MOZART AND THE PRACTICE OF SACRED MUSIC, 1781-91 a ...

...the widow was so kind as to procure me a very fine MS. copy of the complete work in score,
which was formerly in the possession of Mozart’s own son – the latter was so good as to write his
name in the title page, as did also Mozart’s widow and her sister, and with these three rare
Autographs of the Mozart family I now prize this volume as one of the most valuable MSS. in my
possession. 89
The copy of the oratorio that Constanze gave Novello remained with the firm until the
1980s, when it came to the British Library; see Figure 2.6. It has little textual significance,
but as a document signed by Constanze, her sister Sophie and Mozart’s son Franz Xaver it
retains considerable historical interest. A few days before, Novello had asked Constanze
about the origin of the work, and recorded her answer as follows:
The ‘Davidde Penitente’ originally a grand Mass which he wrote in consequence of a vow that he
had made to do so, on her safe recovery after the birth of their first child – relative to whom he
had been particularly anxious. This Mass was performed in the Cathedral at Salzburg and
Madame Mozart herself sang all the principal solos. 90
This is the only reference to a performance of K. 427 at Salzburg Cathedral, and it is unclear
whether the probable error originated with Constanze’s memory or with Novello.
The Mozart biography published under Nissen’s name in 1828 gives the following
explanation for the composition of the mass:
Und dieser Mann, wie gebrauchte er die kurze Zeit in Salzburg? – Er vollendete die Messe, die er
für seine Frau gelobt hatte, wenn die Entbindung glücklich vorübergehen würde, und von
welcher er im Januar schon die Hälfte fertig hatte. Diese Messe wurde den 23sten August im
Kapellhauser probirt und den 25sten in der St. Peterskirche producirt, wobey seine Frau die
Solo’s sang. 91
From these various reports, the number of events with which the mass can be associated is
wide-ranging, and the events in question span more than a year: Constanze’s illness, the
couple’s marriage, the introduction of the Gottesdienstordnung, the birth of Raimund
Leopold and the journey to Salzburg. The common thread running through most of these
episodes is, of course, Constanze, and her association with K. 427 is only strengthened by her
89 Vincent and Mary Novello, A Mozart Pilgrimage: Being the Travel Diaries of Vincent & Mary Novello in the
Year 1829, ed. Rosemary Hughes and Nerina Medici di Marignano (London: Novello, 1955), 117. The
original diaries are now in GB-LEbc.
90 Ibid., 96.
91 Nissen, Biographie, 476.
93