Life of Mozart

—'ADAPTATION OF '' FIGARO," I785.67ing some portions of it, commanded that it should be performedand put into rehearsal at once. This caused muchdispleasure to Mozart's opponents, including Casti and CountRosenberg, " a sworn enemy of the Germans, who wouldlisten to nothing that was not Italian," ^° and who made asmany difficulties as he could.of the kind.Da Ponte relates one instanceThe manager, Bussani (the singer who was castfor the part of Bartolo), told Count Rosenberg that in thethird act of " Figaro," during the wedding festivities, whileSusanna is conveying the letter to the Count, a ballet wasto be introduced. Rosenberg sent for the poet, remindedhim that the Emperor would not allow a ballet, and turninga deaf ear to his remonstrances, tore the scene out of thebook. Mozart was furious ; wanted to call the Count toanswer, to horsewhip Bussani, to appeal to the Emperor, totake back the score—in short, he could with difficulty bepacified. At the full rehearsal the Emperor was present. Inobedience to Rosenberg's order the ballet was omitted, andin dead silence Susanna and the Count made their nowmeaningless gestures. The Emperor, in amazement, askedwhat it all meant, and on Da Ponte's explanation of theaffair, ordered a proper ballet to be at once arranged. Thisstory, although Da Ponte may have exaggerated the importanceof his own share in it, doubtless gives a fair ideaon the whole of the circumstances under which Mozart's" Figaro " was produced. Kell3^'s assertion that Mozartwas commissioned by the Emperor to write an opera, andselected " Figaro," accords very well with Da Ponte'saccount. Mozart began his work in the autumn of 1785,as we learn from a letter of his father's to Marianne(November 11, 1785) :At last, after six weeks' silence, I have received a letter from yourbrother of November 2, containing quite twelve lines. His excuse fornot writing is that he has been over head and ears at work on his opera," Le Nozze di Figaro." He has put off all his pupils to the afternoon,so that he may have his mornings free. I have no fear as to the music;*o Berl. Mus. -Ztg., 1793, p. 141.F 2