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performer, who is a fat, good-natured
man, by being long accustomed to lead
so great a number of hands, has acquired
a stile of playing, which is somewhat
rough and inelegant, and consequently
more fit for an orchestra than a chamber.
He sung, however, several buffo songs
very well, and accompanied himself on
the violin in so masterly a manner, as to
produce most of the effects of a nume-
rous band. After dinner, he had a second
to accompany him in one of Giardini's
solos, and in several other things.
I spent this whole evening with Barbel-
la, who now delivered to me all the mate-
rials which he had been able to collect,
relative to a history of the Neapolitan
conservatorios, as well as anecdotes of
the old composers and performers of that
school: besides these, I wrote down all
the verbal information I could extract
from his memory, concerning musical
persons and things. During my visit, I
heard one of his best scholars play a solo
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