I imagined that you`d receive my letters one at a time. I hope that the one from Mantua and one from Milan <sup>11</sup> Letters 155 and 157[Close] will be in your hands by now, making this my eighth letter. I`ve nothing to report except that we are well, thank God; that our hands, especially Wolfg.`s, are fully recovered; <sup>22</sup> See letter 157[Close] that the steward`s wife made the hand cream for us according to your instructions; that we attended the dress rehearsal of the new opera, Il Caesare in Egitto, yesterday; that the opera is very good; and that we saw and spoke to Maestro Piccini and Madame Piccinelli; that for the past fortnight we`ve had the most beautiful weather; that Wolfg. looks forward to his well-warmed mattress every day; that he can`t write as he`s working on 2 Latin motets <sup>33</sup> The two motets appear to be lost. Basso, I Mozart in Italia, suggests K143, Ergo interest—Quaere superna may be one of them, but that work was probably composed in Salzburg in late 1773 and therefore cannot be one of the motets mentioned by Leopold. But see also his letter of 4 August 1770 (letter 202), where he writes of only one motet[Close] for 2 young castratos, one of whom is 15, the other 16 years old. <sup>44</sup> According to Basso, I Mozart in Italia, 179, possibly Cristoforo Arnaboldi and Luigi Marchesi[Close] They asked him to write them for them, and because they are friends and sing so beautifully, he could not refuse them; that it is most vexing for me to see and hear these boys, while knowing that I can`t bring them back to Salzb. with me; that I foresee a longer stay in Milan than I imagined; that His Excellency Count Firmian is not yet fully recovered from his cold; that I`ve just found another piece in the paper describing how they literally waylaid us in Bozolo; <sup>55</sup> Gazzetta di Mantova, 26 January 1770:‘They write from Bozolo that towards one o’clock at night on the 19th of this month the celebrated boy Sig. Wolfango Amadeo Mozart arrived here, who had no sooner alighted at the coaching inn of this town, that he was most courteously received by the Archpriest Don Carlo Saragozzi, Professor of Music, and then taken by the same in a carriage to his house; and that the said famous little boy in the course of some two hours gave proofs of his amazing talent, sight-reading at the harpsichord various sonatas by several worthy composers, and especially a trio composed by Sig. Giuseppe Saragozzi, also a Master and Professor of Music, giving indescribable pleasure and satisfaction to both the political and the military authorities there, and many other gentlemen who happened to be present; and that when, on the following morning, he had fully satisfied the people of that place, he departed in the direction of Cremona’ (Deutsch, Mozart. A Documentary Biography, 109-10). According to Italian time-keeping conventions, ‘towards one o’clock at night’ was about six in the evening. Saragozzi’s trio is apparently lost[Close] that there`s something about Count Arco`s skills in the article on Mantua, ⁶⁶ This article appears to be lost. The only known account from Mantua of Mozart’s performance there (see letter 157   Read More  ), does not mention Arco[Close] a piece that I would ask you to show to His Excellency Count Arco with my most humble good wishes; that Wolfg. thanks you for your birthday greetings; ⁷⁷ Mozart turned 14 on 27 January 1770[Close] that you should wait a few more days to receive answers from Gräffer in Vienna and from Breitkopf in Leipzig; that Wolfg. and I kiss you and Nannerl 1000 times; and that I am ever your
honest husband
Mozart
Please give my very best wishes to the whole of Salzb. in alphabetical order and in keeping with their status. Have the 2 flutes been cleaned? - - Is Nannerl keeping busy practising the harpsichord? - - Has the ring been repaired in which the wax from the seal got stuck?