SNIPPET: "At this period of my life I was rather vain, and very fond of fine clothes: indeed my greatest expense was the decoration of my precious person. I wore every evening, full dress embroidered coats, either gold, silver or silk. I wore two watches (as was the custom of the country) and a diamond ring on each of my little fingers..." Words of some young dandy of a nobleman? No, an Irish singer, Michael KELLY, one of the company engaged in 1784 to provide a season of Italian opera in Vienna. The principals, it seems, were accorded a proper respect. As well as receiving handsome fees, KELLY was provided with an elegantly furnished apartment, breakfast - 'with every delicacy of the season' - and an after perfomance supper, not to mention fuel, wax candles, and a carriage to take him to and from the theatre. When he was not performing, he'd often go to one of the taverns in the Prater, which was, as he tells us, frequented by people of all ranks, who would enjoy eating, drinking, dancing, music, and 'every description of merriment.' Young Michael KELLY clearly led a hectic social life. The British ambassador entertained him, as did many of the music-loving Austrian nobility. He was even given the occasional kind word by the EMPEROR, JOSEPH II, who according to KELLY was passionately fond of music and came to the opera almost every night. KELLY's first appearance in Vienna was in an opera by PAISIELLO, in which, though only 22, he played the part of an old man with great success. KELLY was also in works by the aged GLUCK, he sang in operas by SALIERI, and the two men got on well together, even making the odd excursion to the Prater, where once they were having a picnic and discussing music and they had to flee from an inquisitive wild boar. KELLY also spent some days in HAYDN's house on the splendid estate of Prince ESTERHAZY, where he was most hospitably entertained But what he called 'one of the greatest gratifications of my musical life' was being invited to a musical evening, where he met MOZART. MOZART, then 29, took a liking to KELLY and asked him often to his house, where they would drink punch and play billiards -- MOZART invariably won. KELLY, who had ambitions to be a composer, even ventured to show his new friend some of his airs, and sought his advice as to further lessons. He seemed naively pleased by MOZART's response. '...Now that your profession on the stage must, and ought, to occupy all your attention, it would be an unwise measure to enter into a dry study ... Nature has made you a melodist, and you would only disturb and perplex yourself ... should there be errors in what you write, you will find hundreds of musicians, in all parts of the world, capable of correcting them; therefore ! do not disturb your natural gift.' Surely a tactful comment, but, as KELLY said, MOZART was kind-hearted. He even arranged one of KELLY's airs as a vocal trio (K. 532), which much pleased the melodist. In later years, when KELLY was deeply involved in running Drury Lane Theatre and King's Theatre in London, and often singing as well, he was credited with the composition of numerous operas. He apparently took earlier advice from MOZART to 'keep to the melodies,' employing other musicians to do the rest. But whatever his ability as a composer, KELLY was said to be unique among 'playactor singers' in having a true tenor voice. It must have been good or MOZART would not have given him the parts of Don Curzio and Don Basilio in the premiere of his new opera, 'The Marriage of Figaro,' that took place in Vienna on 1 May 1786 in the presence of the Emperor. Of that occasion KELLY remarked: "It was allowed that never was opera stronger cast. I have seen it performed at different periods in other countries, and well too, but no more to compare with its original performance than light is to darkness. All the original performers had the advantage of the instruction of the composer, who transfused into their minds his inspired meaning. I never shall forget his little animated countenance, when lighted up with the glowing rays of genius -- it is impossible to describe it, as it would be to paint sunbeams." An enormous success, KELLY thought the audience would never stop applauding and calling for MOZART. The following year Michael KELLY decided to leave Vienna, travelling with his friends Nancy and Stephen STORACE, who had engagements in London. He was briefly back in Dublin in June, where he sang the part of Lionel in Charles DIBDIN's opera 'Lionel and Clarissa," in Smock Alley Theatre. It was in that theatre he had made his stage debut ten years earlier, and it was in that theatre he would sing for the last time, in 1811. KELLY died in 1826, having lived to see the success of his entertaining "Reminiscences." A new edition was published by the Oxford University Press in 1975, helpfully annotated by Roger FISKE. FISK quotes Sir Walter SCOTT as saying of KELLY: "Being born an Irishman, he has some of the reckless humour of his country, with a large share of its good nature." Both of these qualities are present in his memoirs, which give a vivid picture of life in music and theatre at the turn of the 18th century. -- Excerpts, "Venetia O'SULLIVAN, "Ireland of the Welcomes" magazine pub. in Dublin (Sept-Oct 1991)