THE SISTER OF MOZART.

Otago Witness, Issue 2319, 11 August 1898, Page 56

THE SISTER OF MOZART.

A Cuiuots Case

The sister of Mozart and Wolfgang were the only two children who survived infancy among Leopold Mozart's somewhat numerous offspring, and both, from their earliest age, showed a peculiar and brilliant aptitude for music The father undertook their training, and they were always described, m a kind of ensemble, when on the tours of their early childhood, as "the wonderful children."

I do not. of course, mean to assert that because Marianne Mozart lacked creative quality in music, and because Wolfgang was probably the greatest composer that ever lived, therefore it follows that women are naturally deficient in gifts of composition. But it is, if not proof— proof, of course, it

could not be — a very curious sign of this undoubted truth. The boy went forwards conquering and to conquer new worlds ; the girl, once the wonder of her precocity in interpretation had faded out, lapsed into the ranks of the commonplace.

There is another strange case of the same kind, and nearly analogous to it, in the musical personality of Madame Hensel, better known, perhaps, as Fanny Mendelssohn, r ,he great composer's favourite sister. Born m 1805, she was three years older than her famous brother, and, like him, early developed a passion for music.

Felix, indeed, used to assert that, when in the height of her powers, she was a better player than himself, and he had the utmost reliance upon her judgment.

"Before I can receive Fanny's advice," he wrote, for example, in 1831, " 'The Walpurgisnight' will be packed up. I feel convinced she would say ' Yes/ and yet I feel doubtful."

But Fanny was a composer as well, and in sending along one of his " Lieder ohne Worte," he actually writes, " Fanny may add a second part." Then Fanny sent bar brother a copy of her " Caprices." " I have just played your ' Caprices,' " writes he, " all with unmixed delight."'

Then, again, she published four books of melodies for the pianoforte, two books cf songs for voice and pianoforte, and one book of part songs. In fact, I believe that the opus number of her last work reached the alarming figure of eleven, and a line of her music is even engraved upon her tombstone — " Gedanken gehn und Lieder. fort bis in Ilimmelrcich.' 1

Poor Fanny Mendelssohn ! She died young, and it is believed that the shock of lier premature end hastened the death of her brother. And her music has died too ; and her brother's work is as widely known still as it was when he laid down his pen and met death at the age of 38, now half a century ago.

By what mysterious direction of Nature was it that, in these two peculiar instances where two children, in each case, were born to the same parents, and with a like passion for and devotion to music, the power of creativeness, together with the power of interpretation, drifted into the brain of the boy, while to the girl was left the power of interpretation alone? — Correspondent of liie Sketch.