Difficile lectu (Mozart)
Encyclopedia
Difficile lectu, K. 559, is a canon
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
. The music, in F major, is set for three singers. The words are probably by Mozart himself.
The work was entered by the composer into his personal catalog on 2 September 1788 as part of a set of ten canons; it was probably written some time during the years 1786-1787.
, though as they are given in sequence they do not make sense in this language:
The humor of the work consists of hearing these words instead as vulgar phrases of German and Italian.
The German pun is based on the strong Bavarian accent of the tenor-baritone Johann Nepomuk Peyerl (1761–1800), who can be presumed to have been the lead singer in the first performance (see below). As Jean-Victor Hocquard points out, the pseudo-Latin lyrics lectu mihi mars, as Peyerl would have sung them, resemble Bavarian German leck du mi im Arsch, which in a literal English rendering is "lick thou me in-the arse". More idiomatically, the phrase could be translated, "kiss my arse" (American English "kiss my ass").
The second pun in the canon is based on the single Latin word jonicu. Winternitz (1958) explains that when this word is sung repeatedly and rapidly, as in the canon, its syllables are liable to be heard rearranged as a taboo word of Italian, cujoni, which means "balls, testicles"; see also Cojones
.
Michael Quinn writes, "Mozart clearly relished the incongruity resulting from ribald verse set as a canon, traditionally regarded as the most learned of all compositional techniques."
, a musicologist and editor of the early 19th century.
In an 1824 issue of Caecilia, the journal he edited, Weber published a facsimile of the original manuscript of the canon (see below). In his commentary, Weber included the following.
Weber does not say where his story came from.
For more on Mozart's habit of favoring his friends with vulgar mockery, see Joseph Leutgeb.
The manuscript was at one time in the collection of Stefan Zweig
, and in 1986 was given along with the rest of the collection to the British Library
, where it currently resides.
A sketch for K. 559 is also preserved; its existence suggests that, contrary to what Weber recounted, Mozart must have planned his joke in advance. Both the autograph and the sketch can be viewed at the NMA website; see External Links below.
Canon (music)
In music, a canon is a contrapuntal composition that employs a melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given duration . The initial melody is called the leader , while the imitative melody, which is played in a different voice, is called the follower...
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. The music, in F major, is set for three singers. The words are probably by Mozart himself.
The work was entered by the composer into his personal catalog on 2 September 1788 as part of a set of ten canons; it was probably written some time during the years 1786-1787.
Text
Although some of the canons in the 1788 set have serious (that is, religious) lyrics, K. 559 was evidently meant entirely for fun. The work features two bilingual puns and some scatological humor. The lyrics are—ostensibly—in LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, though as they are given in sequence they do not make sense in this language:
- Difficile lectu mihi mars et jonicu difficile.
The humor of the work consists of hearing these words instead as vulgar phrases of German and Italian.
The German pun is based on the strong Bavarian accent of the tenor-baritone Johann Nepomuk Peyerl (1761–1800), who can be presumed to have been the lead singer in the first performance (see below). As Jean-Victor Hocquard points out, the pseudo-Latin lyrics lectu mihi mars, as Peyerl would have sung them, resemble Bavarian German leck du mi im Arsch, which in a literal English rendering is "lick thou me in-the arse". More idiomatically, the phrase could be translated, "kiss my arse" (American English "kiss my ass").
The second pun in the canon is based on the single Latin word jonicu. Winternitz (1958) explains that when this word is sung repeatedly and rapidly, as in the canon, its syllables are liable to be heard rearranged as a taboo word of Italian, cujoni, which means "balls, testicles"; see also Cojones
Cojones
Cojones is a vulgar Spanish word for testicles, denoting courage when used in the phrase "tener cojones" . It is considered a curse word when use by itself as an expletive in Spanish...
.
Michael Quinn writes, "Mozart clearly relished the incongruity resulting from ribald verse set as a canon, traditionally regarded as the most learned of all compositional techniques."
First performance
A tale concerning how the canon was composed and first sung was offered by Gottfried WeberGottfried Weber
Jacob Gottfried Weber , was a prominent German writer on music , composer, and jurist....
, a musicologist and editor of the early 19th century.
In an 1824 issue of Caecilia, the journal he edited, Weber published a facsimile of the original manuscript of the canon (see below). In his commentary, Weber included the following.
- "The story is as follows. The otherwise outstanding Peierl had a number of remarkable idiosyncrasies of pronunciation, which Mozart often poked fun of in friendly interactions with him and with other friends. One evening, at a merry gathering, Mozart had the idea of writing a canon in which the few Latin words "Difficile lectu" etc. would emerge in Peyerl's pronunciation in a comical way, with the expectation that he would not notice this and would be fooled. At the same time, on the reverse side of the same sheet of paper Mozart wrote the mocking canon "O du eselhafter PeierlO du eselhafter Peierl (Mozart)O du eselhafter Peierl, K. 560a, is a canon composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The music, originally in F major, is set for four singers. The words are probably by Mozart himself.-Origin:...
" ("Oh, you asinine Peierl"), K. 560a.
- The joke succeeded. After the strange Latin words had emerged from Peyerl's mouth in the anticipated comical way —to the satisfaction of all present— Mozart turned over the page, and had the group, instead of applauding, sing the triumphal mocking canon "O du eselhafter Peierl".
Weber does not say where his story came from.
For more on Mozart's habit of favoring his friends with vulgar mockery, see Joseph Leutgeb.
Autograph
The autograph (original manuscript copy) has survived; it is a "tiny slip of paper" (Searle) on the reverse side of which is —as Weber noted— the original copy of K. 560a. In a number of places the lyrics are blurry and difficult to read, a condition Weber attributed to stray droplets of champagne.The manuscript was at one time in the collection of Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig was an Austrian novelist, playwright, journalist and biographer. At the height of his literary career, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most famous writers in the world.- Biography :...
, and in 1986 was given along with the rest of the collection to the British Library
British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom, and is the world's largest library in terms of total number of items. The library is a major research library, holding over 150 million items from every country in the world, in virtually all known languages and in many formats,...
, where it currently resides.
A sketch for K. 559 is also preserved; its existence suggests that, contrary to what Weber recounted, Mozart must have planned his joke in advance. Both the autograph and the sketch can be viewed at the NMA website; see External Links below.
Reception
The canon is probably one of the less frequently performed of Mozart's works. It illustrates the composer's multilingualism and his taste for light-hearted scatological humor.See also
- Leck mich im ArschLeck mich im ArschLeck mich im Arsch is a canon in B-flat major composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K. 231 , with lyrics in German. It was one of a set of at least six canons probably written in Vienna in 1782...
- Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauberLeck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauberLeck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber is a canon for three voices in B-flat major, K. 233/382d, long thought to have been composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart during 1782 in Vienna.-Authenticity:...
- Bona noxBona noxBona nox! bist a rechta Ox, K. 561, is a canon in A major for four voices a cappella by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Mozart entered this work into his catalogue on as part of a set of ten canons.-Music:...
(all further scatological canons) - Maria Anna Thekla MozartMaria Anna Thekla MozartMaria Anna Thekla Mozart , called Marianne, known as Bäsle , was the cousin of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart....
(the cousin to whom Mozart wrote a number of cheerfully scatological letters). - Mozart and scatologyMozart and scatologyWolfgang Amadeus Mozart displayed scatological humor in his letters and a few recreational compositions. This material has long been a puzzle for Mozart scholarship...