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of books and manuscripts. The richness of his taste, in singing, makes ample a- mends for the want of force in his voice, which is now but a thread. He has a great collection of Palestrini's composi- tions, and furnished me with several of them, which I could not get elsewhere. Signor Mazzanti is famous for singing the poem of Tasso to the same melody as the Gondoliers of Venice. This he does with infinite taste, accompanying himself on the violin, with the harmony of which he produces curious and pleasing effects. I prevailed on him to write me down the original melody, in order to compare it with one that I took down at Venice, while it was singing on the great canal.
He has compofed many things himself, such as operas and motets for voices; and trios, quartets, quintets, and other pieces for violins. He plays pretty well on the violin, and is in possession of the most beautiful and perfect Steiner I ever saw. He has advanced very far in the theory of
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