old Diarist Pepys and Corsica Boswell. We shall quote somewhat at, length from his letter, since it has hitherto come under the notice of none of the biographers, and yet gives us so lively a picture of young Beethoven and his friends.
“On the very first day,” writes Junker, “I heard the small hand which plays daily at dinner, during the stay of the Elector at Mergentheim. The instruments are two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, and two horns. These eight performers may well be called masters in their art. One can rarely hear music of the kind, distinguished by such perfect unity of effect and such sympathy with each other in the performers, and especially in which so high a degree of exactness and perfection of style is reached. This band appeared to me to differ from all others I have heard in this,—that it plays music of a higher order; on this occasion, for instance, it gave an arrangement of Mozart’s overture to ‘ Don Juan.’”
It would be interesting to know what, if any, of the works of Beethoven for wind-instruments belong to this period of his life.
“ Soon after the dinner-music,” continues our writer, “ the play began, it was the opera, ‘ King Theodor,’ music by Palsiello. The part of Theodor was sung by Herr Nüdler, a powerful singer in tragic scenes, and a good actor. Achmet was given by Herr Spitzeder,—a good bass singer, but with too little action, and not always quite true, — in short, too cold. The inn-keeper was Herr Lux, a very good bass, and the best actor,—a man created for the comic. The part of Lizette was taken by Demoiselle Willmann. She sings in excellent taste, has very great power of expression, and a lively, captivating action. Herr Mändel, in Sandrino, proved himself also a very fine and pleasing singer. The orchestra was surpassingly good,—especially in its piano and forte, and its careful crescendo. Herr Ries, that remarkable reader of scores, that great player, directed with his violin. He is a man who may well be placed beside Cannabich, and by his powerful and certain tones he gave life and soul to the whole.
“The next morning, (October 12,) at ten o’clock, the rehearsal for the concert began, which was to be given at court at six in the afternoon. Herr Welsch (oboist) had the politeness to invite me to be present. It was held at the lodgings of Herr Ries, who received me with a hearty shake of the hand. Here I was an eye-witness of the gentlemanly bearing of the members of the Chapel toward each other. One heart, one mind rules them. ‘ We know nothing of the cabals and chicanery so common; among us the most perfect unanimity prevails; we, as members of one company, cherish for each other a fraternal affection,’ said Simrock to me.
“Here also I was an eye-witness to the esteem and respect in which this chapel stands with the Elector. Just as the rehearsal was to begin, Rios was sent for by the prince, and upon his return brought a bag of gold. ‘ Gentlemen,’ said he, ‘this being the Elector's name-day, he sends you a present of a thousand thalers.’
“ And again I was eye-witness of this orchestra’s surpassing excellence. Herr Winnobergor, Kapellmeister at Wallenstein, laid before it a symphony of his own composition, which was by no means easy of execution, especially for the wind-instruments, which bad several solos concertante. It went finely, however, at the first trial, to the great surprise of the composer.
“An hour after the dinner-music, the concert began. It was opened with a symphony of Mozart; then followed a recitative and air, sung by Simonetti; next a violoncello concerto, played by Herr Hornberger [Bernhard Romberg]; fourthly, a symphony, by Pleyel; fifthly, an air by Righini, sung by Simonetti; sixthly, a double concerto for violin and violoncello, played by the two Rombergs; and the closing piece was the symphony by Winneberger, which had very many brilliant passages. The opinion already expressed as to the performance of this orches-
