Life of Mozart

—Il8 MOZART IN PRAGUE.1786. August I. Piano sonata for four hands in F major (497 K.).August 5. Terzet for piano, clarinet, and violin, in E flat major(498 K.).August 19. Quartet for two violins, viola, and violoncello, in Dmajor (499 K.).September 12. a,Twelve variations for the piano in B flat major(500 K.).November 4.Variations for the piano for four hands in G major(501 K.).November 18. Terzet for piano, violin, and violoncello, in Bflat major5(503 K.).Then follow three compositions intended for the winterconcerts :1786. December 4. Pianoforte concerto in C major (503 K.).December 6. Symphony in D major (504 K.).December 27. Scena con rondo with pianoforte solo, for Mdlle.Storace and myself, in E flat major (505 K.).We cannot wonder that he turned a willing ear to theentreaties of his English friends, that he would leave Viennain the autumn of 1786 (his wife having presented him onOctober 27, 1786, with their third son, Leopold, who diedthe following spring) and visit England ; this plan wasseriously considered, and only abandoned upon hisfather'sstrong opposition to it (Vol. II., p. 274). There soon afterreached him an invitation from another quarter, giving stillgreater prospect of success and encouragement. " Figaro "made its way but slowly to most of the other great towns ofEurope,^ but in Prague, where the "Entführung" had lefta very pleasing impression, it was performed at once, andwith the greatest success.The national taste for music which early distinguished2 "Figaro" was first performed in Berlin, September 14, 1790 (Schneider,Gesch. d. Oper, p. 59), and praised by the critics as a masterpiece, while theordinary public preferred Martin and Dittersdorf (Chronik von Berlin, VIII.,pp. 1229, 1244. Berl. Mus. Monatsschr., 1792, p. 137). "Figaro" had nogreater success in Italy than others of Mozart's operas :" Mozart's operas, atthe hands of the Italian comic singers and the Italian public, have met with thefate which would befall a retiring sober man introduced to a company ofdrunkards; the rioters would be sure to treat the sober man as a fool " (Berl.Mus. Ztg., 1793, p. 77)- Thus, failure was reported from Florence (A. M. Z.,III., p. 182) and Milan (A. M. Z., XVII., p. 294). " Figaro " has lately been on