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01,+2 31#41,--$5#67"'85$,4/

1hls composlLlon ls conLalned ln a leLLer daLed !une 26, 1831, now housed ln Lhe lerponL Morgan
Llbrary. 1he reclplenL of Lhe leLLer was Slr Ceorge SmarL, an Lngllsh composer and organlsL, who also
played Lhe vlola. 1he composlLlon of a vlola dueL seemed Lo be a long-sLandlng [oke beLween Lhe Lwo,
!"# %" ! &!'() &(''() '* +,!)' -#!'(# .!)/0 123 45657 .("#(&88*0" 9)%'(8: ;<"# 80!&& = )(!&&> !"#
8()%*?8&> 9)%'( ! '("*) @A%*&!B #?('CD =" '0%8 earller leLLer from 1831, Mendelssohn dlscusses Lhe orlgln of
Lhe canon:

8uL Lhls remlnds me of my greaL negllgence ln performlng a promlse l gave Lo you aL my
deparLure. 1he ldea of Lhe LenordueL presenLed lLself Lo my consclence, and l felL myself gullLy. l
would have wrlLLen lL down and senL lL Lo you lmmedlaLely, buL as l do noL exacLly know ln
whlch sLyle you would llke lL, l Lhlnk lL beLLer Lo send you flrsL a speclmen here, ln order Lo ask
you, wheLher l shall conLlnue lL Lhe same way:

1he shorL LwenLy measure canon follows, wlLh lnlLlals deslgnaLlng SmarL as vlola l and Mendelssohn as
vlola ll. AL Lhe end of Lhe dueL, Mendelssohn lndlcaLes: !"# %&'() *( *(+:, whlch he commenLs on:

?ou see ln Lhls manner lL goes Lo eLernlLy and perhaps you should llke Lo have Lhe dueL
somewhaL shorLer. As soon as l shall know your orders abouL lL l wlll seL myself aL work and wlll
noL come Lo orLland SLreeL buL wlLh Lhe flnlshed LenordueL ln my hand. l hope you recollecL
LhaL you promlsed noL Lo play (nelLher Lhe speclmen nor Lhe whole) wlLh any oLher Lenorplayer
buL me.

uavld M. 8ynog


AvS ubllcaLlons 004