1765

Biography of Leopold Mozart and his children

Paul von Stetten der Jüngere, Erläuterungen der in Kupfer gestochenen Vorstellungen, aus der Geschichte der Reichsstadt Augsburg. In historischen Briefen an ein Frauenzimmer. Augsburg: Conrad Heinrich Stage, 1765.

[262]

⁣ Herr Leopold Mozard, ist von hiesigen Eltern, und Hochfürstlich Salz=
burgischer Concertmeister. Er hat sich nicht nur durch schöne gesetzte Concerte
und Synphonien, sondern auch durch die gedruckte Anweisung die Violione zu spielen
bekannt gemacht. Am meisten aber machte er sich in Deutschland, Frankreich und
Engelland, durch seine geschickte Kinder, mit welchen er umher gereiset, berühmt,
die in einem Alter von 9. bis 11. Jahren, solche Kunst auf dem Clavier und der
Violine gezeiget, daß ihnen der Name der Virtuosen, zumahl auf ersterm In=
strumente, auf welchem Tochter und Sohn vortreflich waren, nicht abgesprochen
werden konnte. Sie haben in Paris solchen Beyfall gefunden, daß sie daselbst von
einem sehr geschickten Künstler sind in Kupfer gestochen worden.

[translation:]

⁣ Herr Leopold Mozart is [born of] local parents, and Concertmeister to the Prince
of Salzburg. He became known not only through beautifully composed concertos
and symphonies, but also through the printed Anweisung die Violin zu spielen.
But most of all, he made himself famous in Germany, France and England
through his clever children with whom he travelled around,
[and] who between the age of 9 and 11 years displayed such skill at the keyboard and
violin that they could not be denied the titles of virtuosi, particularly on the
first-named instrument on which the daughter and son were excellent.
They were so well received in Paris that they were engraved there
in copper by a very skilful artist.

Commentary

Paul von Stetten (1731–1808) was a distinguished historian of Augsburg as well as the city’s treasurer. The Erläuterungen, cast in the form of letters to a lady, is a history of the city and its notable residents. This early reference to the Mozarts appears the final section, “Nachrichten von noch dermahlen in Augsburg lebenden berühmten und wohlverdienten Künstlern.” Although Leopold no longer lived in the city, he had enough familial and professional connections (through his publisher Lotter, for example) to justify his inclusion. The engraving to which Stetten refers is based on the well-known watercolor of 1764 by Louis Carrogis (“Carmontelle”, 1717-1806). In 1779 Stetten provided an updated biography of the Mozarts (Dokumente, 166).

This item is cited but not quoted completely in Mančal (1997, 934).

Bibliography

Mančal, Josef. 1997. “Augsburg als Herstellungs- und Handelszentrum für Druckmedien im 18. Jahrhundert: Das Beispiel Leopold Mozart.” In: Augsburger Buchdruck und Verlagswesen von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart, edited by Helmut Gier and Johannes Janota. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz. 909–46.

Credit: DB

Author: David Black

Link(s):

Google Books, BSB

Search Term: mozard

Source Library:

BSB, 4° Germ. sp. 321

Categories: Biography

First Published: Sun, 11 Jan 2015

Print Citation:

Black, David. 2015. “Biography of Leopold Mozart and his children (1765).” In: Mozart: New Documents, edited by Dexter Edge and David Black. First published 11 January 2015. https://www.mozartdocuments.org/documents/1765-biography/

Web Citation:

Black, David. 2015. “Biography of Leopold Mozart and his children (1765).” In: Mozart: New Documents, edited by Dexter Edge and David Black. First published 11 January 2015. [direct link]