Page:Rolland - A musical tour through the land of the past.djvu/245

Rh Vasshall, with Ditters, Huber, Gusman and the youthful Haydn, who had just made his first appearance, were singled out for praise. This music found an enthusiastic public in Vienna. Teodor von Wyzewa has described the Court music and "table music " of the Archbishop of Salzburg; three concert-masters were responsible in turn for preparing the programmes of these orchestras and for conducting the performances. The work of Leopold Mozart shows what a quantity of instrumental music was demanded by the every-day life of these little German Courts.—To this we may add the private concerts and the serenades sung or played in the streets to the order of wealthy burghers.

The centre of instrumental music in Germany was in those days Mannheim—or, during the summer months, Schwetzingen, at a distance of some seven or eight miles from Mannheim. Schwetzingen, which was only a village, was apparently inhabited, says Burney, solely by a colony of musicians. "Here it was a violinist who was practising; in the next house a flautist; there an oboe, a bassoon, a clarionette, a 'cello, or a concert of several instruments combined. Music seemed the principal object in life." The Mannheim orchestra "contained, by itself, perhaps more distinguished virtuosi and composers than any other in Europe; it was an army of generals."

This company of the elect, which also earned the admiration of Leopold Mozart and his son, used to give celebrated concerts. It was at these concerts that Stamitz, since 1745 first concert-master and musical director of the Prince's chamber music, made the first experiments in the German symphony.