Timms Lindgren Steff..

28 LOWELL LINDGREN AND COLIN TIMMS THE CORRESPONDENCE OF AGOSTINO STEFFANI AND GIUSEPPE RIVA, 1720-1728 29
instead to those composed by a 'personaggio', 'gran virtuoso' or 'l'autore' (in letters D, E and G,
respectively), it seems likely that Steffani had 'disowned' these 'deliti della mia gioventu' (see letter C)
by attributing them to Gregorio Piva (see no. 1, below).
F. Schonborn to Steffani Rottenbuch, 20 September 1720 [Friday]
. . . The small box containing duets, which I hear is now on its way, will give me great
pleasure when I return [to Wiirzburg] from these woods, where I am amusing myself by
hunting deer. I await them therefore with no less impatience than the others which, by your
goodness, are to follow, since I confess that music is one of the greatest relaxations that I take
from the very tiring responsibilities of my government.
Your most illustrious lordship will oblige me much more by procuring the two voices, a
soprano and an alto, that are lacking from my chapel choir. I will tell you what I have decided
to spend in order to have them. First of all, I declare that I could not agree to grant either of
them permission from time to time to make a tour in England or anywhere else in order to
stay there during the winter, since this is precisely the season when I have the most time and
opportunity to amuse myself with music. I do not lack occupations or pastimes during the
other seasons, when I do not normally remain in the city. Thus I favour the other idea, kindly
suggested by your m. i. lordship, of allowing them to hope for a benefice; an opportune
vacancy should not take long to present itself, since I have many benefices at my disposal.
Apart from that, I have decided to give each of them four to five hundred dollars per annum,
from which they would pay for board and lodging. The latter is not expensive, there being
good quarters in Wiirzburg for twenty to thirty dollars [a year], sometimes even for half that
amount; likewise, they themselves can procure food cheaply, and in this way they will be able
to suit their own taste and inclination. I know that this offer is fairly mediocre in comparison
with what similar virtuosos demand, and yet there are some who prefer a small, guaranteed
salary, with the security of a constant, established post, to the promise of a larger salary that
is not paid punctually and where they are subject to various changes . . ..
I almost forgot to mention that I should be grateful if your m. i. lordship also found a
way to procure for me a good bass-though this is rather less important, because it would
not be difficult for me to find a bass, even in this region. I am more concerned to acquire the
two aforesaid voices, for which I immediately seek your kind assistance. I was told some time
ago of an alto at the court of Kassel who intended to leave there, but since I have heard
nothing about this for many months it will be necessary to look elsewhere for what I need
. . ..
P. S. It must be borne in mind that the two singers in question should not be too
advanced in years.
. . . La cascettina coi duetti, che sento istradata a questa volta, mi sara di gran dilettamento doppo il mio
ritorno da questi boschi, dove sto divertendomi colla caccia de' cervi. L'aspetto dunque con impazienza
non meno che gli altri che per Sua bonta seguiteranno, confessandoLe che la musica b uno de' piu grandi
sollievi che mi piglio dalle cure assai fatiganti del mio governo.
Tanto piu m'oblighera Vostra Signoria Illustrissima col procurarmi le due voci di soprano e
contr'alto, delle quali manca la mia capella. Dirb quel che ho destinato di spendere per averle. In primo
luogho mi dichiaro che non potrei risolvermi di conceder all'un od all'altro la facolta di far quando in
quando un giro in Inghilterra od altrove per soggiornani un inverno, poich6 questa b giusto la stagione
nella quale ho piu tempo e commodita di divertirmi colla musica, non mancandomi occupazioni e
passatempi nel resto delle stagioni, nelle quali non soglio star per ordinario in cita. Cosi piu gradisco
l'altro progetto, che V.a S.a Ill."" si compiace di suggerirmi, di fargli sperar qualche beneficio, del che
non potra tardare a presentarsi l'occasione e vacatura, perch6 assai ne tengho a mia disposizione.
Oltre di cio mi risolvero di dar ogni anno quatro in cinque cento taleri per uno, compresovi la tavola e
l'alloggiamento, che non costa caro, trovandosi a Erbipoli un buon quartiero per venti in trenta taleri,
anzi tal volta per la met$; la tavola parimente da procurarsi da loro stessi puol aversi a buon mercato, ed
in tal guisa potranno accommodarsi a1 gusto e genio loro. So esser assai mediocre questa offerta per quel
che simil gente virtuosa suol pretendere, ma pur ve ne sono che piu gradiscono un salario piccolo e certo,
colla speranza sicura del costante suo stabilimento, che la promessa d'un soldo piu grande che non si
piaga pontualmente, e dove stanno soggetti a varie mutazioni . . ..
. . . Mi scordavo quasi di far menzione che mi sarebbe grato se V.a S.a Ill."" avesse anche il mezzo
di procurarmi un buon basso; ma in quanto a questo, non tanto m'importa, perch6 non mi sara difficile di
aver10 ancora in queste parti. Piu mi preme d'esser provisto delle due voci sudette, per le quali ricerco
istantemente la Sua favorevole assistenza. Mi si par10 tempo fa d'un contr'alto che si trovasse alla corte
di Hassia Cassel ed havesse disegno di ritirarsene, ma come da molti mesi non piu ne sento niente,
bisognera cercar altrove quel che desidera . . ..
P. S. Sara necessario di riflettere che li due musici menzionati non siano d'un eta troppo avanzata.
I-Rscge Fondo Spiga, vol. 29. Rottenbuch was an Augustinian monastery near Weilheim in upper
Bavaria. Schonborn's 'assai mediocre' offer of 500 dollars a year may be compared with the offer
of 1,000 dollars made to Margherita Durastanti at Munich in 1721; she declined it, because she
wanted 2,000 (see no. 22, below). This may be one of the Schonborn letters that Steffani showed
to Riva (see letter E, above, and no. 4, below).
G. Schonborn to Steffani
Wiirzburg, 26 October 1720 [Saturday]
For many weeks I have, for the most part, been out of town, and this is why I have not until
now either acknowledged the arrival of the expected small box from your most illustrious
lordship or answered your last, most esteemed letter. The duets are in the finest of taste: the
greater the pleasure they give me, the more I venerate the composer who created them . . ..
With regard to the two singers, I thank you for the frankness with which you reveal your
sentiments; nor shall I fail to express mine with similar candour, for I believe that this is the
proper way for good friends to deal with one another. I do not deny, as your m. i. lordship
indicates, that the salary of 500 dollars is rather mediocre when compared with what they
[castratos] usually receive. But sometimes the certainty of payment, the hope that some
benefice will be obtained in time, and other factors will cause them to prefer an appointment
that seems in other ways unfavourable. Ultimately, however, if all else fails, I will not find it
difficult to add about 50 florins for lodging, since I do not have the facility to provide this in
kind. If they conduct themselves discreetly and reasonably, I could also gradually augment
the stated salary by adding some wheat and wine . . ..
P. S. The expenses for the copying [of the duets], for the transport of the small box and
for other similar things I will gladly pay, as soon as your m. i. lordship sends me the details.
Da molte settimane in qua io sono per il piu stato fuori di citti, e questa b la causa che fin adesso non
solamente non awanzai a Vostra Signoria Illustrissima la notizia dell'amvo della consaputa cassettina,
ma che ritardai ancora la risposta all'ultima Sua stimatissima lettera. Li dueti sono di gusto finissimo, ed
a me di tanto maggior dilettamento, quanto piu venero l'autore da cui provenghono . . ..
Toccante li due musici, La ringrazio della franchezza colla quale mi palesa li Suoi sentimenti, ne
mancherb di spiegharLe parimente i miei con ingenuiti, stimando questa la piu giusta maniera di trattare