Yesterday I went to Cichocki's (the fat fellow's) birthday party. I played Spohr's quintet for piano, clarinet, bassoon, French horn and flute most beautiful, but badly written for the piano. Everything he tried to write expressly for piano display is intolerably difficult and it is often impossible to work out a fingering. The quintet was supposed to be played at seven o'clock but we did not begin until eleven... I was there till three o'clock. The quintet began so late because the ballet rehearsal lasted until eleven: you will gather from that what an enormous ballet it is. There will be a kicking- up of heels today! << less