The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-02
Won BUI,OW.
The Distinguished MusIeian'n fcccntri'
CITIES Get Him Into Trouble.

- E.. ---@---
rhs Distinguished Musieian'n Rcccntri'
cities Oct Him Into Tronble.
Sts York Sun.
Tho announcement that Hans Won Blu.
low, the eminent pianist, has Loaf his posi-
lion ss court pisnist to the Emperor OF
Germany for publicly insulting Her Won
Hulsen, in,endant OF the Royal Opera at
may not seem Of much consequence
10 Americans, with whom a mere title does
not count for much, but in a monarchy.
where arc marked distinctions Of caste, II
Is considered a severe punishment. The
title and position enabled the pianist to
appear ut court. His dismissal Is the vim.
dica!ion OF another Government official,
for the %in.endnnt or manager OF eRCa oil
the royal opera houses throughout Prussia
is a Government officer. No doubt Won
Bulow would have escaped censure had
he offered q suitable apology for his first
%olIsnse, but he aggravated the matter by
adding o second insult to the original.
Tho circumstances oil tho original otlcnae
were as follows: At a concert In Berlin
Won Bu!ow, In response 10 the generous
applause which followed one OF his per.
iormances, took his aeat at the piano and
playe HI arrangement Of tho coronation
march from THE Prophet" The audience
surprised at tho selection, but still
more astonished when, in%.responBs TO an
other round OF, applause, he came 10 the
front OF the stage and said: II thought It
only proper to play tho march, as many
OF YOU doubtless heard II converted into
circus music at the performance OF THE
Prophet at the Royal Opera House last
night" Won Ilulsen, though highly in.
divnant, took 10 notice OF the insult further
than to post up bulletins In the opera house
requesting The artists and other employees
not 10 discuss tho matter, and declaring
that tho remark waB not extraordinary
from a person OF Won Bulow's known &c.
centricity. 1t WIS hoped that the matter
would end here, but Won Bulow forthwith
wrote TO three well known German show.
men, among them REM, apologizing to
them for placing tho orchestra Of the Royal
Opera Iloune on Il par with their circus
bands. This was too much for Won HUI
sen, and he accordingly obtained the dis.
missal OF his critic from tho position OF
CONT pianist.
Won uulsen's reference to Won Bulow's
eccpntricities was not unreasonable. He
showed them occasionally during his l.
gagement hero. 1t is usual for our piano
manufacturers, when a celebrated pianist
playa in public OF n Of their pianos, to
suspend il placard with their name from
the caee. This was done regularly by tho
firm on whose pianos Won Bulow played
| while in this country. One night while
playing at q concertin one Of the Southern
cities he stopped in tho middle Of q piece,
rose. jsrked the placard oil, threw it on
the floor and resumed his seat, beginning
the piece over again. He had not played
more than a couple dozen bars when he
once more jumped up from his seat and
began kickingt the placard over the stage,
not desisting until he had kicked it jn,oa
fsr.oif corner. Then he began the comp osi-
ton again and played it through, casting,
however, aa he left the stage, a malicious
look at the placard.
tle once played in this city B%eethoven's
great "Sonato for das Hammerclavier,"
which contains q passage calling for an un-
usually prolonged trill. Tho pianist was
well started on the trill when suddenly he
stopped. He got up from the seat and
walked all around the piano, STOPPING ovel
it and peering into the cases. Having done
this, he resumed his seat and began Ggain.
When the came point in the trill was
reached he deaisted once more, jumped up,
stamped so violently that he made the
dust lyr aud rushed off the stage with furi.
OILS gesticulations. German cuss.words in
abundance were heard from behind the
stage door, until ho reappcared with two
men, who showed the offensive piano aside
and.moved another into it's place. Then
he cat down and played the sonata through.
Alter his return to Germany, Won Bulow
became conductor OF the opera al" Hanover.
His engagement, which resulted in a series
Of brilliant productions and revivals, came
10 a sudden close by HIS row with the tenor,
Schott. Once, while Schott was singing
"Lohengrin," Won Bulow dropped the con-
ductor's baton, and cloeed both cara with
his hands. This was more than Schott,
could stand. lie refused to sing If Won
Bulow remained; and as it is easier to OBJ.
tain good conductors in Germany than
good tenors, the conductor had TO 90.
While in Hanover ho showed his eccsa-
tricity by giving Beethoven's Ninth Sym
phony twice in succession at a concert.
Won Bnlow always coduc's by heart, and,
after leaving Hanover and going to Meiu-
ingen TO found his orchestra there, he made
that orchestra perform several Of Bestho-
ven's symphonies by hear.
Ills relations with Wagner also show his
eccentricity. Won Bulow married q daugh-
ter Of List, but she obtained o divorce
and married Wagner, who in his relations
with her sex vas almost as remarkable as
in his compositions. Whenever thereafter
Won Bulow came across any n who had
been to Bayreuth, he would say "Ah, then
You have seen my wife and children. How
arc they :" But, though Wagner had cur
risd of; his wife and children, he raised by
concerts 10000 marks for the Bayreuth
fund. He never went to Bayreu!h, how
ever.
. ~. ThC MRn in Tho Mann.