Leopold Mozart "A musical sleigh ride"

[Paulsson]

L. Mozart's original sleigh ride versus the arrangement by F. Th. Cursch-Bühren

Sources:

a) Leopold Mozart: "A musical sleigh ride",
Single existing manuscript: Fürst Thurn and Taxis court library, Regensburg, Germany, parts only,
Signature Mozart 18
Edition Kunzelmann, Zurich, editor Raimund Rügge, first print 1985
Location:
Library of University Frankfurt
Hockenheimer Landstr. 134-138
D - 60325 Frankfurt on the Main
Signature: Mus.pr.Q 88.4

b) Arrangement by Franz Theodor Cursch-Bühren: "The sleigh ride"
Cursch-Bühren's source unknown
Breitkopf & Härtel 1896
Location IMSLP



Version Leopold Mozart
corresponds with Leopold Mozart's detailed description in his letter the 29.12.1755. His sleigh ride consists of 12 numbers:
01 Intrada (74 bars)
02 sleigh ride (82 bars)
03 The joggling horse (15 bars)
04 prozession (20 bars)
05 allegro (28 bars)
06 The wife shivering from cold (21 bars)
07 Menuet/Trio (52 bars)
08 Deutscher 1 (17 bars)
09 last dance (25 bars, seconda volta separated count)
10 Pianissimo (18 bars)
11 Deutscher 2 (16 bars)
12 last dance (24 bars, usual counting)

Instrumentation:
2 Oboi
2 Fagotti
2 Corni in F
2 Clarini in C
2 Trombe in C
Timpani
Sleigh ringing in F, A, C, E, G
Violino I
Violino II
Viola
Violoncello/Contrabasso


Version Cursch-Bühren
deviates from the original in many substantial ways as follows:
His version consists of 6 numbers only:
01 Intrada (32 bars, new composition)
02 sleigh ride (56 bars, final bars changed)
03 The wife shivering from cold (40 bars, new composition)
04 Minuetto (44 bars, part A simplified, Trio new composition)
05 last dance (32 bars, somewhat changed)
06 sleigh ride (56 bars, repetition of no. 02, senza replica)

Instrumentation:
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
Trumpet and drum (on 1 system)
Triangle and carillon (on 1 system)
Ratchet, friction drum and whip (on 1 system).

In my personal opinion Leopold Mozart's original sleigh ride has absolute preference over Cursch-Bühren's arrangement.

musical greetings
Karl Paulsson

[sbeckmesser]

So does the Kunzelmann edition qualify for IMSLP uploading? If so, it should be here.

--Sixtus

[Paulsson]

Hallo Sixtus,

after having revised I'll do so. There are mistakes.

Paulsson

[Paulsson]

Hallo Sixtus,

"sleigh-ride" ist probably under legal protection. See my posting in German forum.

Sorry.
Paulsson

[mrmusic1947]

Hi, coming to this discussion late in the day, but can you explain why the 2 versions have totally different music for the schlittenfahrt? Both appear to be recorded and published?

Ray