A Bach Influence on Mozart
We all have read about J.S. Bach's influence on Mozart, and how he arranged clavier pieces for string settings in Vienna. There is another, less well known, possible influence on Mozart that I would like to discuss.
In the Allgemeiner Musikalischen Zeitung of 1798 J.F.Rochlitz published an anecdote of Mozart's visit to the Thomas Church Cantor Johann Friedrich Doles in Leipzig at the end of April 1789. Rochlitz related Doles surprised Mozart by a performance of the Bach motett for double choir "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied". Mozart was extremely delighted by it and at the end called out "That is indeed something that one can take a lesson from". Before leaving Mozart asked for a copy of the motett and cherished it highly. This would be the Bach motett BMV 225.
Until 1950 there was nothing to accept this tradition except the report of the unreliable Rochlitz. However in this year E.F. Schmid published a paper reporting in the Bach holdings of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna a full score manuscript from the end of the 18th Century of Bach's motett was found. In the upper portion of the manuscript is written: "NB this must be set for an entire orchestra", in the very characteristic had of Wolfgang Mozart. Thus extreme weight is given to Rochlitz's anecdote. In fact it is possible Mozart received one other Bach motett as a remembrance of the Leipzig visit. In the same Vienna archive is a copy of the motett "Jauchzet dem Herrn", once partially attributed to Bach, but now credited to Telemann. This motett is written by the same copyist, and on the same paper in the same format as the copy of "Singet dem Herrn". It however has no notes or markings by Mozart.
How did this full score with Mozart's notation come into the hands of the Vienna Music Society. Most likely through Baron Gottfried van Swieten, head of the Vienna Court Library, friend of Mozart, and the most enthusiastic admirer of Händel and Bach in southern Germany. Schmid shows the Swieten connection probably can be traced to Count Carl Lichnowski, who Mozart travelled with in 1789. In the Vienna Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Schmid discovered copies of Bach's French and English Suites for harpsichord which cited as their possessor the title of the young Lichnowsky. Apparently the (then) Prince acquired the works when studying in the Göttingen University in 1782. Also at this University at the time was the greatest Bach champion of the late 18th Century, Johann Nikolaus Forkel, who in 1802 would dedicate the first Bach biography to his friend, Baron van Swieten. Lichnowsky returned to Vienna, where he no doubt had contact with van Swieten and Mozart, and perhaps presented the manuscripts to van Swieten. In any event at the estate auction of van Swieten the Suites were sold bearing the heading "VI Large Suites for the Clevecin, composed by Jean Seb: Bach, Göttingen 1782. Comte Lichnowsky...The Princess Jean Liechtenstein purchased this book of music at the liquidation of the effects of Baron van Swieten". Perhaps the Princess acquired other Bach pieces, including the motett "Singet em Herrn" with Mozart's note. After her death the Suites passed into the hands of Aloys Fuchs and are stored now in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.
Mozart left on the trip that would take him through Leipzig on April 8, 1789. Just before this Mozart had arranged and conducted the re-instrumentation of Händel's Messias in the commission of van Swieten. Mozart had previous to this arranged an Aria from CPE Bach's oratorio Auferstehung und Himmelfahrt Jesus (most likely more than just this one--maybe more on that in a later posting), and Handel's Acis und Galathea. So the consideration of such an arrangement for Bach's motett is certainly possible.
I believe from all the above when we think of J.S. Bach's influence on Mozart we should consider more than the string arrangements, and look to his larger vocal works. I would have loved to hear "Singet dem Herrn" in the rich instrumentation that Mozart added to Händel's oratorios.
Dennis Pajot
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