The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-02

But, o rniraclel day came at last when the
vision no longer fed the hand that sought IL. 1t
suddenly took the bodily form of woman.
Liszt touched her forehead, her long blonde hair,
her adorable blue eYesi He whispered to her,
Gomez She said to him. "Let Us Ayi" And
Lszt and she fed from the aged husband. the
Count dAgout. to a pretty little villa hidden IN
some mysterious spot along the chores of Lake
Geneva For long time Liszt loved to
say: "When You visit Geneva just take
peep at the little white house. 1t is
the place Of my second birth. There
my soul was born into the larger and grander
life.r Alas. from that standpoint it must be
confessed that Liszt has been born again many
times Nevertheless, the influence of the
Countess dAgout ("Daniel Stern") was very
fruitful most remarkable woman herself.
she impaired to Iiszt all her own physical en-
ergy-but not security, state of soul never en-
joyed by either OF them.
A fair contemporary OF that period tells me
that she present when List was first intro
duced by Count d'Agout to his wife in that well
known parlor on the ground floor of the Hotel
de Nesle, which all fashionable Paris visited
from time to time. List already looked like
that engraved portrait of him which everybody
now knows But he had also that Byronic air
which he lost early in lfe and which can be
found again only in the beautiful portrait of him
painted by AIRY Scheffer.
Daniel Stern said of Liszt Thirst for the
impossible devoured his heart and thirst for the
beautiful in every form consumed him. He
lacked force of concentration; his was the force
of expansion only" And one day this Unsuitable
thirst led LisZt to the Grande Chartreuse Mon
astery. / have been assured that the general OF
the Chartreux was very proud of such con
quest. just as Piux TX must heve been after
ward He wished to keep what he had won. He
gave List private call. He allowed him to
wear Chartreux robe Like Charles v, Lii SIT
wished to see himself in the tomb. At the end
of four days he grew weary of it The general
of the Chartreux made mistake in not giving
him at least an organ-if not piano. That vast
and complicated instrument would seem to be
the verirable instrument of List The great
vrtuoso knew so we'll how TO transcribe whole
orchestra upon the piano. What a spectacle it
would have been-what effects! List I'D there
playing the organ, and from the chapel of the
great monastery answering the music that ma
ture PLAYS among the frs and the mountain
peaks! Liszt-the choir-organ! Aipestrine
nights-the mighty organ of the mountain for
est"
What do You think of man who. already an
abbe. and while in ballroom one evening,
ders of an adorable creature until she felt
Obliged to expostulate: Now, M. TAbbel- now,
MAESTRO you ought not" Lizst replied without
the least embarrassment: II was only looking to
see If your wings were growing"
A new player generally had hard time OF it,
Many never attempted second performance for
him. If one had come to learn he put up with
slight notifications for the benefit of the in
srructions and associations. LISTS criticisms
were kindly meant, if roughly uttered, and when
he saw that anyone was hurt he took the first
opportunity to heal the wound. For examples:
One day young man who had had sad ex-
perience of it took seat in the further end of
the room looking the personifcation of morti-
icaton. The master. who observed everything,
though he did not always show it, soon called
out to him: Here, --, come and turn the
leaves for Frauein -" The young man saw
the motive of the act and jumped up all smiles
to do his bidding. When pupil fell short of
his standard Liszt's favorte expression was,
"Ugh ugh! conservatory sly lie" He hated con-
servatories. Sometimes he added: s'There is .
very good conservatory at Riesa Ia junction sta
ton between Dresden and Leipsicl the other
side of Leipsic that can recommend you. Bet
ter go there. Good place.