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

and the anniversary of the church’s consecration. An unusual opportunity for extra
remuneration arose in March 1779, when Joseph II, Archduke Maximilian, Archduchess
Marie Christine and Grand Duke Leopold (the future Leopold II) visited Baden. Stoll and
his singers were called upon to provide music, with Joseph playing cello, Leopold the organ,
and Maximilian the violin. Interestingly, the Imperial ensemble played “einige Messen” by
“Herrn v. Haydn” and Domkapellmeister Leopold Hofmann, who was present. Stoll received
a gift of 24 Imperial ducats, or 102fl 24xr, for this performance. 161
Just how Mozart came initially to meet Stoll is unclear, though one might suspect
that it occurred through the composer’s attendance with Constanze at the Stadtpfarrkirche.
Constanze certainly attended the church in the absence of Mozart (but perhaps in the
presence of her maid Sabinde), as we know from Mozart’s letter of 25 June 1791:
ich rathe dir nicht Morgen in das Amt zu gehen – die bauernkerls sind mir zu grob; – freylich
hast du einen groben Compagnon [Süssmayr] – aber die bauern haben keinen Respect für ihn,
perdunt Respectum, weil sie ihms gleich ansehen, daß er ein schaberl ist. Snai! – 162
The earliest evidence we have of Mozart’s association with the Stadtpfarrkirche comes from
an undated letter to Puchberg usually ascribed to around 12 June 1790, in which Mozart
writes, “Morgen wird in Baaden ein Amt von mir aufgeführt.” 163 The composer at that time
was in Vienna for a performance of Così fan tutte, and probably could not have attended the
mass. Excluding the unlikely possibility that Stoll had obtained a copy of this “Amt”
independently, we may presume that Mozart had personally delivered it to him at some
earlier stage. If MBA’s speculative dating of 2 June 1790 (a Wednesday) is correct for the
161 Maurer, Anton Stoll.
162 MBA, iv.142. On the meaning of “Schaberl,” see Lorenz, “Süssmayr und die Lichterputzer.” The service that
Sunday may have included a procession in honour of Corpus Christi, and Mozart potentially this in mind
when he recommended that Constanze, eight months pregnant and suffering a leg ailment, should not
participate.
163 MBA, iv.111.
307