The score of a cantata believed to be a collaboration between the alleged rivals has been rediscovered.

The rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri appears to be well documented and, of course, any fans of the film Amadeus will have fond memories of the (admittedly ficticious) battle of wills and wits between the two famous 18th-century composers. Many scholars however argue that the two composers were not bitter enemies and, in fact, appreciated each other, (though there’s been little hard evidence to substantiate this). Now, German composer Tim Jouko Hermann’s recent discovery of a long-lost solo cantata score in the Czech National Library might be just the evidence that’s been missing. As with any new discovery, the work is of great interest – but this one particularly so, not only because the score has not been seen since its rumoured premiere in 1785, but also because it is believed to have been composed jointly by the two alleged arch rivals, Mozart and Salieri.

The text is by Mozart’s librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, and the piece was composed for English soprano Nancy Storace who appeared as the original Susanna in Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. The score contains a ‘Song of Celebration’, written for Storace’s return to good health after losing her voice mid-performance and avoiding the stage for four months. A third composer also appears on the score – one ‘Signor Fagotta’ – but there’s little to support the identity of this mystery writer. What is known however is that both Mozart and Salieri were closely linked with Storace.

There’s evidence that Storace was a close confident of Mozart, and that she burnt private letters from Mozart a few days before her death. She was also a friend of Salieri, appearing as the lead female role in his comedy Prima La Musica, Poi Le Parole. This opera buffa was Salieri’s entry into a composition contest with Mozart, organised by the Austrian emperor (who also happened to be Storace’s lover). As expected, Mozart’s entry – The Theatrical Impresario – won the competition and was the apparent start of the bitter rivalry between the two composers. 

This new discovery is re-writing the long-held assumption of the animosity between Mozart and Salieri. Hermann is currently authenticating the cantata and plans to have it published by Leipzig publisher Hofmeister if, in fact, it really is the fabled collaboration. The management of the Mozarteum in Salzburg is coordinating a public presentation and performance of the work.