These two reports are closely related to, and may be ultimately derived from, reports in the Viennese newspaper Der heimliche Botschafter, which was distributed in handwritten copies (Dokumente, 373, 374; see also the Swedish report in Addenda, 76). Although the news of Mozart’s death took three weeks to reach Paris, the first report’s dateline of 7 Dec is in fact earlier than the appearance of this information in the Botschafter, where it appeared on 13 Dec (the version of the Botschafter printed in Dokumente has no dateline; it is not clear whether it is absent in the original manuscript). The Mercure omits the final part of the Botschafter’s report, a comparison between Mozart’s and Handel’s financial circumstances. As in a number of other reports, Mozart’s stated age at his death is slightly incorrect.

The second report appeared three days later in both dateline and printing; the equivalent in the Botschafter appeared on 16 Dec. It closely mirrors the first two sentences of its model, but omits the later details about Schikaneder organizing exequies for Mozart and a benefit performance of Die Zauberflöte for Constanze. Mozart had no surviving daughter at his death, but the reports may indicate that Baron van Swieten and Countess Thun supported the composer’s two sons in some way.