A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Salieri, Antonio

by Carl Ferdinand Pohl

SALIERI, Antonio, Court-capellmeister at Vienna, son of a wealthy merchant, born Aug. 19, 1750 at Legnano in the Venetian territory [App. p.779 "Legnago in the Veronese territory"], learnt music early from his brother Franz, a pupil of Tartini. After the death of his parents a friend of the family named Mocenigo took him to Venice, where he continued his studies, and made the acquaintance of Gassmann, composer and late Capellmeister to the Emperor, who became much interested in him, and took him to Vienna in June 1766. Here Gassmann continued his fatherly care, provided his protégé with teachers and himself instructed him in composition, made him acquainted with Metastasio, and introduced him to the Emperor Joseph, whose chamber-concerts he henceforth attended, and often took an active part in. While Gassmann was in Rome, composing an opera for the Carnival of 1770, Salieri conducted the rehearsals for him, and composed his own first comic opera, 'Le Donne letterate,' which received the approval of Gluck and Calsabigi, and was performed with success at the Burgtheater. On Gassmann's death in 1774 Salieri returned his paternal kindness by doing all in his power for the family, and educating the two daughters as opera singers. In the same year the Emperor appointed him court composer, and on Bonno's death in 1788 he became Courtcapellmeister. He was also a director of the Opera for 24 years, till 1790, when he resigned, and out of compliment to him the post was given to his pupil Weigl. In 1778 Salieri was in Italy, and composed five operas for Venice,. Milan, and Rome. For the Emperor's newly-founded National-Singspiel he wrote 'Der Rauch fangkehrer' (1781), and for a fête at Schönbrunn 'Prima la musica, poi le parole' (1786).^[1] When the Académie de Musique in Paris requested Gluck to suggest a composer who could supply them with a French opera in which his own principles should be carried out, he proposed Salieri, who accordingly received the libretto of 'Les Danaïdes' from Moline, worked at it under Giuck's supervision, and personally superintended its production in Paris (April 26, 1784).^[2] He was entrusted with librettos for two more operas, and returned with a great increase of fame to Vienna, where he composed an opera buffa, 'La Grotto di Trofonio' (Oct. 12, 1785), the best of its kind and one of his finest works, which had an extraordinary success, and was engraved by Artaria. In 1787 he again visited Paris, where the first of his operas, 'Les Horaces,' had failed (Dec. 7, 1786), owing to a variety of untoward circumstances, a failure amply retrieved however by the brilliant success of 'Axur, Re d'Ormus' (June 8, 1787) or 'Tarare,' as it was first called. This, which has remained his most important work, was first performed in Vienna, Jan. 8, 1788. Another work composed in Vienna for Paris was a cantata, 'Le Dernier Jugement'^[3] (libretto by Chevalier Roger), ordered by the Societé d'Apollon, and performed there and at the Concerts Spirituels with great applause from the connoisseurs. In 1801 Salieri went to Trieste to conduct an opera composed for the opening of a new opera-house. This was his last Italian opera, and 'Die Neger' (Vienna, 1804) his last German one, for owing to his dislike to the change of taste in dramatic music, he devoted himself chiefly to church music, composing also a few instrumental pieces, choruses, and canons in various parts, published as 'Scherzi armonici.' On June 16, 1816, he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the commencement of his career in Vienna, when he was decorated with the gold 'Civil-Ehrenmedaille' and chain, and honoured by a fête, at which were performed special compositions by each of his pupils, including Schubert.^[4] Salieri was also vice-president of the Tonkünstler Societät, and till 1818 conducted nearly all the concerts. For the twenty-fifth anniversary of its foundation (1796) he composed a cantata 'La Riconoscenza,' and for the fiftieth (1821) a part-song, 'Zu Ehren Joseph Haydn,' to whom the society was largely indebted. Salieri was also a generous contributor to the funds. He took great interest in the foundation of the Conservatorium (1817) and wrote a singing-method for the pupils. He lost his only son in 1805, and his wife in 1807, and never recovered his spirits after it. During his latter years he suffered much, but never failed to derive comfort from the beauties of nature, for which he had always a great taste. On June 14, 1824, after fifty years of service at court, he was allowed to retire on his full salary, and not long afterwards died, May 7, 1825.

His biographer, Edler von Mosel ('Ueber das Leben und die Werke des Anton Salieri,' Vienna, 1827), describes him as a methodical, active, religious-minded, benevolent, and peculiarly grateful man, easily irritated, but as quickly pacified. He was very fond of sweets, especially pastry and sugar-plums, and drank nothing but water. We have seen how he discharged his obligations to Gassmann. He gave gratuitous instruction and substantial aid of various kinds to many poor musicians, and to the library of the Tonkünstler Societät he bequeathed 41 scores in his own handwriting (34 operas, and 7 cantatas) now in the Hofbibliothek. In accordance with his own wish his Requiem was performed after his death at the Italian church. He remained throughout on cordial terms with Haydn, whose two great oratorios he often conducted, and Beethoven dedicated to him in 1799 three sonatas for PF. and violin, op. 12 (Artaria). In the first vol. of his 'Beethoven's Studien' (Rieter-Biedermann, 1873), Mr. Nottebohm has printed ten Italian vocal pieces, submitted by Beethoven to Salieri, with the corrections of the latter. These chiefly concern the arrangement of the notes to the words, so as to conform to the rules of Italian prosody, and produce the best effect. The pieces are undated, but internal evidence fixes them to the period between 1793 and 1802. It appears that as late as 1809 the great composer consulted his old adviser as to the arrangement of his Italian, probably in the 'Four Ariettas and Duet' of op. 82; and that even then, when Beethoven was so fiercely independent of all other musicians, their relations were such that he voluntarily styled himself 'Salieri's pupil.'^[5] As regards Mozart, Salieri cannot escape censure, for though the accusation of having been the cause of his death has been long ago disproved, it is more than possible that he was not displeased at the removal of so formidable a rival. At any rate though he had it in his power to influence the Emperor in Mozart's favour, he not only neglected to do so, but even intrigued against him, as Mozart himself relates in a letter to his friend Puchberg.^[6] After his death however, Salieri befriended his son, and gave him a testimonial, which secured him his first appointment.^[7]

His works were too much in accordance with the taste, albeit the best taste, of the day to survive. He drew up a catalogue of them in 1818. They comprise 5 Masses, a Requiem, 3 Te Deums, and several smaller church works; 4 oratorios (including 'La Passione di Gesu Christo,' performed by the Tonkünstler Societät in 1777); 1 French, 3 Italian, and 2 German cantatas, and 5 patriotic part-songs; several instrumental pieces; 3 operas to French, and 33 to Italian words; 1 German Singspiel, 1 German opera ('Die Neger'), and numerous vocal pieces for one or more voices, choruses, canons, fragments of operas, etc.

[ C. F. P. ]

1. Mozart's 'Schauspieldirector' was given the same evening.
2. The play-bill of the first 12 performances described it as an opera by Gluck and Salieri, in accordance with a stipulation of the publisher Deslauriers, but before the 13th representation Gluck publicly stated in the 'Journal de Paris' that Salieri was the sole author.
3. The following anecdote is connected with this cantata. Salieri was talking over the difficulties of the work with Gluck, especially as to the voice to be assigned to the part of Christ, for which he finally proposed a high tenor. Gluck assented, adding, half in joke, half in earnest. 'Before long I will send you word from the other world in what key our Saviour speaks.' Four days later, Nov. 15, 1787, he was dead.
4. The autograph of Schubert's Cantata—both words and music by him—was sold by auction in Paris, May 14, 1881.
5. See Moscheles's Life. i. 10.
6. Nottebohm's 'Mozartiana.' 64.
7. 'Io qui sottoscritto faccio fede che il giovine Signor Wolfgango Amadeo Mozart, gia bravo suonator di Pianoforte, ha un talento raro per la musica; che perfezionarsi in quest' arte, di cui egli la professione, dopo aver studiato le regole del contrappunto sotto la scuola del Signor Albrechtsberger Maestro di Capella di S. Stefano, ora pratico sotto di me, e che ne prognostico una riuscita non inferiore a quella del suo celebre Padre. Antonio Salieri, primo Maestro di Cappella della corte imperiale di Vienna. Vienna, 30 Mar, 1807.'—'I the undersigned certify that the young Signor W. A. Mozart, already a good player on the PF., has a rare talent for music, to perfect himself in which, having studied the rules of counterpoint in the school of Sig. Albrechtsberger, Maestro di Capella at S. Stephen's, he is now practising under me, to that degree that I predict a result not inferior to that of his celebrated father. Antonio Salieri, principal Maestro di Cupella of the Imperial Court of Vienna. Vienna, March 30, 1807.'