Franziska Lebrun and the Cadenza to a Holzbauer Aria

[dennis]

This is the last of 4 postings that relate to arias with possible Mozart connections (possibly) performed in his lifetime. (See previous postings on K295, K626b/47 and K416).


From Heinrcih Henkel's estate (now in the Hessische Landesbibliiothek in Fulda; M 296a) exists a single sheet of paper containing a cadenza for solo oboe and soprano in Bb. What little is known of this cadenza can be found in the MozartForum Library under "K626b/21 Two Cadenzas with Mozart Connections", and need not be repeated here. Sufficient to say here it belongs in the aria "Der glänzende Himmel war finstere Wüste" from Ignaz Holzbauer's opera Günther von Schwarzburg.

What new information I know of is from Dexter Edge's dissertation on Mozart's Vienna Copyists. Edge establishes that the copyist of this cadenza is probably Viennese. Although it can not be stated with exactness, the paper of the copy appears to be the type Mozart used beginning in the summer of 1786. Edge uses this as a starting point for the copying down of the cadenza: around 1786 or perhaps a bit earlier or later.

As Henkel's manuscripts of Mozart came from André, we are almost assured this cadenza was among the manuscripts Constanze Mozart sent to André in 1800. Although there are no notations from Mozart on the page, or notations that would connect this cadenza to Mozart, it can be assumed it was in Mozart's possession at the time of his death.

We do not know the author of the Cadenza, but from neither diplomatic or stylistic grounds Dexter Edge believes Mozart can be ruled out. Wolfgang Plath wrote that Mozart's authorship was unlikely, but he made this statement before he knew the cadenza belonged to the Holzbauer aria, stating no Mozart Aria would be suited to the key and instrumentation of this cadenza.

Edge, in my opinion, placed the singer and occasion in Vienna perfectly. Ludwig August Lebrun and his wife--the celebrated soprano Franziska Lebrun--visited Vienna during Lent 1785 on their way to Russia from Munich. The role of the Countess in Holzbauer's Günter von Schwarzburg had been written for Franziska in 1777--when she was Franziska Danzi. Obviously the aria itself was fit for Franziska's voice, and Edge points out the cadenza fits her stylistic traits. Charles Burney wrote of her in 1779:

"...traveling with her husband, an excellent performer on the hautbois, she seems to have listened to nothing else...[and has] copied the tone of his instrument so exactly, that when he accompanied her in divisions of thirds and sixths, it was impossible to discover who was uppermost".

Edge reports the cadenza "features many passages in thirds (albeit with the oboe always below the voice) and ends with a two-bar passaggio in sixteenth notes in thirds reaching to a climax on f3 in the soprano and d3 in the oboe. Arias written for Franziska Lebrun show that her range extended to f3" (Edge here citing a personal communication from Paul Corneilson).

Coincidentally Leopold Mozart was visiting his son in Vienna at the time so we have some further information on the Lebrun's visit. We know on February 18 the Mozarts lunched with the Lebruns, Karl Cannabich and a priest at the home of Johann Gottlieb Stephanie. Franziska Lebrun, her husband and Wolfgang Mozart played at a private concert at Count Zichy's on February 21. The Lebruns performed at the Burgtheater on February 23, February 28 and March 7 (programs unknown, except that Ludwig Lebrun played an Oboe Concerto at the first concert). According to Leopold "all the boxes for the first concert were sold out on the 18th. These people are going to make an enormous amount of money". And according to his later report they did. On March 13 the Lebruns performed at a concert of the Tonskünstler Society. This program included a Joesph Haydn symphony, arias sung by Herr Mandini and Franziska Lebrun, choruses of Gassmann and Haydn, an Oboe Concerto (composed by? played by?) Ludwig Lebrun and Mozart's Davidde penitente, directed by Mozart.

It seems very likely that the cadenza was used by the Lebruns in their concerts in Vienna in 1785.

Even if the above does not prove Mozart wrote the cadenza, it gives us an explanation of how the copy might have come into his possession. Edge does point out that both the Lebruns also composed. As Edge states "these connections should also make us even more alert to the possibility that Mozart might have been the composer". I am of the opinion the Cadenzas is "most likely" by Mozart. Why would he just have a copy of the Cadenza? Would not a memento of the occasion, or gift from Lebrun, or Mozart wishing to reuse the Aria make more sense to have the entire Aria?

Dennis Pajot