Life of Mozart

236 A PROFESSIONAL TOUR.second visit to Berlin, on May 26, Mozart played before theQueen, which was considered a politic step, without anyexpectation of a handsome present in return. Following theadvice of his friends, he did not attempt a public concert,seeing that there was no chance of a large profit, and theKing was averse to it. The latter, however, sent him apresent of 100 friedrichsdor, and expressed a wish thatMozart would write some quartets for him. This was thewhole result of the tour, diminished by a loan of 100 florinswhich Mozart thought it incumbent on him to make to afriend ;he might well write to his wife that she must be gladto see him, not the money he was bringing.Very different was the career of Dittersdorf, who came toBerlin in July of the same year. He had chosen the timewhen the visit of the Governess of the Netherlands occasionedfestivities of every kind, and he refreshed the memoryof the King, who had seen and invited him at Breslau, by thepresentation of six new symphonies. Immediately upon hisarrival he managed to ingratiate himself with Reichardt, wasby him presented to Madame Rietz, afterwards CountessLichtenau, and was very soon commanded by the King toput his " Doctor und Apotheker " in rehearsal, and to conductit at a court festival at Charlottenburg; he also receivedpermission to produce his oratorio of " Job " in the operahouse(hitherto only used by the court), with the resourcesof the royal Kapelle at his disposal. This, with additionsfrom other sources, increased his personnel to 200, and theperformance was highly successful, Dittersdorf quittingBerlin rich in money and honours.^^On May 28 Mozart set out on his homeward journey byway of Dresden and Prague, where he made a stay of a fewdays.« Dittersdorf, Selbstbiogr., p. 253. Cf. Mus. Monatsschr., p. 41.