with me to-day to Count Savioli's. Cannabich was there at the
time. Herr Holzbauer said to the Count in Italian that I wished
to have the honor of playing before his Serene Highness the
Elector. "I was here fifteen years ago," said I, "but now I am
older and more advanced, and I may say in music also"--"Oh!" said
the Count, "you are"--I have no idea whom he took me for, as
Cannabich interrupted him, but I affected not to hear, and
entered into conversation with the others. Still I observed that
he was speaking of me very earnestly. The Count then said to me,
"I hear that you play the piano very tolerably?" I bowed.

I must now tell you about the music here. On Saturday, All-
Saints' day, I attended high mass. The orchestra is very good and
numerous. On each side ten or eleven violins, four tenors, two
hautboys, two flutes, and two clarionets, two corni, four
violoncellos, four bassoons, and four double basses, besides
trumpets and kettle-drums. This should give fine music, but I
would not venture to produce one of my masses here. Why? From
their being short? No, everything is liked short. From their
church style? By no means; but solely because NOW in Mannheim,
under present circumstances, it is necessary to write chiefly for
the instruments, for nothing can possibly be conceived worse than
the voices here. Six soprani, six alti, six tenori, and six
bassi, to twenty violins and twelve bassi, are in the same
proportion as 0 to 1. Is it not so, Herr Bullinger? It proceeds
from this:--The Italians are miserably represented: they have
only two musici here, and they are already old. This race is
dying out. These soprano singers, too, would prefer singing
counter-tenor; for they can no longer take the high notes. The
few boys they have are wretched. The tenor and bass just like our