Commentary
Deutsch gives the opening paragraph of this review of a Mozart memorial concert in Berlin (Dokumente, 390–91), but omits the body of the review, given here in blue. The only work mentioned specifically in the review is the cantata Mozarts Urne, composed by Bernhard Wessely (1768–1826; for more on Wessely, see the entry for 23 Jun 1792). The text of the Mozarts Urne is attributed to Gottlob Wilhelm Burmann (1737–1805), an otherwise forgotten writer, whose œuvre contains (among other things) a collection of poems completely lacking the letter ‘r’ (Gedichte ohne den Buchstaben R., which, ironically, begins with a “Vorerinnerung”). The reviewer (“C. S.”) was Carl Spazier, a frequent contributor to Musikalisches Wochenblatt. Neither the text nor the music of Mozarts Urne is known to survive, apart from the lines quoted in this review. Spazier provides an ornately incoherent example from Burmann’s text in lieu of an explicit critique, while tepidly praising Wessely’s music.
Deutsch (Dokumente, 392) suggests that the “Hr. D. Fliess” who organized the concert was Dr. Bernhard Fließ (Deutsch gives “Flies”), to whom was long attributed the spurious Mozart work Wiegenlied, “Schlafe, mein Prinzchen,” K. 350. Gerhard (1999, 12–13) notes that this “Bernhard” (identified thus from his opera Die Regata zu Venedig) seems to have been the Jewish doctor Isaac Beer Fließ (1770–1829), who in fact took the name Carl Eduard at his baptism in 1798. Gerhard suggests, however, that the concert series may instead have been organized by Isaac’s uncle, Dr. Joseph Moses Fließ (1745–1822).
On 23 Mar 1793, the Berlinische musikalische Zeitung (edited by Spazier) reported another performance of Mozarts Urne, likewise at another of Fließ’s concerts:
Im Fliessischen Konzert ist Mozarts Urne
eine Kantate von Hrn. Burmann, comp. von
Hrn. M. Dir. Wessely, wieder aufgeführt wor-
den. Die Komposition macht dem Hrn. Verf.
Ehre, und ist als solche bereits im 24. Stück
des mus. Wochenblatts angezeigt worden.
At Fliess’s concert Mozarts Urne, a cantata
by Herr Burmann, composed by Herr Music
Director Wessely, was performed again. The
composition does honor to its creator, and as
such has already been advertised in the 24th
issue of the Musikalisches Wochenblatt.
Both of these performances are mentioned in passing in the entry on Wessely in Gerber's Neues Lexikon (1814).
Wessely advertised a printed edition of this cantata by subscription in the Intelligenzblatt der Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung on 23 Jun 1792 (see our entry for that date, which also contains biographical information on Wessely).