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

A letter from Norbert Lehmann to Niemetschek alleged that Mozart had arrived
with Josepha Duschek at Kloster Strahov in 1787 to hear the monastery church’s famous
organ. Lehmann, who was a canon at Strahov, includes a colourful description of Mozart
improvising at the instrument, and continues:
Dann führte er [Mozart] das Thema einer Fuga aus dem Brixischen Requiem ex C-moll zwar auf
eine ganz andere Art so künstlich auf, daß man wie versteinert dastund. Er gab jeder Stimme,
wenn sie das Thema in einem andern Tone widerholte, ihr Recht, welches hauptsächlich beim
Tenor zu bewundern war. Wenn der Baß zu tief war und wenn der Tenor mit der linken Hand
nicht konnte bestritten werden, so mußte die Rechte mit einigen Tönen und Fingern
aushelfen. 108
Franz Xaver Brixi (1732-71), who did write an extant Requiem in C minor, was
Kapellmeister at St. Vitus’ Cathedral in Prague from 1759 until his death. Lehmann does not
say whether Mozart’s use of this theme was prompted by external suggestion, but it is
conceivable that Mozart chose the Brixi in deference to local sensitivities. Lehmann’s letter is
not well authenticated – allegedly from the Niemetschek Nachlass, its only source is the first
publication in 1911 – and the included “transcription” of Mozart’s improvisation (K. Anh.
C. 27.03) hardly increases its credibility. If the account is accurate, one would need to
consider where Mozart had the opportunity to study Brixi’s Requiem in the first place.
In late May 1787, Mozart wrote to Gottfried von Jacquin, “Hier schick ihnen ihren
Amynt und das Kirchenlied.” 109 “Amynt” is Jacquin’s setting of Kleist’s poem “Sie fliehet
fort,” but “das Kirchenlied” is more difficult to identify. Ballin sought to identify it with one
of the songs that constitute K. 343, but with the knowledge that the songs are transmitted
together it is difficult to see why Mozart would refer to only one. More likely, Mozart was
referring to Jacquin’s only known religious work: a setting for chorus, strings and continuo
108 Deutsch, Dokumente, 445.
109 MBA, iv.48.
162