was angry with Grimm, who desired that he should be ready for his
journey in a week, which was impossible, since he had still claims on
the Duc de Guines and on Le Gros, and must wait to correct the proofs of
his sonatas, and to sell the compositions he had with him.[40] He had
no small desire to write six more trios, for which he might expect good
payment. Grimm's evident wish that he should go, and his offer to
pay the journey to Strasburg (which seemed to the father a proof of
friendship) was considered by Wolfgang as distrust and insincerity.
Grimm no doubt wished to be relieved of the responsibility he had
undertaken as soon as possible, and may have offended his _protégé_
by too open an expression of his desire; but there is no doubt that he
acted according to the mind of the father, and in the sincere opinion
that the unpractical and vacillating young man required decided
treatment. But Wolfgang was so firmly convinced that his departure from
Paris was premature, that he wrote to his father from Strasburg (October
15, 1778), that it was the greatest folly in the world to go to Salzburg
now, and only his love to his father had induced him to set aside the
representations of his friends. He had been praised for this, but with
the remark that--
If my father had known my present good circumstances and prospects, and
had not believed the reports of certain false friends, he would not have
written to me in a way that I could not withstand. And I think myself
that if I had not been so annoyed in the house where I was staying,
and if the whole thing had not come upon me like a thunderbolt, so that
there was no time to consider it in cool blood, I should certainly have
begged you to have a little more patience, and to leave me in Paris; I
assure you I should have gained both money and fame, and been able to
extricate you from all your embarrassments. But it
{STRASBURG, 1778.}
(71)
is done now. Do not imagine that I repent the step, for only you, my
dear father, only you can sweeten for me the bitterness of Salzburg, and
we shall do it--I know we shall; but I must frankly own that I should
come to Salzburg with a lighter heart if I did not know that I was to be
in the service of the court. The idea is intolerable to me.
In the meantime business was wound up, the mother's property and the
heavy baggage was sent direct to Salzburg; and on September 26 Wolfgang
left Paris, having gained much experience but little satisfaction, as
depressed and out of humour as he had entered it.
FOOTNOTES CHAPTER XIX.
[Footnote 1: [Goudard] Le Brigandage de la Musique Italienne (Amsterdam, 1780)
is directed against Italian musicians, but includes in this category "Le
Général Gluck et son Lieutenant-Général Piccinni et tous les autres noms
en _ini_."]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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