that I was here.  Twice at that time I saw a similar piece performed, which afforded me the greatest pleasure; in fact, nothing ever surprised me so much, for I had always imagined that a thing of this kind would make no effect.  Of course you know that there is no singing in it, but merely recitation, to which the music is a sort of obligato recitativo.  At intervals there is speaking while the music goes on, which produces the most striking effect.  What I saw was Benda’s “Medea.”  He also wrote another, “Ariadne auf Naxos,” and both are truly admirable.  You are aware that of all the Lutheran Capellmeisters Benda was always my favorite, and I like those two works of his so much that I constantly carry them about with me.  Conceive my joy at now composing the very thing I so much wished!  Do you know what my idea is?—­that most operatic recitatives should be treated in this way, and the recitative only occasionally sung when the words can be thoroughly expressed by the music.  An Academie des Amateurs is about to be established here, like the one in Paris, where Herr Franzl is violin leader, and I am at this moment writing a concerto for violin and piano.  I found my dear friend Raaff still here, but he leaves this on the 8th.  He has sounded my praises here, and shown sincere interest in me, and I hope he will do the same in Munich.  Do you know what that confounded fellow Seeau said here?—­that my opera buffa had been hissed at Munich!  Fortunately he said so in a place where I am well known; still, his audacity provokes me; but the people, when they go to Munich, will hear the exact reverse.  A whole flock of Bavarians are here, among others Fraulein de Pauli (for I don’t know her present name).  I have been to see her because she sent for me immediately.  Oh! what a difference there is between the people of the Palatinate and those of Bavaria!  What a language it is! so coarse! and their whole mode of address!  It quite annoys me to hear once more their hoben and olles (haben and alles), and their worshipful sir.  Now good-bye! and pray write to me soon.  Put only my name, for they know where I am at the post-office.  I am so well known here that it is impossible a letter for me can be lost.  My cousin wrote to me, and by mistake put Franconian Hotel instead of Palatine Hotel.  The landlord immediately sent the letter to M. Serrarius’s, where I lodged when I was last here.  What rejoices me most of all in the whole Mannheim and Munich story is that Weber has managed his affairs so well.  They have now 1600 florins; for the daughter has 1000 florins and her father 400, and 200 more as prompter.  Cannabich did the most for them.  It is quite a history about Count Seeau; if you don’t know it, I will write you the details next time.