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

comparisons between Mozart and Süssmayr. 91 By 1796, Schönfeld could describe Süssmayr
in the terms for which he is now most well-known:
Noch dient ihm zu nicht geringer Empfehlung, daß er ein Schüler Mozarts ist, und von selbigem
sehr geschätzt war. Auch hat er an einige unvollendete Werke dieses großen Genies die letzte
Hand gelegt. 92
These statements, like Paul Wranitzky’s 1797 description of Süssmayr as a “Scolar des
Mozarth” 93 show, at best, that Süssmayr had acquired a reputation as Mozart’s student – a
reputation that Süssmayr himself may have encouraged. Almost four decades later,
Constanze recalled that Süssmayr somehow received “förmlichen Unterricht” from Mozart
by singing through the Requiem with its composer. She also relayed an alleged comment
from Mozart to Süssmayr: “Ey – da stehen die Ochsen wieder am Berge; das verstehst du
noch lange nicht,” which could just as likely refer to Süssmayr’s lack of ability as a copyist as
to his lack of facility in compositional exercises. 94 Süssmayr himself referred to Mozart’s
“unvergeßlichen Lehren,” and claimed to have played, sang and discussed the completed
parts of the Requiem with him. 95 In at least one case, however, Süssmayr can be shown to
have deliberately misrepresented his relationship with Mozart. In August 1797, he wrote to
the Abbot of Stift Lambach, requesting that the autograph of the opera Der rauschige Hans
SmWV 208, then in the possession of the abbey’s regens chori, be returned to him. Süssmayr
described this work as “ein Operett, genannt der rauschige Hans von dem seeligen Hrn. P.
Maurus Lindemayr, wozu ich hier [Vienna] unter der Leitung des seeligen, unsterblichen
Mozarts die Musik setzte.” 96 The autograph, now at Stift Seitenstetten, shows no sign of
91 Henry H. Hausner, Franz X. Süßmayr, vol. 254-256, Österreich-Reihe (Vienna: Bergland Verlag, 1964), 78.
92 Johann Ferdinand von Schönfeld, Jahrbuch der Tonkunst von Wien und Prag, ed. Otto Biba (Munich: E.
Katzbichler, 1976), 61.
93 Quoted in Pfannhauser, “Auf den Spuren der Mozart-Überlieferung in Oberösterreich,” 26.
94 MBA, iv.491. For another use of this phrase, see KB, v.132-33.
95 Eibl, Addenda, 89.
96 Hausner, Franz X. Süßmayr, 40, Johann Winterberger, Franz Xaver Süssmayr: Leben, Umwelt und Gestalt
(Frankfurt am Main: Opus Verlag, 1999), 93.
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