the cavatina of Celidora. But that will never do. In Celidora's
cavatina the words are comfortless and hopeless, while in
Lavina's cavatina they are full of comfort and hope. Moreover it
is hackneyed and no longer customary habit to let one singer echo
the song of another. At best it might only be done by a soubrette
and her sweetheart at ultime parti."

(Vienna, December 24, 1783, to his father. The Italian phrase is
a direction that the music of a preceding cavatina might be used
for a second cavatina.)

46. "It is much more natural, since they have all come to an
agreement in the quartetto to carry out their plan of attack that
the men leave the stage to gather their helpers together, and the
women quietly retire to their retreat. All that can be allowed
them is a few lines of recitative."

(Vienna, December 24, 1783, to his father. The situation referred
to was in Varesco's opera which never reached completion.)

47. "At six o'clock I drove with Count Canal to the so-called
'Breitfeldischen Ball' where the pick of the beauties of Prague
are in the habit of congregating. That would have been something
for you, my friend! I fancy seeing you,--not walking, but
limping,--after all the pretty girls and women! I did not dance,
neither did I spoon;--the first because I was too tired, the
second because of my congenital bashfulness. But I saw with great
pleasure how all these people hopped about delightedly to the
music of my 'Figaro' turned into contradances and Allemands.
Here nothing is talked about except 'Figaro,' nothing played,