The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-22
RUBINSTEIN AND LISZT.

The death of Rubinstein carries US back
to the great days of music. The gifted
Russian began to play In public when
List was in his prime. and Wagner had
composed "Tannhauser" and was jotting
down notes for "Lehengrin." His art was
a perennial joy TO him, and, unlike Wag-
ner, he was able to devote himself to it
without ever feeling the bitterness of
want.
His genius was discovered by List when
he was 10 years old, and it was bis good
fortune that the means of his family and
bis own earnings as teacher enabled him
to devote the next ten years to study and
practice. He divided his day into two
parts-one for learning, for which he
paid; the other for teaching, for which he
received money. He was hardly full
crown when he received from a Russian
Grand Duchess position in her house
mold, with salary which enabled him to
give his leisure hours TO composition, and
from that time till his death he never
knew what it was to want money. For
his compositions, which embraced every
form of music. from operas to symphonies,
arias, concertos. and even dance music, he
received high prices. and when be chose
to undertake tour of concerts, he realized
a SIN all fortune in a season. Thus he was
enabled to acquire a handsome estate in
Russia, and TO live in the style becoming
The rank to which the Emperor had raised
him.
His biography naturally suggests a con-
trast with List, who died eight years ago.
While he was living the admirers of the
it sacrilege to compare any one with him,
and even now Germans scott at the idea of
a contrast with the great Russian. On the
other hand, at St. Petersburg and Paris
critics are divided on the respective merits
of the two pianists. Impar ial opinion
awards to List the palm for sweet, sensu-
Gus delicacy, while no one has ever ap-
preached RubiDstein in splendid sublimity
of conception and execution. II seems prob.
able that the Russian has left more works
which will live than the German. There
are musicians who are such frantic devo-
tees of List that they cannot admit that
he ever had rival. But the symphonies
of Rubinstein and his concerted pieces
may be played when LisZi's works are
only known to scholars, and Nero" will
certainly never lose its place Oh the OPP
cratic stage.
Rubinstein never understood the Wag-
merriam revolution in operate music, and
went so far as almost to deny that the
BayTeuth composer was a mus clan at all.
List, Oh the contrary, thoroughly appre-
ciated Wagner. and stood his friend W hen
the cranky temper of the author of the
q TretrolOgy" left him without other
hat I CIT
Wagner are one Of the pleasantest chap
tiers in the history of music. When the
latter became involved in the revolution
airy movements of 1848-49, List sheltered
him at Weimar; when the couD ter revolu-
ton followed him there. it was List who
smuggled him out of town under cover of
night, and never left him till he was in a
place OF safety. Ten years later, when
Wagner was, as he says. sill, miserable,
poor and despairing." he wrote two lines
TO List asking whether something could
not be done with "LoheagrIn." Swift came
the answer from the big-hearted German,
II am going to bring out Lohengrin' on
the grandest scale that the resources of
Wsimar viii permit"
Thus lifted from the depths of poverty,
the auth or of "Lonengrin" knew happiness
once more; he married Liszrs daughter,
but such was the cantankerous nature OF
the man that his wife bad all the trouble
in the world to keep the peace between
her husband and her father. List never
quarreled with any one, but Wagner could
not live at peace even with those VIII,
like List and Mey erbeer, had heaped bene-
factions on his head. His genius-whicn
WAS traDscendent-stified the impulses of
his heart.
There was no romance in the last twenty
years of Ru5ins'ein's life. When he
wanted to add field to his estate he gave
a concert tour. and came back to Russia
with big balance at his bankers. He was
the idol of ST. Petersburg, and his chest
was covered with orders from all the
courts of Europe. Only five years ago the
celebration OF the fiftieth anniversary of
his debut as musician at the Russian
capital was the most notable fete of the