Leck mich im Arsch (literally "Lick me in the arse") is a canon in B-flat major composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, K. 231 (K. 382c), with lyrics in German. It was one of a set of at least six canons probably written in Vienna in 1782. Sung by six voices as a three-part round, it is thought to be a party piece for his friends. A literal translation of the song's title and lyrics into English would be "Lick me in the arse". A more idiomatic translation would be "Kiss my arse!" Mozart died in 1791 and his widow, Constanze Mozart, sent the manuscripts of the canons to publishers Breitkopf & Härtel in 1799, saying that they would need to be adapted for publication. The publisher changed the title and lyrics of this canon to the more acceptable "Laßt froh uns sein" ("Let us be glad!"), similar to the traditional German Christmas carol, "Lasst uns froh und munter sein". Of Mozart's original text, only the first words were documented in Breitkopf publishers' catalogue of his works. A new text version, which may have been the authentic one, came to light in 1991. Handwritten texts to this and several other similar canons were found added to a printed score of the work in an historical printed edition acquired by Harvard University's Music Library. They had evidently been added to the book by a later hand. However, since in six of the pieces these entries matched texts that had, in the meantime, independently come to light in original manuscripts, it was hypothesised that the remaining three may, too, have been original, including texts for K. 231 ("Leck mich im Arsch" itself), and another Mozart work, "Leck mir den Arsch fein recht schön sauber" ("Lick my arse nice and clean", K. 233; K. 382d in the revised numbering). Later research has indicated that the latter composition is probably the work of Wenzel Trnka (1739--91).
I have heard of those pieces. I almost wish I hadn’t, but that is a bell that can never be unrung.
The inspiration behind those compositions serves to remind me no matter how grand and brilliantly elaborate the artist’s work appears, when all is said and done, he is but a flawed human being just like yourself.
He is someone capable of both the sublime and the ridiculous.
Sometimes, such vulgarities maybe an attempt to achieve some kind of essential balance. Mozarts music portrays a great amount of balance, symmetry, harmony and logical chord progressions. Perhaps his ugly little jokes were a way to lighten up, a way to allow a showcase for the unbalanced,the asymmetry and dischord.
Salvador Dali, an extreme Master of precision, order and attention to detail, had some of the same fixations.
Mozart has his bawdy side, but the Requiem is sublime beyond the sublime. We are all and individually many things and of many sides. Thanks for posting this.