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

Nurscher died of “Brustwassersucht” on 21 March 1814 as a “k: k: pens: Hoftheater
Musikus,” leaving behind Elisabeth and their son Joseph, aged seven. 233
Figure 3.20 shows Nurscher’s will, the most extensive document currently known in
his handwriting. Again, we are limited by the small number of words in italic, including
“Musicus,” “Theater,” “Banco Obligazion” and “Interessen.” Figure 3.21 shows an
enlargement of several samples of Nurscher’s handwriting and two further examples of
VMC-3’s italic, taken from the original parts for Mozart’s scena Misero! o sogno...Aura, che
intorno spiri K. 431 and a Reutter piece from St. Stephen’s. 234 There does seem to be a
resemblance, particularly in the similarity of the letter “M” and a tendency for the writing to
slant towards the right. With the generic character of italic script, however, many individuals
may have shared these characteristics, and one also needs to take into account the
chronological distance separating the samples of VMC-3’s writing. Further research will
require the identification of music in the hand of VMC-3 involving a German text, so that
the Kurrentschrift of Nurscher’s will can be compared. Even if Nurscher is not equivalent to
VMC-3, his known activity as a copyist means it is quite likely that manuscripts by him still
survive, making the study of his text handwriting a useful aid to identification.
233 Nurscher’s will is in A-Wsa, Mag. ZG Testament 194/1814; his Verlassenschaft is in Mag. ZG 2-1545/1814.
234 On the parts for K. 431, see MVC, 1140-57. For a further sample of VMC-3’s hand from the Cathedral, see
the following chapter.
212