Page:Selected letters of Mendelssohn 1894.djvu/60

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SELECTED LETTERS OF

whether Bai’s or Allegri’s (the same “embellimento” occur in either), the original is:—

$\relative c' { \time 4/4 \key c \minor \partial 2 << { << { d'2 ~ d c ~ <aes, c c'>1 ~ c'2 b4 a <g b>1\fermata\bar ".." } \\ { s2 <c, ees g>1 g'2 fis <g, d' g>1 ~ <g d'> } >> } >> }$

instead of which they sing:—

$\relative c' { << \time 4/4 \key c \minor \partial 2 << { s2 g''1 ~ g2 c2 ~ c1 \grace bes8 aes2 \grace g8 \afterGrace fis 2 { g32 fis e fis } g1 ~ g ~ g ~ g \bar ".." } \\ { d2 d c ~ c1 ~ c c c ~ c ~ c2 b4 a b1 } >> \new Staff { \time 4/4 \key c \minor \partial 2 \clef bass \relative c { << { s2 <c' ees>1 ~ <c ees> ~ <c ees> ~ <c ees> ~ <c ees>2 ees4 d <c ees>2 d4 c d1 ~ d } \\ { s2 s1 aes ~ aes ~ aes g ~ g ~ g ~ g \bar ".." } >> } } >> }$

The way in which the soprano takes that high C quite clearly and softly, making it resound at length, and then dropping slowly down, while the alto all the time maintains his own C, so that at first I was deceived, and fancied the high C had been sustained; that and all the gradual development of the harmony from itself is truly glorious. The other variations are worked into the original in the same way, but this one is by far the most beautiful.