(In the spring of 1825, to Ludwig Rellstab, who was intending to write
an opera-book for Beethoven. It may not be amiss to recall the fact
that Mozart examined over one hundred librettos, according to his own
statement, before he decided to compose “The Marriage of Figaro.”)
24. “It is the duty of every composer to be familiar with all poets, old and new, and himself choose the best and most fitting for his purposes.”
(In a recommendation of Kandler’s “Anthology.”)
25. “The genre would give me little concern provided the subject were attractive to me. It must be such that I can go to work on it with love and ardor. I could not compose operas like ‘Don Juan’ and ‘Figaro;’ toward them I feel too great a repugnance. I could never have chosen such subjects; they are too frivolous.”
(In the spring of 1825, to Ludwig Rellstab.)
26. “I need a text which stimulates me; it must be something moral, uplifting. Texts such as Mozart composed I should never have been able to set to music. I could never have got myself into a mood for licentious texts. I have received many librettos, but, as I have said, none that met my wishes.”
(To young Gerhard von Breuning.)
27. “I know the text is extremely bad, but after one has conceived an entity out of even a bad text, it is difficult to make changes in details without disturbing the unity. If it is a single word, on which occasionally great weight is laid, it must be permitted to stand. He is a bad author who can not, or will not try to make something as good as possible; if this is not the case petty changes will certainly not improve the whole.”
(Teplitz, August 23, 1811, to Hartel, the publisher, who wanted some
changes made in the hook of “The Mount of Olives.”)
28. “Good heavens! Do they think in Saxony that the words make good music? If an inappropriate word can spoil the music, which is true, then we ought to be glad when we find that words and music are one and not try to improve matters even if the verbal expression is commonplace—dixi.”