him that he must take great care of himself and beware of any
unusual exertion. Be sure you tell him this. I intend shortly to
send you a minuet that Herr Pick danced on the stage, and which
every one in Milan was dancing at the feste di ballo, only that
you may see by it how slowly people dance. The minuet itself is
beautiful. Of course it comes from Vienna, so no doubt it is
either Teller's or Starzer's. It has a great many notes. Why?
Because it is a theatrical minuet, which is in slow time. The
Milan and Italian minuets, however, have a vast number of notes,
and are slow and with a quantity of bars; for instance, the first
part has sixteen, the second twenty, and even twenty-four.

We made the acquaintance of a singer in Parma, and also heard her
to great advantage in her own house--I mean the far-famed
Bastardella. She has, first, a fine voice; second, a flexible
organ; third, an incredibly high compass. She sang the following
notes and passages in my presence.

[Here, Mozart illustrates with about 20 measures of music]



9.

Rome, April 14, 1770.

I AM thankful to say that my stupid pen and I are all right, so
we send a thousand kisses to you both. I wish that my sister were
in Rome, for this city would assuredly delight her, because St.
Peter's is symmetrical, and many other things in Rome are also