K. 45a vs. K. 45 deest, Old Lambach vs. New Lambach

K. 45a vs. K. 45 deest,  Old Lambach vs. New Lambach

We’ve got some old manuscripts to sort out.  It is fun to dabble in some manuscript quibbles.  I am a theology major and have researched some of the Biblical text debates.  So, I have a concept of how they determine which texts are more reliable.  A lot of factoring of authenticity concerns comparing unknown work with the more reliable. 

Ok.  There are these Booky folks that have found two pieces from an abbey.  The Lambach Abbey. It is assumed they were gifts from the Mozarts when they visited.  K. 45a (Old Lambach) is attributed to Mozart. And, K. 45 deest (New Lambach) was inscribed from Leopold.  So one day, a scholar came up with a new theory and suggested the works were attributed to the wrong person. (Scholars—actually, people in general—want to strike it famous with new discoveries.)  I thought I’d listen to both, see if I can figure it out, and make myself famous.  Even though I’m a tonedeaf troglodyte, I’m a super genius.  So, I’ll figure it out.  Either way, it will still be fun to compare father and son.

Old Lambach

Some Scholars seem to suggest this is the least quality of the two.  It sounds mature to me.  More so than a lot of the other earlier Mozartian works I’ve heard. 

The intensifying strings building up in the first movement is a common theme in many of Mozart’s works.  I like the first movement’s adventurous feel.   The relaxing breathes in between seem to say, ‘that was fun. Again?’  There is one dark chunk that suggests maybe the last adventure wasn’t quite as exciting.  The second movement stirs moods of returning home from a long trip: glad to be back, yet remembering the good times on the trip.  The third movement is shorter, which if I remember correctly is a common element in his other works up to this point.  This movement is looking forward to the next adventure.  Over all, I’d say this peice has a similar feel to the other Hague works, just with a bit more spectacle. And, I guess that’s why those booky guys guessed it to being written around The Hague period.

New Lambach

First thing that caught my attention was that the strings don’t quite intensify the same way as is familiar to me in many of Mozart’s pieces.  But, they do sigh in a similar Mozartian manner, especially in the second movement.  All in all, I’d say this work is less catchy, but more refined.  (Refined doesn’t always mean more enjoyable.) It seems more like something Bach wrote.  Now, there is this element in the third movement, that I know is repeated in numerous of Mozart’s earlier work.  But, it is hidden in the background, popping its head out like a prairie dog after a fox left.  That ditty from the second allegro in K. 14. It’s there.  Why?  Is it there because, this song was written by Mozart? Did Mozart inherit something from Leopold? Vice versa?

Those are the comments. 

 

So who wrote which? In my extreme less-then-expert opinion… Ahhhhhh… I kind of wish someone would have just told me to listen to both without having done any research, and then guess.  I was biased big-time.  I’ll just agree with most the bigwig scholars.  New Lambach carries a baroque richness. Old Lambach has a youthful attitude.  At least, according to these tonedeaf ears.