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L E 0 P 0 L D M 0 Z A R T' S

VIOLIN ~lETHOD

Presented by
Mil ton Steinhtlrdt
to the faculty of the
East~1n School of Mu~io of the Univernity of Rochccter
in partial fulfil~ment of the requirements for
the Degree of Master of Muoic in Musicology
June, 1937

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 A C K N 0 WL E D G M E N T

The VJritcr \\'ishes to erJ}reeo his gratitude to

Dr. Warl~en P'ox for hie Vt.:tlua ble as~dstanoe and. helpful
oritioisr.1; o.lso to lliss Bo.rbara Dtmoan for her kind
ooopero. tion in securing r!lD. terial.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
Leopold Mozart • • • • • • • • • • • • 1
~lucie in Germany • 1740-1762 1.,
• • • • • • • '"

Leopol{l ltozart' s Violin Method • . • •

•'l ~.-;

• • ~J~

Inception and J?ublioa. tion • • • • •

..:-;
t....ft:._,.

Historicul Irltroduction • • • • • 25
Elementary Instruction • • • • • ~~G

Bow Technique • • • • • 3G
A:pplioa.tures • • • • • 4:4:
Ornamentation • • • • • 48
Good Performance • • • • • 74,

Evaluation • • • • • 7~-
.)

Plates
Portrait of Leopold 1!ozart •• !'rontis11ieco
Title-Page oi' the Violin Method • •
• •
l3iblioc;ra]hy • • • • • • • • • • • 79
 IN~RODUCTION

In the swmner of 1756 Leopold Mozart of Salzburg

published a quarto volume of 264 pages. The title-~ne,c

reads: "Verauoh oincr grucndliohen Violinsohule, ont-

VJorten und mit 4 Ku:pfertafeln sarMnt eincr Tabelle vo:r-
sehen von Leopold Mozart, Hooh:f'uerstl. Sa.lzbucrg1ne!:en
Cam."nermus1kus. ILl Verlag des Verfaaners. Augspurg •
gedrucl:t bey Johan.T! Jacob Lotter, 1756".1
!rhis v.'ork had such a pronounced irlfluenae on the
course of violin playh1g that mo<tern observers2 describe
it as .the Bible of the two suceec~ding gencratim:11:: of
violinists. Ito 1mmed.inte su.oceus is attested by the

numerous German editions and the Dutch and French trans-

lationa.,3

1. "Esr;ay of a. Ftmdamental Violin School, oup,lmnentecl

by 4 coppor engravings u.nd one table, by Leopold Moz-..nrt,
chamber musician to his 1iighnea~, the Prince of Salz-
burg. Published :for the author. Augspu.rg, "gri:nted. by
Johar~ Jacob Lotter, 1?56".

2. Speoi:f'1oa.lly, P. Nettl in th•:t Ar1ler Handbuoh der

Musik\vissensohaft, II, 1203. ---
3. Gernnn ec1.itions in l75G, 1769-70, 1787 1 ~l.nd n.s late
as 1804. The wo1•k WFls out of pr:lnt from 1765 to 1769,
due to Mozart's concert tours wit!: hi~1 ch1Lclren. In
1'166 the Dutch version il.J:>peared u.nd in 1'170 and 1801
two French editions. A :racaimilc of the first editi·1n,
with a :prei'a.oe by B. Paumgurtner. wus published in 19:!'3
qt~l1t1em ~>'1110h uont:t1ba.ted to its i)O;;ruJ.;rJ.lit3• ':he
lo{;ionl e.~oment o:r the ~ter1~l ol: ilwt.r-.J;Otietn_ the
tll.OI"0~~-$6 G:f '"bCJ mtlkl'"i:~J.. itself. L~Dd the l,)U:i..l'l.SiP:!<:-
ill(; o1:.1r1t3 of itn preecto.t1on ~ir~ {lll \'•·itnoat lfl"'Ot.c._

)i"<:ie:€14 b8 t11oor1llts fr6ll lht'ne3'• ~1'1fl.l.re. hn(:. ,_.~:;JJ<:.rt

to !•'beri ~1,nr.1 Cerb.;.:,rtz.4 Sino. 1t }':;lG not been tf"l~~lB­

lut~ into ~ltab 5 • &. greut n~~l" of ~tn.uG't£tc .ere

cent~/ ~teal p.:r6ct1~.

'L'he puf';tose of thi~ the'ehs 1rt to pr<t(;tettt at1

U.;;>0~1it1on ot the Violin ~~ 1n order to 1!>I.;

lt'nlbjeot t:»tltter mo2e goot.lrnlly ~vuib;tble. :'ho::;e fiol:ln
in \.t~!el~ Jlo~ is o~1dereC. ptctH1~:.rJ..; au~·lm~i tivo

JJ ., n 1 u• a t . • 1 , P I Q t I 1 W !i4 ... a 1 I A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . · ................. .........

!i:t c~U"l z~~nt~on 1n Yitmn;:::.•

4. Gelilt~.n:t•
ar'ticlo• 3 D1e V1ol~e von Lco~oltt
lio~ri(l?54) • in the ~ 3
· 1 fol" l?~~:J i"''
r,KH.::t e%11l~u~t1ve ntud~r 0 6 n. ],\" t'h.od t,:l ~n. tf'.
~;1U bo t:reo.•d 1n sotw de~~1l. l'l.t.rtbo~. the
-wr1 ter ~1U attempt to t~oe the inflnonoea from Itnla
llorth Ge~ u.nd the refi~loos of the pel"t::on-
f,~, 11 ty o~ LeOl'}Old. Boar\ h!l\Welt t~h1eh ende tbl v \:'():l•k

cucm t:~< eenuiM ~too o~ r.iW.d.oal ~ho~7ldi in tlJe

aiil-o1ettcat.h cent~.
 l

Leopold :Mozart

Johnnn Georg Leopold Mozart wua born in Augsburg.

Germany on the 14th ot Bovember, 1719. He was the non of
Johann Georg Koza.rt, a. bookbinder, and his second ·wife,
ne! A.nna Karia Sulzer. Details o:r his youth und early
eduCE;~. tion u.re i.lll.known, but apparently he 'lNUs an unusually
intelligent child. ~hrough the recommendation of his
godfather, the Canon J. G. Grabher, Leopold vmo acco~ted

as a choir boy in the :Benedictin.e chapels of St. Ulrich

and the Holy Cross, Here he ;eoeived instruction in
theory • organ, and violin, a.nd became a.cqw11nted \7i th

numerous secular works as well as the Oathol1c liturey,

In 1737 Mozart entered the University o:f' Salzburg.
where he took courses in logic and law. .This does not
signify, however, that he gave up music, It wns ouzto-
nm.ry for musicians to take academic courses at the
university, ,.~nd Mozart probably earned his way by giving
lessons. In 1'738 he won honors in the examinations, but
the :f'olloWil:lg year he left the school. Possibly he
turned his attention completely to music at this time,
both to enlarge his knowledge of' it and to mrtke a li vine.
Leopold Mozart's :future mod.e of lite a.ssurned definite
form in 1740, when he entered the service of' the Count ot
 2

~hum. Oanon of Salzburg. At the court he wua both

chamberlain and musioiun, u double-post common at the
time. In this year Mozart dedicated to his :patron hia
first work, the aix church and chamber sonatas for t~o

violins and thorough bass. During the following three

years he composed a school opera in Latin entitled
Ap.t1g,u1tas 12ersonata and two church cantatas, both with
the title, Chr1stus bearab~A·l..

!he cantatas were possibly performed during Lent at

the court ot Arohbieho:p S1g1amund of Salzburg. In P.:ny
case, lloran's musical abilities became known to the
A.rohbishop, vrho, took him into his oervioe in 1743. By
1758 he had risen from :t'o~th to second violtniat in
the orchestra, and in 1?'63 he was named assistant con-
ductor, Also, in 1757, he was given the honorary title
of court composer. In this year, according to Mozart's
2
description., the orohestra numbered thirty•th.ree men
but, 1n addition to these, a lttrge number of mu.nioi:po.l
musiciuna, a group of court trumpeters, and a ohorua of
thirty singers and fi:t'teen choir boys were available for
performance.

l. Only the stage d1reot1ons of the opera and the texts

o;t the oa.nta.tns remain.
2• F • w-. UarptU!'g • H1etor1soh..£r1 t ische Beytra.ege 1 III,
183,
 3.

In 1747, ltozart married Anna Karia Pertl. a ~'-tive

of SU.lzburg. Of seven children born to them. only two

llved beyond infancy. They were ll.a.r1a Anna. born on
July oo. 1751. and Wolfgang .Amadeus, born on Janua.ry '1 1
1755. The mu.aioal talent which these children dinplayed
!,'.. t an early age \'1Ra soon to require the father's best
energies,.
Yeanwhile, llozart•s duties at the court v:ere ard-
uous. From. the yeP.r 1744. he taught violin to the choir

boys of the oha:pel 1 and. from 1717 piano as vwell. He

porf'ormed with the orchestra for numerous court and
ChUl"Ch eVents t:1nd \'R:H3 expected tO SUp:ply his p;_l tron

v;ith ooapositions. In addition. Uo~ supplemented

his small salary by st1"1ng private l.eaoons. But in

spite of au the&e du.Uea • which he executed in a truly

co.rwcientioua manner 1 he found time to write e. series
of eomposi tiona for the AUBsburg qollet.;itll!! music\Jl!l
und to compose, in eollaboratic)n r::ith Eberlin, tt·:elve
pieces {ehara.cterist1c o:r the raonths oi' the year) to
3
be played on the Hornvrerk, of the fortress of Salz-
burg. During this time too he wrote and. :publ1~herl !--:.1s

viollll oethod• ~~ueh einer ~·uendliohen Violinshh~e

(175G).

3. 1"- k1nd of organ with horn :~tops v-~hich eot1.ld be

heu.rd throu.ghout Salzburg.
 4

ThrolJ8}l his ma.:tcy' excellent ·works Leopold Mozart* a

name soon spread beyond the boundaries of South Germany.
EVen before the publication of the Violin Method, Lorenz
Uizler named him, in 1753, a member of the Society of
Kusioal Sciences in LeiJ)Zig. In 1759 Karpurg, who had
founded a similar aasocia tion in Berlin v.rrote, 4 "The
Society wishes to publish its ~eriodioal essays in the
~orm of letters and will take the liberty of addressing
these letters to various persons of merit, discernment,
and tc.ste • Oou.ld the Society, wi.th these intentions,
make a more appropriate beginning than with you?" These
North German connections merit more attention than many
writers have given them, tor they influenced MOzart's
work, especially in the education of his son.
~he edition of Kozart's compositions by important
publishing houses signi:f'ies also that he v;as widely lmovm
throll6hout the country • Inasmuch as the purehasine pub ...
lie was still tuirly small• only the works of highly
esteemed composers were printed. Three of his piano
soxw.tas were published by nu.t:tner of Buernberg in the
Oevres Melees, and in the catalogs of Breitloo~f of Leip-
zig no less than twenty of his works are listed after 176:~.
 5

~e often made statement that Leopold Mozart gave up

hie own composition entirely when he discovered the gen-
ius ot his son is not quite true. If it were, he oon.ld
not huve retained his position a.t court. From his O\'Jn

pen, 5 we .knOlfT that in his short Atay in Sa,lzbure, bett•!oen

the Italian concert tours, he vnrote several sacred Dieoes,
and in Rome in 1770, inspired by Wol:tgangts sucoeDs, he
even 1n•oduced a :final aymphon.y. 6 But naturally this did
not compare with the fruitfulness of his earlier years.
Beginning 1n 1762 he traveled with his son and daUGhter
to Vienna and lltunich 1 through southern Germa.ny to France,
:&t.gl.and, and Holland, and later made several concert
trips to Italy. During this time he "V\'Us not only father
and teacher, but also co-worker and advisor to the chil•
dren. These cares left him little time for composition.
It is only natural that a man like L. Mozart, t·:ho
ho.d risen by his own efforts alone front un humble stn.tion
to a position of respect u.nd some :tame. nhould have :oos ..
sessed u self-reliant und d.istinotive personality. llost
of the older w. A. Mozart biog~tphers nave, however, (in

6• L, Sch1ederma.1r, Die Briefe w, A. Uozarts, III, 18!5.

(h Erroneou.ely attrf'fititc! to w.• -J.-.-u:oznrt In his
collected works, series 24, no. 4.
 6

their romantic urge to itloalize everyone related ta th::ir

hero) represented Leopold as the ide:11 :r.::ther of c, cen:tu.o
and r..ave painted ;t'e,loe though glowing pictures o:f h1"n.
Later a reaction set ina the venerable ~l.triarch y,;e.s
replnoed by a character compounded to a ereat exte!lt of
;pedcntry 1 egotism, envy, :~nd smugness. 7 This atr..:t.nge
reversal gives evidence of the difficulty of remainir~

im:>t-;.rtin.l in judging the :f."nther.s of great men, es:vee:tnlly

when, us in the case of L, Mozart, they posseso st:rone~ly

tndi vidual ct.~.ttrocters.

~ozart's Swabian anoestr-1 contributed much to the

:for-Ul.U tion of his character, His oerioua, often brooi!.:b'l{;
u tt:l. tude tovro.rd life, his persistence in !>'.trs111ng :;. 1,
his dry humor, were no less oharucteristic o:f t-d.s h'::>mc 1 ··nd
than his remnrk::i ble shrewdness in det1.ling with g:: oplc.
Re vn1s constu.ntly striving to increase his l::nowlcdee of
hu.m:1n :r...:::t ture in order to uae 1 t ·to his udv;:J.ntaee, "'"nu. the
more !le clid so 1 the I:lorc he oome to Uat.J"ur;t :.:.nd dcop1se
peOl)le. In ~. 7'17 .he \'.rrote to hia son,8 "All men ::rc
acound.z'els; the olde:x:· yc u grow • the more usaociu tion you

7. Jt. S!lt'i.ii"fg, W• X. lom.il't, ! , 36 go is f'ur~hes't !:n t!de

trend. - -
a. Sohiedermair. op.o~~·• III. 226.
 'l

It \'!Us, to be sure, no reclusive pessinism v:h::tc}l'l

colored L. Mozart's perao~lity.

above all, his constn.nt sense of duty insured. ht::1. f~-a~lnst

this. A great deal of that senec of duty w..:..r; rooted. in

his religiou..::s belief • As a devout Cn.tholic, he rer:u.l '"'·ted
his rolntions to the church vd th ti~c oo.t"le punotilioun
ov.rc with vzhich he ruled his household. Also, he Lru: ...
iol.lr::ly :protected his tumily from o'.ltsiCte infln('.mcc:. On
December 15, 1777 he v.:rote to his son: "May I pel~h~· ps
nsk, if Wolfgang has not forgotten confession? God eomcs
before o.lll n 9 But especially rem~'-rlto.ble was th~"' influence
o:r tht1.t religious en11t;htenment which found voice ir, the
poems of tho North Germn.n poet, Gellert. Tho Elrtf'lia::l
notebook v,hich the father compiled. for :;:ix year olt1.
Wolfgang shows that he introduced his son as a ehilti to
J?l·otesta:nt ehtU"'ch muelo. In vicvr of this, it is lcr:n
su.rpricing tha.t L. Mozart, cood C~:.tb.olic th:::'J.t;h he <. n,

beea.me lc. ter in life o. Freemuson.

the value of serious, d1oc1plined ·work ancl he h.t.tm:H1ed it

to be the b<:~.sis of Wolf'm:1n.gts ce~reer. His nish ">',no th,_'lt

----~~,-------------------------------------------------------
9. Ibid., III, 296.
of ull :t"tltherc ~';;ho ht~vo lOb•.>rioualy wor~tel!. their u.,.
~.>.r. t tlle aon ohoald e11Joy a fi11er life t~ne:. be ~O!)Ol"\lott

. ~ ~

.t:.:.'";_\,.~ ..

roo. ~he oonoert toura, i'ol- e•r:1:vle, tJOl"o •:•t t1:1c:., tc)O

otl.'"e:n.uou.o for the!.r hOtilth :.:.nd rooultad i;~ i're·J,aont

 ~'' r'' Y "'i ,• :·'·. r.. "':
4 ...< ~,.., ... ·~. -._~ • ... ,.-> ·," '"\."~·

~;;,*
..,..,...,.. r>
V ···' • l'·
.i •"~'~~'·~""·""'""'""t1•;;;;;J.t""q
"""'.\,W'Q.,.<o;;>;.\ .,. • "•"v. ~j"'h·~bu""'t
V- "" 6 Vlt\~J tt.::ti
l~ • _i.t'rct: v

ju.dc;c h1t::l, when he \orote,ll ''1:!18 atyl~ in r~c.nc

l rl.
-
~~1A
4\.1 U.• t IIT
· t .f.
~£~
vV<..!•
 lO

l.nc1::1nt~ in (n.~1c;inal.1 ty :.~:.,~: invm::..t1vc ,)O\JOl.. anti Wy:..;nt.:~

• lloix:1 ""
''11
dar..;~ him. l ··~· orca t 1vo tflltmt wba tr:>oe·1er.
esto!:!:l tihic~~ ?.tozartts ocm.tam::'>oror1cn felt l.'ot:
bi:..;. ;;-;.:;t• ho;,,ovcr.t,, b~'\r o~t.t theao oritloo. t!oro•

"
- · . 4f:,.*
 11

sufficient to give even the laj1"ml:l:.t'l a :f'nir idea of the

l:"'.an' o aa pa. b i l :i. t i e s •

I ·.•.·. ~o·•1t ...r• -:·t to O.v

\.:.0 J.~ C'!""hub"".,,.,._ rt
eL ..:.;!,.~ . ~ bor.... 17 .,..c
J i::r.. ~ ..,. ~.).....V >;..' "'' r+ '<•
..,.,..,rd"" Ho
, .f,) .... i.J'·"-' V -r.l

for the cht'lrch. Especic.lly the tlu·ec o:r.:tn:n.t pi~. .n::> ~n:n::.tas

the \:ork of hin son; n.n er.r:-or m.;:.f::'iciemt in 1 tnc:li'

o~ his tine, merit nll renpeet.

llirly 111 1787 Mo~art' fl he:::;.l th begn.11 to ~.1.1. f ·rcw

!ie lien b;lried in the chu.rcl.•.yard of' St • Seba~ti'"i.Y1 r:,.t

------------·--------------------------------------------·-----
17.
- -
Op. cit., I, 12
 12

BUSIC IN GEP~~lrr 1 1?40-1762

In 1?40'Leopolcl ::..·ozart entered the services oi' the

CouJ:'lt of Thurn i:n Sa.lzburt:h de:f'i:ni tcly ohoosix1.0 n.ur:>.ic ns
hi1~ lire's 'l-:ork. In 1762 he r.let o~1t on the !!rnt co.::cert

The twf'Jnty-two intervenir:.g years were therefore hln 'no~t

VioL. n M.etho<l (1756) 1 are reflected inf'l'.HmOe':l of t:1E'

r.l!-.:r::.t ::lnoe in the li.fc ot: the J.H~o:plc. It VIUO thcrc:fo:..'c.,

 13

and, in tux·n, contributed 1auoh to the :formation of the

netJ ntylc:. !'or this reason Moserl attributes to Star-~itz
a crec. tel"' part in the develo~m1ent o:f the tranai tion than
to X' h.. E. Be.oh.
\''ith the meloliic nctivity concentrated inn r,L;t~le

oi:' for:::1 ton1"" :_ll~~<H~: tmc.er the irfluenoe of foll-::.;onc:,

q
';.itlt th.e nJ.Yc!It of c::-;:"110 o:;:;>erus,.._. c reactio:n

forma lim:1 set

l. 11.. J. l.ioser, Geso~dohte !!.!!, deutsohen }.tu.aik, p. 318.

z. The Be~ ar 1 a O~e:ra in LOJ:'l.tlon and. !e. Serve. Padrona i:n
lt£dy are no P. f' e:Y.fet.:"~plcs.
 14

l\iu.sie had long been a luxury, limited to a great

extent to the weal thy pat1•ons of proi'es~~ional munio1ano.

a.l ::~u'blic i:n the t~:rt • now stn.ndardc arose. Music vm.s re-
quired to appeal primarily to the heart and e::1.r; tho
mental enjo~1nent o:r it, e.s proetieed by J. s. Bach and
e:.n:..tcmporc.z·iEK'l, lo~,~t favor. Thuo o.n increased. capl1u.;::: 13

vc:. tf.:) their o.bili tieo to interprn te an1 to arot:!.lV3 :ln their

fh.e c:.U.tivation o:f :,msic ut the cJurto ·wuo otLtl,

in fo..c·t the.~.; Dl' • .Burney, in 1>:ri ti::.g ab::>'J.t l1is :.r..:tsic;:~l

tl~uvels throttgh E'J.ro:pc, said, 3 "\\11oever thcre:t'ore sc~.l.:s

mur>ic il'l Gcrl:"l!ln;,{ shoul(l do it at the severul cow.~tc, 110t

ir.1. the :t'roo im:peri.::tl ol ties, which a1:e generally i:ni::.a bi ted
'by poo.r· inU.u.striou.c people •••• The residence of the sov-

ereign prince on the contro.ry. besides municinnc in ordi·

oioner~1 and. expectants • ••• n. ~he court o.t Salzbu.rr;,

3. Charles Bu::.·ney, The ::>recent state of mur>ie 1:n Ocr-

1"?~~, P• 113. Althot1gh nurneyis obnerntionc t·iere-m:nde
 15

which cl•~d..med the services of Leo ;JOld Mozart from 174:3

until his death, \'ii<:ls a case in point. Of it Dr. Burney
.(;
wro t e; ·" "The a.rchbisho(_:. and ::;overei;~~n of Salzburg in

hundred pcrfort:lers, vocal ru~d instrumental in hirl Be.::-vice".

ties of the roblc~.

more than u deoa(le later than the :period under clinausnio11•

they recorded yhenomenn ~:·htoh v,rerf'! th~ re~nl t o'f trc~-; ~ ·-
of thin time.

5. J3reitko:;;>f introduced separate raovaule mucio ty·~1c in 1755,

 16

solon, dnet11, and ;Jiccea for various in~trlli:lentn.l c0m•

binationc • sprang up. In keeping with the lesser tD.lents
of these performerfl, :f'1.gnrec1. bHJ~ an<1 improvisationc ·:Jere

------------------'
6. :Jccthove:n wa::; probubly the fir~t to live from t:c in-
eo?:~,c of hie ~?ttblicn t~onc ..
 17

tll.iG fiolJ.
zu.r .A u.fn.;:..hrae ............,_
-~-·- .....
d.P!" lif'tu::i': ft:..:..', 1~;-, 2-r... c:"'."ccl 1. ·-

:'!<I l.

J. v..\.t.

.uric.l ]CO' lc :n the

--·---------------·--·---,-------·-·-· ~----,·-·-·-..... """-,_,.

7. ~.:.wh ao Prote:::tunt vorcmn Cr:.:.tholic rmv-::ic, '"!, "· ~""" ,._., .....
; .. V.i.. .... .
'!I

;nn.n V(o:c:-:::us rou.th Germ1n culture, eta.

e. Ch. I>urney, !_ .e.en,eral histo,rz 2.! r:msie, Vo. IV, ?•
589.
 18

His greater pra.ise 11 , 9 :Marpurg in 1753 d.efined it as "the

science of measurable sounda and their arrangement to a
definite end". 10 In the art centers mu~ical societies
such as llizler•s Soeieta.et -der
-.~-----
muf-.lilrulisohen
- - _._.._ _____.w Wissensoha:f'-

-ten were founded. l'hiG rational a.t"t;itude, in ad,:iitlon

to the growing public for instruction in
de~u.~.d r~ll

phases of music, brought .forth a number of textboolcs

highly superior to any v:hioh had yet appeared. Some of
the finest of these, such us the ~uantz flute methodll
and Ph. E. :Bach's text for the clavier,l2 were v,Titten
by musicians in the service of Frederick the Great of
Prussia. Leo:pold .Mozart did not belong to t1:1s grou·;J,
but his Violin Method wnr' influenced by 1t. 1 he three
1

works mentioned above are generally regarded as authori-

tative sources for eiehteenth century practices, as they
were not limited to 1nstJ.·uction in instrumental teoh..l'lique,
but offered rather an introduction to good musioini1ship
in its widest sense throu.gh the medium of a 1;.a:z: ticular

---··----------------------------------------------------
9. Fuhrman, .Y:usiou voonlis, 1715.
10. F. w. Marpurg, Anleit~ ~ Musik, P• 53.
11, !ersuoh einer ApwoisJ!:.llS lli. Floete tra.versiere EEl!
s;pie en •.
12. ve~:suoh ue!ler !!!, v.'B.hre !::.1 ~ Clavier .!.!! SJ21nlen.
 19

instrument. In the Quantz text, for example, the pages

deali:n.g with the technique of the .flute oompri::;e a rela-
ti vcly srw.1ll part of the volume.
Music education in the schools dUI•i.ng this :period
was at a. surprisingly lov.: level. It had _previousl..;· been
centered in institutions of semi-charitable n:.tu.re, ouch
as the choir sqhools, and u.s the church lost prestige,
the influence and standards of these schools, rith but
a few exceptions, declined. The secondary schools attach-
ed little value to music eduoa tion and a.l th<:mgh singing
was taught in the public scho-:>ls, there was a lack of
organization and uniformity.
Nearly every German tovm had. in the mid-eighteenth
century a Colles.ium m.uaiou.m., or c.:lusic society made up of
professional musicians and amateurs. 'these pol.le~Sia

arrc.1.ne;ed concerts in .Private houses or in rented rooms.

:.lusic vJas furnished by members under the dirc.oti;.m o:f
the professional musioians and admission vro.s at first
limited strictly to members of the· olub. As public
interest grew, however, non ...members were invited to
nttend upon payment of an admission fcc. l*'rom these
semi-:publio concerts it vra~ but a c.hort rote~ to. public
e.:moerts of the t.vpe knovrn. today. In Hillle there VJO.s
 20

a. weekly public concert as early as 1758. The~·e were as

yet no social differences nmong the participants; the
only distinctions were those of the profession'll nnsicio.n,
the performing amateur, and the listener or admirer of
music.
The field or·violin pertor~1nce in Ger~rcy, as
throughout Europe, was dominated at this time by Itulin.n
virtuos1,13 1'he foreign c:.rtists v;ere welcomed to G·erman
courts with exaggerated deference even as, in their ho~nc­

land • they •~;;ere accorded :n.ore respect thun the German

musician received. of his patron. Inasmuch as the Italifj,n
schools of violin playing were technically the rnost ad.•
vanoed, the presence of these virtuosi vro.s certainly a
:ravol"'fible influence. Not::.ble Gernr<1n violinist~) of this
period were J, K. Stamitz, Franz Benw~ and other r.1c:~;boro

of the same family, und J. F. Kiessewetter.

Leopold Mozart's Violin Method VJa~3, of oou.roe
influenced by the technical characteristics of the Itc.linn
Schools. lie v.ras not, hov;ever, limited by the trudi tional
South Germo.n-Italian horizon. and showed himself' equally
receptive to the North German school of musical thou:;ht,
It is thin sensitiveness to· outside stimuli coupled \':ith

13. The llannheim school of violin playing, founded by

Stam1tz, \vas in for~~ti)n but not yet important.
 21

a rare discrimination in his choice of models which m.n..l::es

Kozart' s worlt such an t.:lthentie reflection of the period
in t·:hi oh it vm.s v;r 1 t t u:n.
rr------ ~---- --. -·'"'~ ~-----·· ----~--;p

1 152~66 j
.-
1
;

$ e.lfU'({) •. J
1

,.
I
etaet ltinb t$tn

,.
\
'· .
~

. •&•rat
~
(
·'
..... 4- ~tfdfcfn (4mnat ··~~er
Mfd)aa
,,.Uc
,
I
r
~
J
!'
I
· ~eopolb 9J03<ttt
, ~~ Eofahrsifd)cn §:ommtnnufifU. :~
t

Jn Uerl"g bee l'erfcafferf'.

.
41111111111111 JIIIIIU Jla---12 i! M281.JiliJI.J12aJaJJJ 'IIIII
.
~ugfJturg 1

~"*'' btl) ~ ~ob 1oetft', 17s6.

 22

LEOPOLD MOZARTts VIOLIN METHOD

.Ea1·1.:r in 1755 LeO)Old. Mozart started 11egotia tions

:for printing his Violin llethod. The text :nust ht~ve been
finished in 1753 or 1 54 as the author states that publi-
cation vms delayed ~or over a year "beoauoe I vms too
timid to pre::Jent my small efforts to the world durin,:;
such enlightened times". An article by the :North German
journalist, F, w. Marpurg,l however, en3o~-tied him to
proceed v;i th publication of the work.
The violin method probably had its inception in the
1740's \Vhen Mozart's duties included instruction on the
violin to the choir b;:,ys of the archbishop's chapel. In
the preface we read: "It ht:1.s been ma.ny years since I r~ct

dov;n rules for those who were stu(lyint?; violin ~··i th rae".
This would indicate that Mozart's work vas bti..secl largely
on his own experience, a. f'not born JUt by his usFertion
that "this is to ey knov..'ledge the first publiflhe1 tezt-
bool{ for violin" • 2 But thotl[;h no c :mneotion existc betvJccn

1. In hiP. Ristorisch~ritische Beltraefe• I, P• V he

wrote that, urE'fiouf$ one could. not oomp ain of tho nu:-:1bor
of booko on music, u violin method com~~rablo to the Quantz
flute text ~ns lacking.
2. It is remarkable that Mot:-:art, ir: spite of his cxtennive
this volume und earlier violin methods, a very def'inito
influence o:::.n be traced tr:i the flute text o:f' Johann
Joachim Quantz. Both of thcnc VIorks arc \'JritteL on the
premise that technical slt.:ill is but a !:leans to the ond of
tasteful nnd expre:.;:si ve performance. :t•hus the Violin
Method, like Qu.a.ntz' !lute and Ph. E • .Bach's ola.vicr
text 1 is a school for musical tho'~sht.

Leopold. Mozart prefaced his Violin School , i t!1 2.

doclication to his patro:n, Prince Siegmund Christo?h

Schruttenbaoh 1 Archbishop of Salzburr,. :&:he ctrictl;y-
logioal manner in v:hioh he precc:nts the m.uteri<::;.l 1::1 best

Introduction. Concerning the violin family and the ori-

gins of music.
Chapter I. The elementary rules o:f muoic,
Chapter II. now the violiniot should hold tr' c instru-
ae:nt und draw the bow.
Chnpter III. Yihe. t the student should. k.n.ov: before he

knowledge -Jf' 11 tera. ture, did not Y.J.'lOW any of th~ violin
texts r:hich had appey.red before 1756. Moser, Geschichte
~ !1ol!nsp1ela, 35t'J, lists eleven, of \':hioh four were
i:r.. German. 0. J'ahn. !• f:.• Mozart, I, 12, su:ppor-H:~d "?'Jo7.1lrt•n
text to be the first.
 24

olw.ptere IV to VII, ~'. tl1oro-;.1i': ~ ::ioctrino oi.' l)O"t:: tccLLiq<.:w.

The preno:r:tation of a:;n,)lioe. tu;t-cn. :)r p:)siti·Jnn, is in
ehEtptc ~· VIII. The foarth gro ~D oomprioen the (lisc~::wi "JYl

o:f' o:t·:r;.;~.tJEUltation in ch;-..!.pters X to XI, 8:.ri{l t.Lc luot

3• The positions.
ohnpto:t" deals .... :1 th those !lota.ilR of ¥::ood. iH3rt'OZ'"rl"::.noo :'tot
touched on prev1our~ly.

'I
,tH~clally 'the violin'* • ~" :.:toeart ~;:;ivco ~J. d.et;::dlod {ler:-

Of tho violir&.o ';)iocolo t

. . . .,.. ... Ji Ji

l ~ ~ ',

t•.-V.J..~f

it Ot... ;n

,• ~, ..,
J:~¥."'" 1•'"·•t"'~~'"""''1''t.
4~'i""~ d. ~,'4,l.V'".\...., ,. "+,,,,,,,+. "'"'e~··
""A'
~. ,Jt. yj;.._,,1' V...,.- ~,-

!"{;' Bt;"h;lt'iL tllo ~1Utt: VlOlitJ.a aaet1 ·t.)

 26

menta to violins. flutes, and other high-pitched instru-

ments. ~he base Viol and viola da gamba are considered
next. as well as the Dordon or !!U7don1 an instrument
with sympathetic atri~ to be plucked with the left
thumb. The Viola !'Amor he describes as a. type o:f vio-
lin wlli<>Jl "sounds sweetly, especially in the calm o:f~

eveningn. ~e e!lS,!ische Violet is similar to the Viola

s• 4m2r. A description of the :rrom.;eetE!_ Il'llrine • a one-
stringed instrwnent, concludes his account of the atring

:f'u mi ly •
Koart•s description of the violin itself is care•
:ful and exact,. and corresponds 1n every detail to :present
usage. Re giv~s excellent advice concerning the choice
and care of the instrument. The student should. uz.>e only
pure strings. that is, those which are o:f a. thic1me::::c uni-
form from end to end and proportionate to their pitch.
Mozart's method o:f testing the strings is as .follows:

two gut strings (an A and a D, or a D and a G, etc.)

are stretched by haxlging u;pon them objects of equ::11
weight. It they are 1iure, they should t.:lhen strucl:
sow1d c.n intez"V'al of the perfect fifth,.
Mozart criticizes the unscientific methods used by
violin m;:.:.kers of his time. The Sool\;;;,,t of ltusical
 2'1

Sciences, 6 he declares. is not sufficiently sup!?orted, ,,nd

some of the .nergy spent in seeking a basis for tho ru.les
forbidding p!:l.I"allel oc't*~ves and the like \'.rere better
7
applied in testing woods • varn.1shea, <'-nd measu.rcmonts.
ltozart's abilities as a n.t'lrrutor are brilliantly dis-
played in the oo<:ond section o:r the introduction, i.n
which the origins of music and musical instruments ~re

dealt Tilth. The fiUthor's extensive a.aquaintnnee t':1th

uneient nmsioal litera:ture is sh<lvm by numerous ci t:..1.-
tions o:f and quottttions from Praetorius, Gafurius. :;;tcibom,
Qtrl.ntillio.nus, and many other theorists. The history of
music which he includes in this discuonion is ~sod" pri-
m::trily_. hO\¥ever. on the story of the B!ole, unci. ta ·:n:-itten
with a ~11ve, almost childlike faith. !'rom a scientific
stand_point. Mozart's conception o:f the origin of music 1
l.ike that o:f e.ll his contem:porories, is of no vulae. He
himself says of the past, "'ne finds more myths than
facts". l'ievertheleso, the 1ntrGduot1on is noteworthy
as th.e :first of ita kind to be found in u violilt text.

6. The Gesselscba:f't xnu.siltal1scher Wiasenschaften

founded 'bi t. Jl!Zler ffi 1'1~M.
7. Violin BBking had Junt J?l"e'Vioualy reached ~- hit;h
stage ot developme11t in the instruments of A. Str~1::l1v.J.r-
1us {1644-175'1), G.. A. Gu.arnaritl.S (b.lSBV) • ancl tholr
OOllltemporaries • but much slipshod va:ork v.Jas. o:roonrce,
produced by less gifted mo.kers.
 28

tion t~" l..l).ny mo:lern violin m.e.n~.VJ.ls.

'.rhe first chapter of Mozart'n Violin Method ic in

t:r.rce nections, The firnt 1.racos the historic::tl U.cvolop-
ment of tho old :.:.nd. ne\'1 oyste~s of muaie :not:::~tion, Ac·

whot~ler or not this il.iOk"::.l•;;. tion is necessary for t::0

should be judged e:ntiroly from ~1 modern viev::point. Ill

n
and t: .. iD ln turn dern~~..;.::..dcd ~ brou.d historicn.l ba::::;ir:;. u :For
us. l!o?..art's historicc.l disouacions are of" little i:~.Jol·-

tanoe u.s they have long Gince been nu:pex•seded by nov;

knovJledge; but for the eighteenth century student t:~ey

were un inspir-u.tion for :f'u.rther study ..

In the second section of this chapter Uozal..t treo.t::::
of the npeoies of "time. He dces not content himscl:L' • c.n
did e~u"lier theorists • v11 th a mere cla::n::ifio:l tion o:f ti:.:1e
signatures, but stresses the correct choice o:r tcnpo,

-------------------------·-,-·-·---
e. Uuny modern. music schools huve rotn.rned, t'" the :tfl~'l
ot ;;. bro~ d eduo;.t tion f'or the per:tormor.
The student should learn to be:~t time with the hand
9
v,rhile the tenchei* plays J,'lieees o:r various rtt...ythm.
i

Moz.art criticizes shc.rply the :~met ice o:f pl::1.ying "by

en:r'•.The student should :first acJuire a clear 1nental
conception of the principles of mus1a. 10 and it iG
1~nr t.tis reason that t:h.e L'lfl teriul oontai:ned in the
first three ohn:ptera is :predomir..ately theoret1en1.
Mozart's ratio~llistie attitude is the determininb
f~ctor in this approach to ~usia.

The third. section o:f Chapter I treats of the

mUFiec~.l signs and terms. <.>.nd defines the relative
tiJne vc.lues of the notes and rests. Mozart's trent-
me:nt o:f the dotted note is noteworthy: ~here are. in
slm': :gieces, certain pussagas in which the dot nhould
be held longer than the rule dema.nds t othnrtrise the
,Perfornlance v::111 be too lifeless." lie ad.vocntcn the
doul1le dot to notate such passages.

9. Earlier texts and Quantz (p. 20) advoeat€ beat1~~

time with the foot.
10. This doctrine hrla been largely superf">eded by one
\¥hich advocates: "learn to do ~.! doing".
 30

Example l.
.. -A~aiio
~~)~ r (}J r
ln5tead of

'* f i1 If

iT:clioate that the usage of his time differed. f'ron ourn:

which it covers, these notes \'>''ill be pl'.\:fecl, :not m~l2

in tho same bow stroke, but also with a sl:L_;ht ~!rcssu.re

on oc.oh note to oepurote it from itfJ neir.\hbort• •

. __....-----_

ic1\
i ql
11
If, hov.ever, ir.. pl::..oe of (lot;:o, small vertical EJt:r•okes
D.ro p:::'irlted, t~a.1:1 tho hov; vill be raised after each .• ot e.

1.'1.'0!'1
 31

I
I I _,_

I~ ow, of course • \':e wou.ld. usa horizontn.l otrokoc in...

stead. of dots in the firot e:xttm:?le, and in the other the
dot ''mttl.d. be employed in 11ln.ce of the MOVJ'J.rt's vert1o'1l
stroke. Ire also places vert1en.l. strokea above or belrrv:
separatel2 bowed :notes to 1ndiou.t~ that they be v:cll
accented and separated from each other.
The dot und the stroke had been u.sed in violin texts
before Mozart 1 s time • but his v.as the first one to r.l<'ll:e
definite the ditrerence between them.ll ·This i~ the ex.
tent of Mozart's theoretic ll treatment of the differcrc.t
mar..ners of bowing. But although other tyJ)eS of bov.·i~z,

such ar:1 the deta.chE~z, staatltto, an:=! ~l?ioat;~o arc ::ot

discussed. theoretically, all of then: Y'1th the excc::ti'):'l
of the martelle nre to be :fo:md i:n .his examplec.

useful mt\SiOt=tl terElfl ::!.nfl their dc:t'ini·tion~. 'Illot:c

11, (~uo..ntz did so in hi~; flute method. IIin c.i~·t:t:\:ctiGH

agrees \.ith .:.i.ozo.rt'c;,
pcrtr:dnine to tempi mnkc u~' the bul.k of the list, '1!1'-:

!.tor:.':!.rt regara.s them en an important meana of sott:b::~ the

- - --
.t:\r.vl thiB iO the flUSlCCll
........._....__...

e.ti )[.1 v:~ol:tn

in older tc:'i:t:::,
 33

The ln.tter ma:n.:nor :t.n

oC.y. the seconi cditiJ~ ~f the Violi~ Uct~o~ n-

lf:l1t

The poaition of the right band on the bow corrcs-

ponds to the modern Gel'nlt'l.n or Russian schoole. Tho
stic1:: is held well in the hand v-'1 th the middle jrliY~t of
the index finger placed over it.. Th.ig is o. poHi tioil ·;.'ell

1J.o~..:.1rt. Vii th ch~racteristic thorou~~hnem"l• the illuntra.-

tioL~ ~re dec1;~ed to
pooitions.
 34

is :' rliccl.

pure i:.1t .:n.:atioy;..

 35

,, "' the firet

,, I

Oitt'l
,!6,, •· -'• ~...,.. nbs:.tr<ll t.v ot: (n.tti·"-_-, ~ '~)tOhC!'! i:r.t.:~ the j~j.:t

bortr~, or f~!.~ t Cl~ti!1{j [\ chart tn itlB ..

i~" order to aift :lr:--

,.,
1 ~-"
 Z6

nill rcr~.ln.

u
 3'1

t"1 ~ '.·~ ~~··+

.L'..-A.,V- '-" e

If • hov:e-ver, the eccond note is clotted. and the first

- shorte:r:€)d, both a.re !'layed with"ut se:per<ltior~ in o~.c 1~1ick

upatl"o1cc. ·
Exa.'f"l'l"'le 6.

n v +
c r G CJ Ir
' Pt-es~o

are r:lv..rroci •
 rJ
1+-
!P-j
If e. group of three noten com:prisee tv•o r:1hort ones
i"ollowed by a longer dotted note, the ~,h::Jrt :notcc ~~re

the:n s cpara tely bowed.•

.
tlt I St} -+-a·
nv rt
--~-
CJ) ~~ I
 39

I! in tripl!J tlmo a mef.J.sure is >itlde u_~1 of q,u,o.rter

or ei,;;hth notes, tvm o:r eaoL group of three should. be

If it so h:!.Qgcno tho. t ea.oh eighth in a bar of three

ei(:;ht ti::w is ,played separate bow, one clu~:t take cal.•c to
b!·:t:,~.s the bo\:ring i.u Oj,"'dor in the :f'ollov:ir--0 measure.

men. r-. 'lJ.I' c' "1 , t h.

•
 40

~ v 1'1 v 11

' $£ L f: ~ IJ I I •

If i.."'l three ei;~ht, six eibht, ;->r twelve eight, tino

one eighth, the four oixtoel:th notoFJ will ·oe played i::1
oue J.;)'l'l!l stroke.

tecnt!UJ mo/ be plc:yed ir. J:..l~ upstroke.,

 41

. 1·, . .,.'11-<'"; / ...

:.:.. ........
~ ... ~-·- (.

bov:il'l{; U.if'.l. icu.l tie:;; to :.!

----~------------------------------------------------------------------------------
42

the re3t.

Anda.h.tt>

it ~oec )'lC:H:: bolder and ::1ore spirited, especially if or.no-

::~81"2.-!:iccl O:J G.n O.l te:Cl'l~l tion of forte und .Piano •

f'P
 Uoz~rt'c doatri~c of

,.,L "'~,..
\) .l ~ ' ' " ......

1.c

:~o.

l. '. --========= --========-)

:o...J. t.'l==================---1;
~.::. ~) --================== :e

the ur.}c of the fotU."th finger in preference to ·t;~.o

...
"
of .. ixw '.ru'lo:1 :no inotx•u.ction :for t; em i:: tl~c

.....----· , ........,. --· .

-----~------..-----··-·- ,__,.,....__~_...._.. ____ -........
wi,.....,
\i v-~,t.
.. .,., ~fcthor~
,.u..,
•• ~.,·, •

J''lrst

'.
,,,

:;o:::l"tion. ·.~ the

-
C):,1.-

c .. 1 ~'
...,
1-·- ("
'y
t''l
1-'

-----·------------------- -----·----
 45

finally, in the interest of beauty, the applioaturcs

should be used in ct.:mtabile passages in order to ?lay
them as much as possible on one string. In this \''lfJ.y the
violi..""list o.chievcs • not on.ly eve11.erw o:r tone, but also
a more unified and singing style of pl':yinr~.,.
' .
1iozart ~~:rJcce a clistinotion between the whole, ~1.. lf,

cludcc the third, fifth, 1:111d seventh :poc1 tionf:'\ bec,·1..~;.:c,

.:::;,z in the first position, thooe notes which arc net on
the lines ot the staff are played with the first Ul'H1

thil"d fingers. The half UJIRJ4.2!1ture includes the cco:m.d,

fourth, and sixth :positions, or those in v:hioh notcE set
on ·the strSf lines arc plS~yod with the second r.:.nd f.::J•.;;.rt:l
f~~crs, Mixed ~~-~i~~t~e implies a oombination·or. the
r:holc :lnd half u rrolica.tures.
.......,..._,........,....".,..,..
~

Uo£8-rt was the first theorist to recognize the '!:,rae

im})ortnnoe of tl1o ~-:;pp_lica tu.l'*,e,s ~llld to introdu.ce in

ex~~ct ~;.".nd lor, ice',_ t'!Vtn:rwr. :;;f' Lh:hl, ~ht. He stn.tc;; ~.];:· t .J,ll un ...
:ncCc{".;_-:ary po~~~:~:J;!.; r:hift:l' r·l::!.Ju.la. 'be uvoided. When it :lo
 46

onc::1' r: tr.t
-~

.~ :.c

1'

the aunlic&tion
o;.V it
ieh

eve::~:,

~ ...,'
.. ... ~·--
;. ~

II

II
 47

Wo. 5.

virtuooe violin :pluyine;. ~1nd. the r.1ont clifficult )Ctnm:~c;cn

i.:.:. t::-.c 1;ool-;: a1•o to be i"ou.."ld in thaso J,18-GCS. Here ·:oc

-·-- ...
tho o..:;nJ.ioo.tures are treated tro:n the stu.ndnoin.t of'
. , -

covered by Sor{)C and ~artini, is prtHJont ed as e.:n i:J:)ort-

ant o.id for attaining good intortation in double-.sto):):t.nr~.

:rrp~n-th~ one to the other is aoraewb.at abrupt •

.../
 :..t YlolL:c

:.c ..

a. ~;race::

1.
--·~' .

II. Eu'uellished 1.:;race no tee

 :;:,'he .Ru.ocl~f*<J.ll or Abf'cq.,l

v. ttu•n (]19~'~.e.1,e_c,:~l:.~~;)

ii!I.

-L -i
i.i..,... ,. ....._

ted

:_-Jt<: lie~'- ---~ '

~ t~ H
...,:) ):•• U •
 50

Example 22.

l.J,.it/e11

$g i 1B dP 161
Pltt~€J

Lone; graces occur in the following instances*

Preceding a dotted note, in which oase the grace
note receives the value o! the principal note without
the dot and the latter is played as if it too were dotted.
~ple 23.

P:reoediltg u half note o.t the begin.ning o:f a bar of

triple time, in which case three-fourths of tho va.lue
of the principal note is allotted to the grace note.
 51

II

The above rule holds good also when one or, at the most,
two half notea are present in passages of two-tour or
tour-tour time. In the latter ease only one of them mJJ,y
be orname11ted,
When preceding a. note tied to another of the same
pitch but of shorter duration, the grace note receives
the entire time value ot the first note.
B.xample 25.

IF' r r II
 52

Example 26.

:Mozart directs that these gro.oes of medium and long

dura t1on should never be plu.yed on the open string and
that the grace note. not the principal note, is to re~

oeive the dynamic stress.

!he short graces differ from the longer appoggia-
ture in that they are played as quickly as possible and
that the metric aoeent falls on the principal note.
They are employed:
In series o:t half notes, each of which is preceded
b~· a. grnoe.
Example 27.
 53

In an Allegro or Scherzo . movement when a series

of ornamented nofes descend either diatonically or in
thirds.
llbr.ample 28.

In ~lace of lone graces 1n paasuges of oontruDun-

tnl nature in ·whioh the grace note :roms a dissonance.
Example 29,

T·7 ,-~-,,
' ,
-~

'I 1

This is an example o:r the ascending appoggiature.

 54

which, nooordine~ to Mozart, may be employed only in an

ascending melod.io line. They are not aa practical as the
deaoendine ornaments because the dissonance which the
gra.oe note forms with. the baas reoolves upward• contrary
to the rules of oou11ter.:;oint. For this reason ascending
appoggiature u.re rarely used in their si :1ple or Bi:rJ.tilC
note form but are usually modified 1n one of the follow ...
1ng ways;
Example 30.

'
I' ...I

~ple 31.

I-
 55

Example 32.

~.rczl

lf the ascending grace note 1s used in its si':'lple

:f'orm. it may be rendered less disHonant by ra.ising it a
halt step to form the leatling .· tone of the princi:pal note.
:Example 33,

,...

I
4f1·0
l~x.i [f rr tr tr
1 1 t

Ascend.ing as well as d.esoeno ing u.r,rpoggiature may

nlao be taken from an interval larger than a second..
 56

All of the ornaments described thus far have been

striking appog;:iature and must be written in by the com•
poser if he hopea to have h:i.s works well };:lcr:formed. With
the exception of the short deaeendir~ graces, all of them
receive the metrical stress and derive their ti::J.e ve.lue
from the duration of the principal note.
The passing e.:ppoggia ture are, on the other htlnd rare•
ly if ever notated and relinquish the metrical aceent to
the pr1no1pal note. AlthoU8h their time value is sub-
tracted f'l•tam that of the preceding note, they are always
slurred to the principa~
i
note in accordance with the
general rule governing appoggiature. These are the or-
naments ·which require the most discrimination and. good
taste on the part o:f the violinist.
Pasoing grace notea are customarily employed to
ornament a series of notes separated by the i . "terval of
a third.
 57

r Ir J •1

They rJJ£ly be used too in diatonic progressions,

either ascending or descending.
I!x.ample 36.

bitro.ry ornaments whioh Mozart O<.;lls asoendin.g and des•

oending Zv;iachensohlaege. These are i:n real1 ty modified
gro.ce notes and, us the metr•io stress falls on the orna•
ment, their claaoi:f'iontion as :passi:ng appoggiature is
 58

open to question.
Example 37.

? , I
tid
~I

tJ¥r1
Playecl

Example 38.

Mozart pauses in his exposition at this point to

warn the pl:.;.yer !l.f.pinst adding SUl)erfluous ol'ilu.ments,
especially those which do not progress in aocordunoe with
the rules of .counterpoint. Moreover, v1ith more than one
person playing fro:n the sume part, no ornamentation what-
soever should be attempted;
In this chapter l4ozart also treats of several other
types of the passing appoggiature, namely the Ueber~urt,

the Rueck:fnll, the turn, the appoggiature plus tur.n. n.nd

the a.:fterbeat.
 59

Tho Ue'bel"WU.l"f is an auxilia~J note set between a

grace and the note preceding it. It forms an ascending
figure and is employed for a more spirited style of play.
ins and. to obtain more satisfactory contra.pu.ntul move-
ment b~r preparing the dissonance of a grace note.
EH:ample 39.

!he Rueokfall or A~fal! torma the counterpart of the

t1@,be:rv.r,p.rf in descending movement. Its use also tends to
connect more smoothly widely separated notes.
E:ltatllp 10 40 •
 60

The turn (R.,opielsohl!lfi.) is an ornament of tour notes

interposed between an o.scending graoe note a.nd the prin-
cipal note.
Ex.a1npl e 41.

The appog81ature plus turn (~lbtriblcr) is formed

lilt.e the Roppelsoh.las but 1n the opposite direction,

Exam-ple 42 •

lJfc¥ t1t~ (
Mozart C\):noludcs his account o:f the passing a-ppoggia-
ture \','1 th a desor1.vt1on of the o.!terbeat (Naohsohlag).
 61

This ornament consists of a few quickly played notes add-

ed to and following the principal note, It serves to en•
liven a slow movement,

The foregoing illustrat1one show that pa.ss1:ng ap:pog ..

giature might be used to embellish striking n:ppogciuture.
In tho oases of the Ueberwu.rt and the Rueeld'all, their
use v~s entirely degendent on the striking graoe notec.
In the tenth chapter l.!oze.rt diaousaes the trill,
which he oJ..aesi:ties 1.r..to four ty1>es 1 the ordL"'lAry trill,
the chart trill, (ll!lltr1ller), the double-stop trill,
a:nd the aooorrrganied trill. He also disti:ngu.tshos bet\7een
the slo·w, modcra te, :t'aet, and aooe\ratill6 trills, a classi-
fication whiah agrees vd th that of ~a.rtini, !.iozart,
however, emplo;.,·n the accelerating trills in oaclenzaa,
whereas tart1ni li::1i te their use to purposes o:t otua..y.
~he opeed of the trill is dependant not only on the tem:PO
 62

and moocl of the pieoe 1 but also on external eondi tions.

"In a small place, wh1oh is in ad.r'J.ition, :perhaps, draped;
or vmere the auditor~ are quite n~1r, a taat trill is
more effective. I:f', on the other hand, one playa in a
large, resounding hall; or where the auditors are at some
distG.noe 11 a slow trill b.u\'i better by employed u •
Hozart like his predecessors, begins the trill from
above, a.nd with either the major or minor second.
Example 44.

rl

lt may also begin= ~~th n descending grace note of

medium duration,
Eutmple 45.
 63

'tVi th a mot11:t'1ed ascending grace note.

Example 46.

~-J.i-.

'iiJrlr
With the so-c,,lled Ribattuta figure. but onJ.y in
cadences, t:here one is not limited by time signatures.
Example 4'1.

------------- -- ----. I"

l~1~t ffPi:Hir1 SUki8f If 1r r11

A six1ple conclusion of the trill is, according to
Mozart. customary and most natural,
Exan;gle 48,

i: b il'. --------------------
lijP cf £I ffrr 1 if: rrr[rr ri
Ex.ample 49.
 64

An ornamental oo:nolusion wo:.J.ld be vlf.lyed thus 1

~mple 50.

r II
Short trills are executed with a grace note and
tu.rn.l5
Example 5l.

{.,. t, ..L

'lf
~ :
-w,.·.u('fl
r ( ll.r s

A. trilled note may also be ornamenteda by a longer

grace note,
Exllmple 52.

15. According to Innnreuther • Uusioal ornamentation.

II • 66. this is important 'for the per:t'or;~Bnoe o'f 'w. I.
Mozart's works.
 65

or bJ an atterbeat.
E1c:ample 53.

r- ,. rI
I Jc
W'l'iHtn
r

f&ic '[U r
Playec:/
1

llotnrt V'larrul neuinst using too many tr1l l..B • and

against ovar•OI"l'l.ttmentation ill gener-al. Ill a. diatonic
series of eighth or sixteenth notes a trill may be
applied to alternate notes.
JbrAmple 54.

----- tt

These are Dr-~ort trills (Pralltriller) without the

 G6

a.i'terbee.t, such as are employed e.lco in the following

:paaeages.
Example 55.

Example 5'1.

Trills without afterbeat are also used tn trilled

ooales (Kettentriller) • both ascending and deaee:ndil"lg,
In playing these the violinist should bow all the notes
in one stroke and exert u slight 9ressure on the bow at
 67

each trill.
Example 58.

$ ~~t{:!:.
~~nc E I cr f I u y I
fT ~~ h ~~ f r fr-

Mozart recommends the practice of chromatic scale

trills, trilled axopeggion, and. other types of consecutive
trills. His treatment of the double-stop trill and. a.ccoo-
panied tr111l 6 corresponds in every vray to modern uoaGo
and needs therefore no 1lluotrat1on. His exa.mplon of the
aooomgtlnicd trill o.ro taken from the \:'.'orko ot ·none of the
moot f(.:.mous violirlist::.> o:t our time", by which he refers
to Tart1n1.
~he V1J!x:n.lo, ~ordfJtt, and a few other arbi trar;;
graces are treated in the eleventh chapter of the Violin
Method. Mozart knew the Vibrato by the term, Tremolo.
Like Genliniani 1 he 1:mlioated its use by a wavine:; line,
lie regarded it therefore as an ornament, to be used only
occasionally, and limited its use to notes of sor:te length,
especially the closing note of a passage. Uoza.rt made a

16, A type of trill to be found in polyphonic :piece~,

in v,'hich one voice };ro 0 recnes agcinst a held trill in
another voice.
 68

dictinetion between slow, fast, end. e.ooclerating V1brnt1,

which were signified thuso
:E:xa.mple 59.
Slow Aooelerating Fast

a ¢ a

There are three types of the Mordent. which Mozart

defines as an ornamental :nethod of attacking the 1)rinc1•
pal note, fhe first ty,pe resembles the ~·rench Pincc.
Ex.ample 60.

!.Che second and third types, original with Leopold

Mozart, employ the uuper and lower nei~lbors.

bUnple 61.
 69

Kordents are allltays played with ereat rapidity.

They serve to aooent the principal note, and should there-
fore be used s];J&ri:n.gly and applied o.nly to u metrically
strone beat of a bar.
The l!;tement 1o a trill•like alte:rr.ta.tion of se!!li•
to:nen which differs from the trill proper in that it cr.l-
ploys the lower neighbo:r ot the principal note.
Ex:o.mple 63.
~

I~ 1 1 r ~e
-'·'£'.{ # , .1 11)..,
_I ;:;---

. .[
1"'-

It is used in gay pieces to enliven certain notes

and should be employed only 1n the interest of Vfll•iety.
1:he G,ro;ppo is a d1vie1on \'.hioh serves to knit to-
gether u group of closely related notes • It m .y be cr:l-
J)loyed· only in the repetition of a passat;e, f'or the
purpose of variety.
 70

Example 64.

EJ;:ample 65.

rhe Balbo1rkel (half circle) is a four note figure

like the irSHU'-2 and d1f:tero from 1 t only in the repetition
o:r the second instead of the i'irst note o:f the group.
Example 66.
 71

When the group is repeated to form an eight note

figure, it is termed a Qi~kel.

E:;ttam:ple 6'1.

~he ~i£at~ is an ornamental scale pacaage used to

bind together two notes one octave or leas in dists.noc
fror.l e:::.oh other.
ExamDle 68. Slow, descending Ti~ta
 '12

Since Koza.rt's time, the !irata has a.lways been

indicated in full.
this ends Mozart's discussion of the ornamcntr.. Its
d1v1aion into three chapters is, in the main, l::>(~ieal.
exco;1t that the a;roppo and m:temen;t. were better included
amo:rl6 the passlnr; Ut1:pOgg1ature. Moza.I"t's theoriec:: nccm
to have been
..
influenced most by Ta.::t--tini 's Trattato dello

spng~raiature.l7some of his examples, especially thoce

17. Date of publioution unkno\v.n.

 73

illustrating the trill, are t:::.}:e:n rlirc'etly :from th:ts ':.':>r.:k,

little in oon':'lon. .Bach recogn.izes no appoc;giutu.re :>f'

tlle ;p~::n:ing,. or antieip:::. ted type. In gener.:~ 1 his tlleor•
ion c.re more modern than M.ozurt' 1) , as nhovm by hiD u.ce
of :.'- notation indicnting the exact ti~ne value ot the
orna:nents. Bnch•s treatment of the tmvtritten, or arbi-
trt::.ry cmbellis.hments is r:m.ch shorter than ~1foze.rt • s,
i'·' me..:r;,~- :Ln~tanoes the two rmr1:s contradict each .T[;hm." .•

Although the treatment of ornanentati:Jn in Q·~tr~~;tst

flute metho<! is not so extensive ae tl"...ut of :Mozart, ·there

a.r6 ma.ny :r>Oints o:f o.gref':}leht. Quantz, lilce 1!ozart, clis-
tl.r,.guicheo between striking and. passing ap::)0 11.;[_;ia ture.
Also, his n:Jtation of gr~ces is indefinite, ao he statoc.
"l t ~:;.c.Jces 11 ttle d.if':f'erenoe v1hethe:r.• their stems have ;::ore
tha.."l one flae 01.. none a. t all". Both Qua11tz and .Bach a-
gree tmt the grace note '!Wiiy take up one-half or tvJo-
thirdn of the ti~:1e value o:f the prinoipul note. l.roza.rt'a
oonoeption of a grace note v:hioh subtl"'<lets three-:J.;:t.artcra
of the ti::J.e value o:f the iJJ.'"il'lCipal ::1.otel8 ic tb.eref:)re
WliQue.
- • l ••• ,

18. See example 24.

 74

Orig~:t.lly Mozart intended to close his work

with the eleventh cha.:oter.l9 The oono+uding disouoaion,
"of the oorreot manr.er of reading music and good pcrXor-
manoe in saneral" \'JUS therefore O.dded later t probably at
the'wish of the publisher, It has somevma.t the chara.c1ier
of an appendix and, since the entire work is written with
consideration ot cood performance, it is largely devoted
to tJ. reetn. tement of Mozart's ideals.
!fhe basic principle of good performl~nee is the
oorr.eot reDrodnot1on ot the Atfekt peculiar to a piece.
lloze.rt sums up the ,A,t:f.ektenlehr~., ao oJ:w.raoteriatic
of Germny in t~e mid ...eightoertth century,· 't'Iith the state ...
mont, "In short, the performer should always play with
su.ch ax»ressiveness that he hirnaelf ia movedtt. !rhe
most important_means to this end,·saya ~zart, is the
bov; stroke. Ph. E. Each 2 0 o.nd Q'l.lAntt ·were his esl>Oaio.l
predeees~;ors in this subject and after }loza.rt, who \1.~-ac

the last theorist i;o work with this conception, a

19, As he states in a letter ot Aueust 28. 1775 to, hie

:publisher,
20, In paragraph 13 of the clavier text he states, "In ...
s.smuch as a musie)ian O~-tnnot move others l:tnless he hL:;s;;l:f'
is moved, so he mwJt necessarily be able to feel all e-
motions which he wishes to arouse in his hearers".
 75

diseolution o:f the /1-;ftekttn;Lehre set in,2l

Filr .¥ozart. like Bach, the ideal performance ic
simple and natural. 1n a singing atyle. He is no :f'l.. iend
of enpty vi:.t•tuosi ty an(t values a well.-schoolecl orcLestral
violinist higher than a soloist. Mozart givefJ ir1gortant
evidence tor the tempo rubato • the use of which at th.:!t
<) ' )

title is, tor no good reason, doubted by some purictc,'--'""

!.flle reception accorded the Violin llethod v:as es-
pecially friendly in North Germany. !.tar::;n.u-e VJ'tl.G the first

to introctnee the book to the wol:ld when he tJrote 2 ~1 1'Lc

hnvo long Wished for a. work of this t;rpe • but lw.ve h.a.rdly
dared to expect 1 t • ~hose who are ::.1ost skillful \':i the

few who are equally proficient in both arts usunlly laclt

tho will to v.;rite. Row much more oblised then :au.r;t v:o be
to ·the writer of this workS ~he attributen of the t::.orough
,and skilled artist, the intelligent a:nd systcnG.tic te:;.ohcr,

and. the learned musician are all developed here toec:r'chor.

21. Ct • Kretschmar, "Allgemeines und Eesonderes zu.r

Af'fektenlehre", Jah1·bu.ck dcr Musikbibliothek .Potcrn, 1911,
.P. 6./:i.
~ ----

i:32. Ct. L. Xam1enski, !.• l• !• !•• 108.

23., Io', w. llar:purg., Ristorisoh-:Kritinche Bel.'irae£ae, III, 160.
 76

We ooncratul}l te not only the friends of this irs trumo:1t,

that they now have the opportunity to learn with little
eost and in a short time more than they could otherwise
a.t greo.t expense and through ma1zy years • Also variou8
tea.ohero of the violin \-:ill find their lesson here a:::1d
\•;r1ll C.o '!.'.'ell to employ the tc:~ollint):::> of this grent r:v:.ster,
in order not to spoil their ctn.d.ento i'urther tJith :f'f:ll:::o
instruction".
A tev1 y'!J3.rs l•~~tor Dr. Burney 24 mllde this co:nr:.ent J
"In 1'156 Leopold llozart. :rather of the present eninont
muoiei!Ln ot that name, publir:hed a treatise on play1nc
the violin, The work is ~ery well dig~sted, and usetul;
and though Gemininnits art of playing the violin v.us
published in England eight years sooner, it does not
a:;,pe:Jr that any material for this \York has been dravm
tram that source.•
Another interesting contemporary eVt'lluation of the
t;)t::
worlt is that of Cohubart, v..no v.rrote, "" 0 "He htls en.n1ed
great merit by hie Violin School which is vn:-1tten in good
Ge~n and With n dee:p insight. The examples arc: o::-t•

24. Ch. Bur.ney, Genera.l'history .2£ muoio, IV. 589.

25. c.
------
F. D. Schubert, Aesthetik der Tonkunst, 157
 77

cellently chosen l~nd his aiJ2l1ca,t'!ll"~s are no less than

scholarly. Ria trend is that of the school of Tartini•
but he allows the atud~At more freedom in bowing than the
latter."
Moet;u•t • s Violin Method, like the works of Qu.nntz

them, however, it represents the South German 1:tove:-:1ent,

vn1ioh is influenced by Italian taste. ~~om Tartini,
Mozart adopted bowing regtuation, the use of difference
tones :ror teatillG intor. .a.tion, and orn<'lmentation. Gemini•
uni \VUS his predecessor in the use or the left h<...nd.
position exercise ..-nd. the anticipated ornaments. :FI·om
North Germany, Qw:tnt.z 1ntlucnced the theory ;.;.nd. form of
Moz~rt's work. nut in spite of all this, Uozurt con-
served his individuality. Without knowledge of ::..n;r
earlier work for the violin, rather out of his O\".il'l :vr.:..cti ...
cal experience, he arented e, text whi.oh retains toJ..:.;; its
sit;nif'i co. nee ~1nt1. vn.lue. 't:1.nl1ke its predecessors, thio
book is not ~ritten pr1mnrily ~or beginners, but leads
the student to advo.noe4 problems of violin :playine.
Although the elementary chapters are muoh more extc11sive
thnn those in earlier methods, they are outwei,zhod.. 1:>;7 the
third, :fourth, and fifth parts. devoted to :::tdV'.J.:nccC..
In the positions of the violin ~nd bow Mozart
 78

presents nothing new. Important, however, are his otr1.des

in bowinc and phraain6 and new his presentation of tone.
production through bow o::uitrol. Kozart \'Jas the :first to
point out the importance of a.;2pl.icatures and to dcvoto
espeo1al study to passage playing.. Arpeggios ~1nd (lOtlble-

stona nl... E~, on the other ha.."'1d, DiVen lenn eoncideretton.

ce.dcncee ., and l~monics r~1"e entirely neglected.. Orr.:. c,::-.u:;:nts,
nowevez·. are thoroughly treated. Contrary to seventeenth
century practice, V7h1oh favored open string ylu~ring ·:ncl

scorda tu.rtt • XOZ<'lrt advoes.teo absolute equr~li ty of' to110

color ::;. nd avoidance of 0:9en strings ana h~-•roonics.

Uozart ;fr:.vors the depend.nble• thorouzhly schooled ~n~::3i­

ciun; thoroug.hnes::~ ar~.d correctness are his by-word:::.-:. Il'l

gcnel'r.:.l the Violin Method is a theoz•etiool text rather
tb~l.n r:. pr<lotioul e.xeroise booJ~. ~hus are lo.oki:r.t.:; ·the
p~~cc::: of etudes to be :f';,lu...'>ld in so mctny violin n¥.1nu.:::tls.
This text should. serve the needs o:r the teacher :..'tr: \iell
us ·those of the r,~tudent. It is written 'liVi th a hetiltll,y
humol'" ohnro.ateristio of the nuthor and a tendency :.:t
tir:1es towu.rd sa.re&.sm., Mozart's good German merited. th.e
:gr:;ine given it by Zelter, who. in vrriting to Goet!tc•
st:::.:bed, "P.J.s violin sehool is a work t<tl:ioh v:ill be use-
ful ae long as the violin remc.ins '" violin: v1h:1t 1:::: norc
it in well v~itten."
 79

....----
:BIBLIOGRAPHY
............. ....
_...,....,._.

l. Abert. Herma.n.n - w.. A. ltozart, :Breitkop:f uxHl ffi.:te:rtel.

LeipZ.ith 1923.
A:t'Ue.r. Gu.ido - Handbooh der Ku.ai..k8esch1chte, H.
Keller, Jlerlin. 1930.
Be.oh, Fh. E. - Versuch u.ebe1.. C.ie v.~uhre Art, d.r:1 .s
Clavier Zll Spielen, Sehwickert 1
Leipzig, 175!3.
4. Bekker, 'Paul - Musikgesohichte als Geso.hlchte d. or
mu.sikali.ihttn :.Formwandlungen, Deutsche
Verlags~talt, Stutt$irt, 1926.

5. Buecken:, Dr. E .. - Die Uusik des Rokokos und <ler

Xlassik, .Akademisohe Verlagsgesell-
schaft Athena.ion, Potad:1.m, 1')28.

6. :Burney, Charles - A General Histor.Y of Music, Lo::uclon.

1789.
7. Burney • Charles - The Present &tate of Munio 111
Gel:."n'larJY, the :Netherlands and United
:Provinces. T. Becket., London, 1?75.

8. .Du.bourg, G. - The Violiu ;;;tlld ita most Eminent Profess-

ora, Crooks and Co., London, 1850.

9. Geminiruli, F. - The art of playing the Violin, London,

1'140.

10. Gerhartz, K. - Die Violinsehule von Leonold :.toznrt

(1156) Mozart Jahrbuch, l929, J?ilser,
Augsburg.
u. Haas, Dr. R. - Aufi'uerungs:pruxis der Y:tlail;;:, Ak::·~ det:l-
iache Verlagsgesellsehaft Atheru~ion,
Potsdam, 1931.

12. Hadov;, v;. R. - The Viennese Period, The OXford His-

tory of Music. vol. V., 1931.
 80

13. Ruet, F • ... Eooles de Violon, fhouill\'"* Chalons sur

Karne, 1880. ,· '

14. Jal:m, o. - 1'.'. A. :.rozart, JJreitko::f md Haertel,

Le.:.pzig, 1656.
r- J:(..roJ:le • Dr .. Jf. ... Die .An:f'u.en6c de::: rnuaikaliacl:.en
l o.
Jo:J.I":.J.Ulismu.n in Deatsohlcnd, Poer-:w:,cl
und Treple, Leipzig, 1897.
16. Kuhn, w.

17. F. 'W • • z;istorisehe-Kri tisohe Beytraege,

Laugo, Be:..·lin, .!. 757.
18. ::oaer, A. -Gesa>ichte deB Violins].Jielo, Hescc, 3or-
lin, 1923.
19. ~doscr, II. J. ... Geoohiohte der DE'utacLcn Musi).::, Cotta.,
Berlin., 1930.
zo.
21. i?i.nthus, G.... ])us Konzertleben in Doutsol1land, Heitz
und Co., Lei~zig, 1932.
;:.::;. ~cu.~ntz, J. J. - Ve-.cuch ei:.:.1cr Anweisu:nc uie Floete
truver~iere zu spielen. Voss, Berlin, 1752.
22. Sohiedormu.ir, L. ... Die Briefe w. A • .Mozart~ m1d
e;einer li'amilie. Mueller, Mucnchcn, 191G.
24. Schubt;.rt • G. l"f. D, .... IO..ecn zu eiucr AectLcti:: Ll(!r
1'o1'!.1:1.mst, Degen, Viien, 1806.

25. Schuenemann, G. • Gesohiohte der Deutsahen Schul-

mus1k, Kistner u. Siegel, I,eivzi.r;, 19B8.
2S. Seiffert, 1J: .... Ausr:.n~ro..ehlte Werke von LeopolC. :::.:ozn.rt,
Denkaaeler der Tonkunst in Bayern
lb:•ei tkop:t u. Iro.crtcl, Leipzig, 1908.
27. Ta.rtin1, G.... A letter fro::-. th.c late f~i£;n.::t.L' T:,:t~ttni
to Sign~;l>a Madd.alena Lomba.r•dini, :sr,~m.;ncl~,
London, 1779,
 81

2fh Va:n dor Stra.eten, E. - The Romunoe of the .:Cid::.lc,

..te bman, London • 1911.
29. WaBielewek1, w. - Die V1oline and ihre Meister,
Bre1tltopf' u. Haertel, Leipzit;, 16()9.
-Geschiohte des Violinspiels, r!l:lc,
Koeln, 1900.