Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-16

lie on one Of their pianos TO suspend a
placard with their name from the case.
This was done regularly by the firm on
whose pianos Won Buiow played while In
this country. One night, while playing at
a concert IN one OF the southern cities, he
stopped in the middle OF q piece. arose.
jerked the placard on, threw IL on the
floor. and resumed his seat. beginning
tho piece over again. He had not played
more than couple dozen bars when he
once more jumped from his seat and be-
gan kicking the placard all over the
stage. not desisting until he had kicked
# into a fsr-off corner Then he began
ere compc sitlon egais and played II
through. casting, however, as he leftAthe
stage a malicious look at the piacard
He once played In this city one OF Bee
thoyen's sohatas which contains a pas
ragc calling for an unusually prolonged
trill. The pianist was well started on
the trill when suddenly he stopped. lie
got I'D from the seat and walked all
round the piano. stopping over IL and
uecrii.g into the case. Having done this
he resumed his seat and began again.
When the same point in the trill was
reached he desisted once more, jumped up,
stamped so violently that he made the
dust fly, and rushed of the stage with
In abundance were heard from the stage
door until he reappeered with two men.
who showed the offensive piano aside and
moved another into It's place Then he
sat down and played the sonata through.
WHY HE LEFT HANOVER.
But the hardest things he reserved for
singers who attempted to impersonate
the Swan knight. Once, in Hanover,
while the tenor SIT was singing Lo-
hengrin he dropped his baton and closed
both ears with his hands. This was more
than the tenor could stand, and ne re-
fused 20 sing II Won BulOw remained.
As IL was easier then 10 get n good con-
ductor than a great tenor Won Bulow
had TO 20. but he did not leave Hanover
until he had given some caustic explana-
lions about the difference between the
words Schwein- Ritter and Schwan-Ritter.
or the Knight OF the Pig and the Knight
OF the Swan. But IL would take page
fo tell all the stories OF Won Bulow
eccentricities. Suffice 1t TO say that with
HIS death the world loses one OF its
greatest pianists and the greatest OF
conductors In the realm OF modern music.
"My advice 20 young pianists,' he once
said (and old ones won't take advice)'
is to cultivate their ears and strive 10
obtain beauty ana expression III phfdShs'
IL is the real beginning to greatness as
performers" He was a detester or the
homage Of flowers. Il am fond OF beef
steak" he once said, "and would accept
an honorarium Of that kind much quicker
than flowers. The buncombe OF beng
crowned with flowers Is too much for
me-" when / die there will have been
three great musical composers in the
world whose names begin with B. he
once said in one OF his irresponsible
moods-Bach. Beethoven, and he never
completed the sentence. But Bulow 3
name-the other B-will always command
n place in the history Of music. 1t VIII
be connected with that of Beethoven as
one OF his most wonderful exponents'
and with WaRner's as worthy OF the
great master whom he idolized and as
sisted 10 fame.