22 August 1789

Lausch advertises Le nozze di Figaro for Harmonie

Wiener Zeitung, No. 67, Sat, 22 Aug 1789, 2150

⁣                       Neue Musikalien.
    In der Lauschischen Musikalienhandlung
in Wien in der Kärntnerstrasse Nr. 1085 den
    3 weissen Rosen über sind zu haben:
Drey ganz neue Quartetten des Herrn Wan-
    hal a 2 Violini, Viola e Violoncello, das
    erste in C. das zweyte in Eb. und das
    dritte in G., 3 fl. 30 kr.
Pleyel 6 Variazioni per il Clavicembalo,
    20 kr.
Opern in Harmonien a 2 Oboe, 2 Clari­-
    netti, 2 Corni e 2 Fagotti, als: Le Noz­-
    ze di Figaro des Hrn. Mozart, 6 fl. 40 kr.
Axur Re d ’Ormus des Hrn. Salieri, 6 fl. 40 kr.
Il Talismano, detto 8 fl.
Die Uebersetzung ist durchaus vom Hrn. Went,
    Hofkammer Musikus.

Wiener Zeitung, 1789-08-22

Commentary

This previously unknown advertisement by Viennese music copyist and dealer Lorenz Lausch offers an arrangement for eight-part Harmonie of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. The arrangement is attributed to Johann Nepomuk Went (Wendt), oboist in the orchestra of the Viennese court theater and a member of the Harmonie band of Emperor Joseph II. Lausch is already known to have advertised Went’s arrangement of Figaro in the Wiener Zeitung on 27 Aug 1791 (Dokumente, 352). However, the advertisement transcribed above shows that Lausch was offering the arrangement two years earlier than had previously been realized. Lausch’s advertisement of 22 Aug 1789 was first published in a modern edition by Edge (2001, 2081–2 and Appendix H, 2416).

Went’s arrangement of Figaro survives. RISM lists two complete sets of parts explicitly attributed to Went: one in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Mus.Schott.As 3499) and the other in Český Krumlov (39a K I). The latter set, from the collection of Prince Schwarzenberg, includes parts for two English horns, rather than for two clarinets (as in the emperor’s Harmonie), reflecting the different instrumentation of Schwarzenberg’s band. Bastiaan Blomhert (1987, 47) discusses an unattributed set of parts for what is apparently the same arrangement stemming from the Hofbibliothek in Donaueschingen (now in the Badische Landesbibliothek, Don Mus.Ms. 1394; the parts for Harmonie are mixed together with an independent set of parts for Figaro arranged for string quartet). Went’s Harmonie arrangement of Figaro has been published in two volumes by Musica Rara, based on a source from the Pitti collection, now in the conservatory library in Florence (I-Fc, P. 329).

Lausch’s advertisement of Figaro appears to have been timed to take advantage of the first revival of the opera by the court theater; the revival premiered on 29 Aug 1789, exactly one week after the advertisement. In this same advertisement, Lausch also offers Went’s arrangement for Harmonie of Salieri’s operas Axur, re d’Ormus and Il Talismano. The other works in the advertisement include three string quartets by Johann Baptist Vanhal and six variations for keyboard by Ignaz Pleyel.

On Lausch, see Edge (2001, 2075–88) as well as our entry for 8 Jul 1784 regarding Lausch’s advertisement in Das Wienerblättchen on that date. For other advertisements by Lausch on our site, see our entries for 30 Oct 1784 and 9 Oct 1790.

Notes

Both sets of parts listed in RISM for the Harmonie arrangement of Figaro include the overture and numbers 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 27, and 28.

Parts for an arrangement of Figaro for string quartet, also attributed to Went, survive in Meiningen (D-MEIr, Bi 47). The parts derive from the collection of the Meiningen Hofkapelle.

Bibliography

Blomhert, Bastiaan. 1987. The Harmoniemusik of “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Study About Its Authenticity and Critical Edition. The Hague: CIP-gegevens Koninklijke Bibliotheek.

Edge, Dexter. 2001. “Mozart’s Viennese Copyists.” Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California. [academia.edu]

Credit: DE

Author: Dexter Edge

Link(s):

ANNO

Search Term: NA

Source Library:

ÖNB, Wienbibliothek

Categories: Advertisement

First Published: Sat, 27 Jan 2024

Print Citation:

Edge, Dexter. 2024. “Lausch advertises Le nozze di Figaro for Harmonie (22 August 1789).” In: Mozart: New Documents, edited by Dexter Edge and David Black. First published 27 January 2024. https://www.mozartdocuments.org/documents/22-august-1789/

Web Citation:

Edge, Dexter. 2024. “Lausch advertises Le nozze di Figaro for Harmonie (22 August 1789).” In: Mozart: New Documents, edited by Dexter Edge and David Black. First published 27 January 2024. [direct link]