Mozart's View of Haydn
Mozart's early biographer Franz Niemetschek, who interviewed Mozart's wife Constanze, describes Mozart's esteem for Haydn. In one passage from his biography he says:
- High esteem for true merit, and regard for the individual, influenced his judgment of works of art. He was always very touched when he spoke of the two Haydns or other great masters.
By "Haydns", Niemetschek refers also to Joseph's brother Michael, who was Mozart's friend and colleague during his years in Salzburg.
An often-retold anecdote from Niemetschek is the following:
- At a private party a new work of Joseph Haydn was being performed. Besides Mozart there were a number of other musicians present, among them a certain man who was never known to praise anyone but himself. He was standing next to Mozart and found fault with one thing after another. For a while Mozart listened patiently; when he could bear it no longer and the fault-finder once more conceitedly declared: 'I would not have done that', Mozart retorted: 'Neither would I but do you know why? Because neither of us could have thought of anything so appropriate."
Niemetschek adds, "By this remark he made for himself yet another irreconcilable enemy."
Read more about this topic: Haydn And Mozart
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