At last, unable to restrain his indignation, he deliberately placed his
violin in the case, gathered up his music from the stand, and withdrew
from the concert-room without ceremony, leaving the concert, her
Majesty, and his Royal Highness to the reproaches of the audience.
This scene is an exact parallel of one which occurred at the house
of Cardinal Ottoboni, when Corelli resented in similar fashion the
impertinence of some of his auditors.

Everywhere in artistic and aristocratic circles at the French capital
Viotti's presence was eagerly sought. Private concerts were so much the
vogue in Paris that musicians of high rank found more profit in these
than in such as were given to the miscellaneous public. A delightful
artistic rendezvous was the hôtel of the Comte de Balck, an enthusiastic
patron and friend of musicians. Here Viotti's friend, Garat, whose voice
had so great a range as to cover both the tenor and barytone registers,
was wont to sing; and here young Orfila, the brilliant chemist,
displayed his magnificent tenor voice in such a manner as to attract the
most tempting offers from managers that he should desert the laboratory
for the stage. But the young Portuguese was fascinated with science,
and was already far advanced in the career which made him in his day
the greatest of all authorities on toxicological chemistry. The most
brilliant and gifted men and women of Paris haunted these reunions,
and Viotti always appeared at his best amid such surroundings.
Another favorite resort of his was the house of Mme. Montegerault at
Montmorency, a lady who was a brilliant pianist. Sometimes she would
seat herself at her instrument and begin an improvisation, and Viotti,
seizing his violin, would join in the performance, and in a series of
extemporaneous passages display his great powers to the delight of all
present.