“For example, sing me this air—‘Fin chan dal vino!’”
He stepped to the piano; Bassi followed him somewhat unwillingly; and just glancing at the notes, began hurriedly and with not too gentle a touch.
“Gently—gently!” cried Mozart, laughing, and interrupting his playing; “not so con furio over hedge and stone! Can you not wait, to keep pace with my music? Where I have written presto, must you sing prestissimo, and pay no heed at all to forte and piano? Eh? who sings there? a drunken beast of a landlord, or a merry Spanish cavalier, who thinks more of his gentle love, than of the wine? I pray you—drink a glass of champagne, think of your beloved, and, mark me! when it begins to hum in your ears—in the softest, most ærial tempo, piano, piano! crescendo forte piano! till at the last all crashes together in the loud, wild jubilation—that is what I mean.”
And Bassi, inspired by the exhortation of the master, sprang up, drank a glass of champagne, snatched a kiss from the lovely cheek of Saporitti, began the air anew, and completed it this time with such effect, that the whole company were electrified and encored the song with shouts of applause.
“Well!” cried Mozart with a smile, after Bassi had three times rehearsed it, “said I not so? does it not go off pleasantly!” Before he could prevent it, Bassi seized his hand, kissed it, and said modestly—
“I will do my best—to have you satisfied with me!”
HERR VON NEPUMUCK.
At Duscheck’s urgent request, Mozart quitted his abode in the city, and removed to Kosohirz to the country-seat of his friend. He came there on a lovely morning in September. Duscheck had quietly arranged a little fête, and the composer was not a little surprised and delighted to find himself welcomed to his new abode by his assembled friends and acquaintances. To crown his joy, Duscheck handed him a written request, signed by many of the most distinguished citizens of Prague, that he would very soon give a concert! For this purpose the theatre was placed freely at his disposal, and Count Johann von Thurn had offered to bear the expenses. Mozart, with a heart full, observed—
“The Viennese did not this to me.”
“It seems, my friend,” said Duscheck, “that your good Viennese, as you always call them, knew not rightly what they had in you, and less what they should do with you! The Emperor left you without a place, and made the sneak, Salieri, master of the musical band; while he well knew who you were and who Salieri was;—and the people of Vienna looked on quietly—O, fie!”