I must ask your forgiveness for two things,—­first, that I have not written to you for so long; and secondly, that this time also I must be brief.  My not having answered you sooner is the fault of no one but yourself, and your first letter to me at Mannheim.  I really never could have believed—­but silence!  I will say no more on the subject.  Lot us have done with it.  Next Wednesday, the 9th, I leave this; I cannot do so sooner, because, thinking that I was to be here for a couple of months, I accepted some pupils, and of course wish to make out the twelve lessons.  I assure you that you have no idea what kind and true friends I have here, which time will prove.  Why must I be so brief?  Because my hands are more than full.  To please Herr Gemmingen and myself, I am writing the first act of the melodramatic opera (that I was commissioned to write), but now do so gratis; I shall bring it with me and finish it at home.  You see how strong my inclination must be for this kind of composition.  Of course Herr von Gemmingen is the poet.  The duodrama is called “Semiramis.”

Next Wednesday I set off, and do you know how I travel?  With the worthy prelate, the Bishop of Kaisersheim.  When a kind friend of mine mentioned me to him, he at once knew my name, expressing the pleasure it would be to him to have me as a travelling companion.  He is (though a priest and prelate) a most amiable man.  I am therefore going by Kaisersheim and not by Stuttgart; but it is just the same to me, for I am very lucky in being able to spare my purse a little (as it is slender enough) on the journey.  Be so good as to answer me the following questions.  How do the comedians please at Salzburg?  Is not the young lady who sings, Madlle.  Keiserin?  Does Herr Feiner play the English horn?  Ah! if we had only clarionets too!  You cannot imagine the splendid effect of a symphony with flutes, hautboys, and clarionets.  At my first audience of the Archbishop I shall tell him much that is new, and also make some suggestions.  Oh, how much finer and better our orchestra might be if the Archbishop only chose!  The chief cause why it is not so, is that there are far too many performances.  I make no objection to the chamber-music, only to the concerts on a larger scale.

A propos, you say nothing of it, but I conclude you have received the trunk; if not, Herr von Grimm is responsible for it.  You will find in it the aria I wrote for Madlle.  Weber.  You can have no idea of the effect of that aria with instruments; you may not think so when you see it, but it ought to be sung by a Madlle.  Weber!  Pray, give it to no one, for that would be most unfair, as it was written solely for her, and fits her like a well-fitting glove.

120.

Kaisersheim, Dec. 18, 1778.