrangement. [Interestingly one of the selections is the later composed Aria for Susanna "Al desio di chi" K577, that in its original form contained 2 Bassetthorn parts. The other Arias used are "Voi che sapete" and "Non piu andrai" from Figaro and "La ci carem la Mano" and "Vedrai carino" from Don Giovanni.]

Another source for these Divertimenti is the old Breitkopf & Härtel manuscript catalogue which listed "XXV pieces for 3 Bassetthorns or 2 Clarinets, Bassoon and Cello". An 1804 supplement to Traeg's main catalogue mentions "W.A. Mozart, small pieces for 2 Bassetthorns and Bass". The difference in instrumentation above could be because the earliest publishers of these pieces worked from a source that contained no instrumental designation. It appears likely the original setting was for 3 Bassetthorns, and the instrumentation was printed for more accessible settings: after all the chances of getting 3 Bassetthorn players together was just as unlikely to happen around 1800 as it would be today. This was shown even more clearly by an 1804 appearing Artaria arrangement of 11 of these pieces for "2 Violins and Cello or Flute, Violin and Cello". In a full score found in Dresden 2 Horns are added to the Simrock edition's 2 Clarinets and Bassoon. Other arrangements have been made for Violin, Viola and Cello; 2 Violins and Cello; 2 Flutes and Cello; 2-pianos; 3 Flutes; etc.

Simrock arranged the 25 pieces into 5 Serenades of 5 movements, and it works well except for Serenade V, which has a sequence of Adagio-Menuetto-Adagio-Romance (these 4 in Bb)-Polonaise (in Eb). It is thought by most scholars the 25 pieces were not thought of by Mozart as 5 Serenades but a series of small pieces, or possibly Mozart was planning a group of 6 Serenades and only finished 4 and had 5 individual pieces ready for the 2 unfinished Serenades. Marius Flothuis points to the shortness of the opening Allegro of Divertimento II as further proof that we are dealing with 25 independent pieces.

As can be seen above these 25 pieces were called by various titles by different publishers: "Divertimenti", "Serenades", or just plain "Pieces". The designations were apparently up to the publishers, as there was no original title to fall back on.

Are these pieces really by Mozart? We have no autograph, but only Constanze's statement in the May 31, 1800, letter and the early issues assigning the pieces to Mozart. Flothuis claims as to Mozart's authorship "no doubts can be offered", because of the pieces quality and especially the stylistic relationship with the Notturni for 3 voices and 3 Bassetthorns (K436-439 etc.). The only other composer who could be considered Flothuis believed was Anton Stadler, and his pieces are "miles removed from the mastery that speak from the Mozart attributed pieces". According to Flothuis "if we can not prove that Mozart is the author of the under discussion pieces, so can we at least establish that both the musical content as well as the technical finishing excludes a composer of the second rank".

As to dating, Ernst Lewicki in AMA thought the pieces were intended for use in the Jacquin circle and placed them in the time period 1783-85, connecting them with the Canzonettes K436-439 and K549. Because they were not listed in Mozart's work catalogue Alfred Einstein in K3 placed them in 1783. (In K1 and K2 the pieces were simply listed in the Anhang section as Anh 229, with no date reference). We of course know now that Mozart wrote many pieces after the beginning of his work catalogue he did not enter into it. And if these pieces were only intended as 25 "occasional" pieces, perhaps he would not enter them. Flothuis hints the 25 pieces should be dated later. The only dated Canzonetta K549 is July 16, 1788. He compares the Adagio of Divertimento IV/4 with the Priest's March from Zauberflöte and the beginning of the development of III/1 to the String Quartet fragment K.Anh 74/587a--probably from the end of 1789. When in 1989 the autographs of the Notturni K436-439a surfaced, Tyson's paper studies suggested they were to be dated no earlier than 1787, and as late as 1790. If our Divertimenti have any connection with these Notturni, it is possible they were written later than originally thought.