but at the age of fourteen, I was also thrilled by such discoveries as Italian Ices, Italian Masques, and my favorites of all, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii!
This is the map of my kingdom, and after all this time, I still think it was a wonderful place. You will notice that I am the King and Nannerl is the Queen, and there are no grownups around--at least, none worth mentioning. Here, everyone plays music, listens to music all day, and everyone is nice to everyone else all the time. No one can live here if they are mean or unkind. You will notice that Bimperl is there, and so is the carriage driven by Sebastian. The horse--whom I call "Horse" even leaves behind poops just like a live horse.
The sentry at the gate is Private Schultz who won't let anyone into Harmony Castle without my permission. The nice lady on the Mozartringstrasse is Mama and the deer is Herr Stag, who sings in a deep bass voice. He and Herr Horse carry on quite a duet. The sailboat is the S.S. Counterpoint which is full of singing sailors. The sheep don't sing, but they keep the grass cut.
When I was a little fellow, I had our driver, Sebastian, help me work this out. I drew all the little pictures myself. It was lost for many years, but it turned up unexpectedly in the hands of a collector in Pismo Beach California who thought it might be worth something--except that when he learned it had belonged to me and not Elvis, he gave it away at once to an odd lady named Daisy Brambletoes. In any case, I hope you like it.
Sebastian Winter
My Cartographer
And speaking of my travels as a child...
Here are just a handful of the personalities I met on my youthful travels
Papa was First Violinist (Vice Kappelmeister) in this man's orchestra for many years. He was willing to give us leave of absence so long as he didn't have to pay Papa an absentee salary -- which was actually rather a fair deal in those days. Besides, he believed that our travels would bring fame and prestige to Salzburg. And in the long run, he was right.
Archbishop
Schrattenbach
My Papa's first Boss
While ferocious to deal with as a Head of State, she was at heart a plump German mama with a huge family of children. She took such a shine to Nannerl and I that she allowed us all kinds of shocking liberties, and rewarded us with pretty gifts of clothing and jewelry. I was six..
This was to be my introduction to the Hapsburg monarchs, who would manage to figure promenantly in my life and in my career. Not only did I meet Her Majesty, but her son, Josef, and her daughter Marie Terese -- You know... Marie Antoinette of France? And yes, it is true that I asked her to marry me--but I was only six years old.
Marie Terese
Empress of Austria
Clement XIV
Pope
When I took it on myself to copy verbatum a very secret musical manuscript after only one hearing, this wise gentleman did not excommunicate me as people expected, but rewarded me with a Knighthood of the Order of the Golden Spur. I was fourteen. No one younger has ever yet been awarded such an honor. Unfortunately, when we were back in Augsburg, some older boys picked on me when I wore the award, as Papa wanted me to do. After that, I never wore it again. I also had come to recognize that high-sounding titles were really fairly meaningless in the long run.
Michael Haydn was one of those lovable ne'er-do-wells who managed to come and go throughout my life. He was just the first in a long line of many, but he was a talented composer in his own right, and probably his real problem lay in the fact that he was "only" the forgotten elder brother of the great Josef Haydn--and was stuck in the outback wilderness of Salzburg. Just watching him made me doubly certain that I was not going to end my life and career in Salzburg!
Herr Schachtner
Musician and friend of Papa's
Herr Schachtner, a good friend of Papa's is one person I shall NOT forget in a hurry! It seems that when I was little, I was afraid of the loud horns in the orchestra, so Papa sought to "cure" me by having Herr Schachtner blow his horn for me.
Not to be confused
with this
Herr Schachtner
Michael Haydn
Musician and Brother
of "Papa" Haydn
This is a playbill for a concert held in 1991 near the Mirabelle gardens in Salzburg. It is a pretty place for chamber music, and accoustically superb. This staircase has not changed a bit since I was last there!
When I was thirteen, Papa decided it was time to expand my musical horizons, and so we went on the road again. We were off for...
After Vienna, Paris, London (much more on London later!) and a half dozen other exotic places, it was back to Salzburg. It was the last time that my hometown would have pleasant associations for me, however, because my world was starting to change...
Sunny ITALY !
Manzuolli
Singer
Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, the powerful, high-pitched timbres of this famous opera-singing Castrato was about as "cool" as if I were a 20th century kid in awe of the most popular pop singer of my day! Wow! I wrote music in my earliest operas with him in mind. I was thinking of him years later when I composed the Castrato role for "Idomeneo", but today the part is always sung by a tenor or a contratenor (music transposed, of course).
Padre Martini
My Music Teacher
I could never admit this to Papa, but Padre Martini was the finest music teacher I ever had, and one of the few clergymen I could really respect. He taught me things Papa had never imagined, but he also told me that I would do far better to seek my own voice than to simply try and please papa. Strong advice for me, a boy who lived in slavish obedience to his father's every word--but it was some of the best advice I was ever given, and it helped set me on my true path.
Papa thought that a talented and budding young Wunderkind needed to learn his craft in Italy, the capitol of the musical world--the place where opera itself had been invented. It was a most enlightening experience!
This wonderful place made all of Papa's boring lectures on Ancient Rome seem worthwhile.
Of course, the real fun came when I got back home and could annoy my sister with stories about the naughty Pompeiian artwork shown on the right!
MY MAP OF THE KINGDOM OF
Sebastian was our driver, and partner in "crime". It was he who helped me draw the map of Rücken, and he was in on all its little secrets. He was quite a fine fellow.
Pssst...Nannerl -- did I tell you about the Centurian with the big...
CIAO !
Cover of a concert program
Pompeii photos from Lycos
All text, original photos and original artwork by "Daisy Brambletoes"
are the property of
Cheryl W. Duval and Off-Note-Productions.
They are not to be used without permission.
Art & photos by others, have been credited whenever possible.
The character and likeness of Agent K.007 is protected by US copyright
and may not be used without written permission.
So There!
