critics, Leopold
opened a volume of Metastatio, at the first aria, which he placed in
front of Wolfgang, and before that assemblage of critical older men,
the boy seized a pen and wrote without hesitation, music to the aria
for several instruments, and with such incredible swiftness that the
company watching him were dumb with amazement at his ability.

But matters did not grow brighter--all sorts of unpleasant incidents
occurred to embitter the tourists, and at the end of a year the family
returned once again to Salzburg.

At that time Italy was the Mecca of the musician, and to study and win
his first laurels there was the ideal of every musical student. The
musical atmosphere of Salzburg was narrow and provincial, and Leopold
Mozart wished Wolfgang to escape from it, so presently we find young
Mozart and his father journeying Southward to Italy where Wolfgang is
studying, meeting interesting people, playing in public, and writing
amusing letters home to Nannerl, who was becoming more devoted to her
home duties now, than to her music, but even so it was always into her
ears that Wolfgang poured his musical feelings, sure that he would be
understood.

When he was in Rome, he saw in the Sistine chapel the painting of "The
Last Judgment," while listening to the wonderful music of "The
Miserere," which music is only performed in Holy Week by the Pope's
choir, and no one has ever been allowed to have a copy of the music or
even to see it. But so accurate was little Mozart's memory, that after
leaving the chapel, he not only wrote out the music correctly, but
could also sing it perfectly, a feat which made him the musical marvel
of his age!

For two years he worked and studied, and accomplished great things
musically, then the Elector of Bavaria invited him to write a comic
opera for the Carnival, which invitation the boy joyfully accepted, and
at once set to work on the none too easy task. He was now at home
again, and his father and Nannerl listened eagerly to his themes, as
bit by bit he elaborated them.

In due time the opera was finished; it was called "La Finta Giardiniera,"
and Wolfgang, accompanied by his father and pretty sister, set off for
Munich, where the performance was to be given, where court life was
very gay just then, and where Nannerl and Wolfgang were sure to have
much to amuse and interest them.

Nannerl was taken to board by a widow who lived in the old market-place,
while Leopold and the youn