New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-24
HAYDN'S LOVE.
TENDER MIssIvEs TO THE GREAT COM.
POSER-RECORDs OF WIDOWS
PASSION FOR HIM

otfer chapter Of the great musicians life his
tory. That promise Is fulfilled today when
so far as We can learn. batch Of love letters
received by him while in London are published
FOR the FIRST time. Their existence has been
Known ever since Dics's little biography OF
Haydn appeared in Vienna. in 1910 c. r.
Pohl deyotes several pages Of his fascinating
book Haydn In London" 10 them. and re-
prints few passages. but the letters them
selves do not appear ever 10 have been printed
either in England or Germany. That IL is pos
sible % print them nov h. due 70 the fact that
Haydn copied them out I'm full in his note
book. "a proceeding which tells it, own story
touching his feelings toward the m!saives and
thcir fair auhor-for che fair. Four
teen years after they had been received
they were st,n treasured by tho composer
among MS souvenirs Of the English visit
To Dies. who asked him about them he
answered with a twinkle IN his gray eyes
They are letters from English widow in
London who loved me Though sixty years
old. she waF still lovely and amiabe. and
should In ali likelihood havo married her II
had been single" Alas for the lovely and amt
able Mistress Schroeder. there was a Mistress
Haydn at home in Vienna who stin grappled
the dear old man (he was ffty-ninej 10 her
person. II not to her soul. with hoops Of the
law, Mistress Haydn was neither lovely nor
amiab,e. Had she been either. or both. it IL
not likely tia; iapa's heart would go easily
have become Grant though he was h. him
self confessed fond Of looking az pretty wom-
en-. Frau DOktOrin. moreover was a Kan
tippe. That she proved even while Mistress
Schroeder laying siege 10 Dr. Haydn's
heart Shortly before Haydn started for home.
in 1892 he received A letter from his wife ask
ing for 1000 forms out Of lis earnings to pay
for a house which she wished 10 purchase m
the suburb 81 Vienna called Gurr'feorf II is
the house now known as 40 - hayIngasse.
- which a marble memorial tablet rar affixed
in 1870 In the lettc: asking for 20 rGrchase
money the amiable lady described 'rr louise as
Just the thing for Nor To- live in as "a widow"
Papa Haydn did not send the money. out on his
return ne looked AT the house. and. finding i
pleasantly situated and to his taste, bought it.
Xantippe died seven years later. and now.'
said Haydn telling the story in 1896, I'm
living in it a widower"
And who was she whom Sir Walre's Marjorie
would have called Haydns "lovcrtss The
notebook yields up part II the secret.
Mistress Schroeder No. Jamesst-- Bucklns-
hams Gate
The musical encyclopedias have done the
rest True. she shines in the books only by re-
Elected light. but you may read Of her IN sir
George Groves Dictionary OF Music and Mu-
sicians" Fets's Geographic Unlverselle des
Musciens." Recess Encyclopedia and in lesser
handbooks. so you look under the name Johann
Samuel Schroeder This Schroeder was an ex-
cellent musician. who came 10 London in l''2
and ten years later succeeded the English
Bach" as music master to the Queen. He was
one of the first musicians to disclose the posi-
bilities of the pianoforte as distinguished from
the harpschord. and his talents were highly
appreciated in professional well Court
circles He came Of a talented family. HIS
father was obolst OF the royal orchestra at War
saw his brother Johann Heinrich was violin
ist. and his sister Corona Elizabeth Wilhelmne
was the singer actress composer and painter.
whose portrait still hangs in the Grand Ducal
library at Weimar. where it placed by
Goethe, who wrote Of her in the poem On the
Death of Mleding
To be a pattern she to earth was sent,
Wherein the real and ideal should be blent.
or all their gifts the Nine withheld no part.
And Nature breathed in her the breath 81 ART
To lend her charms the world itself is spent
And cen thy name, Corona. is an ornament
As for the lady IN the case. let two excerpts
from the books suffice. DR.. Burney. writing Of
Johann Samuel Schroeder in "Rees's Encyclo-
pedia" said: He married young lady OF con-
siderable fortune. who his scholar and
was in easy circumstances. but there was
languor discoverable in his looks while disease
was preying upon him several years before his
decease." FGtiss Geographic says "A clan
destine marriage with one OF his pupils whose
family belonged TO the highest society resulted
in a great deal Of trouble. Threatened with
summons before the Chancellors Court he con-
scented to an annulment of the marriage con-
tract in consideration OF a life pension or tooV
per annum" He died in l1ss-three years be-
fore Haydn came to London. The widow must
have made Haydn's acquaintance soon AFTER MS
arrival in town. and became his pupil for on
June 90. 1871. she writes TO him as follows
Mrs Schroeder presents her compliments to
Mr. Haydn and informs him she Is just returned
TO town and will he very happy to see MN
whenever il is convenient TO him 10 give her a
lesson.
James-st. Buckingham gate, Wednesday.
June the Doth. lI9l.
Unless Haydn was fbbing it bit for the sake
Of appearances it is probable that Dies misun-
derstood his remark about the age Of the lady
when she wrote the letters. She may have been
sixty years old when Haydn told the story IN
1906 but IT is wholly improbable that she was
that age in 1892 Dr. Burney who knew her
in ALL likelihood speaks Of her as "a young
LADY, when she was married 10 Schroeder. VINO
was only thirty-eight years old when he died.
II she was sixty years old when Haydn met
her she must have been eighteen years her
husbands senior. and could not well De de-
scribed as a young lady
In 1904 when Haydn returned 70 LONDON ior
n second visit. he did not move INTO MS Ola
lodgings but found others at No. Bury-s'"
CT James's This much more pleasantly SIT
uated dwelling" says PohL I'VE probably owed
70 the consderate care Of Mrs. Schroeder. who
hv tho Same token thus brought him nearer 10
herself 4 short and pleasant walk Of scarcely
20, minutes through St Jamess Palace ana
tho Mall a broad alley alongside ~ -. Jamess
parkO led him to Buckingham Palace. ana