71.

Mannheim, Nov. 4, 1777.

I am at Cannabich's every day, and mamma went with me there to-
day. He is a very different man from what he formerly was,
[FOOTNOTE: Mozart had been at his house, when a boy, with his
father.] and the whole orchestra say the same. He is very fond of
me. He has a daughter who plays the piano very nicely, and in
order to make him still more friendly towards me I am working
just now at a sonata for her, which is finished all but the
Rondo. When I had completed the first allegro and andante, I took
it to him myself and played it over; you can't think what
applause this sonata receives. There chanced to be some of the
musicians there at the moment--young Danner, Lang, who plays the
French horn, and the hautboy-player, whose name I forget, but who
plays remarkably well, and has a pleasing delicate tone [Ramm]. I
made him a present of a concerto for the hautboy; it is being
copied in Cannabich's room. The man is wild with delight. I
played him the concerto to-day at Cannabich's, and THOUGH KNOWN
TO BE MINE it pleased very much. No one said that it was NOT WELL
COMPOSED, because people here don't understand these things. They
ought to apply to the Archbishop; he would soon put them on the
right scent. [FOOTNOTE: The Archbishop never was satisfied with
any of the compositions that Mozart wrote for his concerts, but
invariably had some fault to find with them.] I played all my six
sonatas to-day at Cannabich's. Herr Kapellmeister Holzbauer went