The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-14

Fsfef. pen ana trk-tneSe EAC never 1or-
sworn-I 5o,ted down some recollectiors OF
former years"
The recoliec,ions inclnaed In Aud
Lang Syne'' are unique in that they do not
follow absolutely in chronological order.
but are grouped together under separate
headings. the tout ensemble, however. IS
charming and complete.
There are Musical Recollscticns. Liter
airy Reco!lections, Recollccficns Of Roy
alties and Beggars. The reader. however.
must not look here for a story
OF hfetime-an ausohiography-but
collection of Impressions iotted
down after somewhat desultory
and lazy fashion. heightened or
shortened more from fancy than from the
author himself there Is bat lit,ie-the "in-
terpreter in a panorama should remain
unseen and in the dark"
The Musical RecoIlsctio-s come first in
the book. happily in accordance with his
own life. the first years Of which were
stepped in music Indeed. K was intend
ed that IL should become his profession.
but when the time came that he began
10 look forward TO what he should make
| OF his life. and how he should carve out
for himself useful career he thought
music out OF the question. he feared that
in the course OF time he might become In
nicted with the hereditary infirmity, deaf
ness. OF which his mother his grand
mother and several unclss were victims
Therefore he decided TO keep to Greek
and Latin and try to become a scholar.
When we think of the writer's brilliant
career. We are impressed with the weight
OF that word try"
Prof. Max Mueller was the son OF poet.
and he says he tried hard all his life not
TO be a poet himself, IL poet means a
man who tries 10 make his thoughts
in ~h.. chs fra$ II y,.arn
and rhyme" He was born at Dessau.
the small capital Of the small Duchy of
Anhalt-Dessau. where eyeryb body knew
everybody. from the beggar who asked
for a pfennig-mark not a penny, but the
tenth part of a penny-to his grandfather.
the son of Basedow. the reformer Of ma
tional education in Germany, in his court
uniform, driving to court in his carriage
and pair everybody making room for him.
and bowling deep on each side. Dessau
was In these days "a very poor town. but
loeta paupertas reigned In it: everybody
knew how much everybody else possessed
or earned. and no one was expected TO give
more than was justified by his position
Even the grandfather with all The pomp
OF court uniform, carriage and pair, and
iiyeried servants" received salary OF
5000 thalers-sl so dollars.
The reigning duke kept first-rate or
chestra. at the head of which was Fried
rich Schneider, who was the terror of all
the young musicians who showed them
selves at Dessau. Here came Paganini
Sonntag. Spohr and Mendelssohn, consid-
ering il an honor to have their compost
lions performed. Then when he ia still at
school in Leipzig came Llszt like a tri-
umphator into Germany 'He was young.
theatrical. and terribly attractive as la
dies, young and old. used TO say. His
style of playing was then something quite
new. Now every player let's Oft the same
fireworks. Mendelssohn only, with his
well-tempered heart, received him with
open arms lie gave a matinee musicale
at his house, all the best-known musicians
of the place being present. Well.
List appeared in bis Hungarian costume,
wild and magnificent. He told AIendels-
sohn he had written something special for
him. He sat down. and swaying right and
left on his music stool, played first Hun
garian melody, and then three or four va
riations, one more incredible than the 9TH
err" Their last meeting was years after
wards at a supper given by Sir Henry lrv-
ing in honor of List. He was not in
good spirits. he would not speak English
though Ellen Terry sat on his right side,
and as She would not speak German or
French, l had TO interpret as we'll as I
could, and 1t was not always easy. At
last Ellen Terry turned to me and said:
Tell Liszt that I can speak German" and
sirlish bell-llke voice. "Leber List. ich
lebe Dich.'"
But in all the memories OF these distant
days Mendelssohn holds the larges. place
although We hear much of Jenny Lind:
and several pages, perhaps by way of con-
trast. are devoted to the anti-musical Ar
thur Stanley, dean OF Westminster Alb
hey.
In the beginning of his Literary Recol-
iections. are introduced to Goethe
Heinrich Heine, INLAND. and other poets
OF the Swaban school. In 'Vineta" we
have a specimen of the poetry of Wilhelm
Mueller. Prof. Max. Muellers father. po-
ct OF the 'Muellerlieder" The translation
Is by J. A. Froude. the lifelong friend of
Prof Max Mueller. Both the original and
the translation have true poetic beauty
In Berlin. and later IN Paris. young
Mueller worked very hard for he was then
poor, copying manuscripts at the Biblio-
thiQue Royale. In order to support HIM
self. He also gave few lessons al
though that was not much TO his taste
He tells OF events occurring In Paris IN
lsii-47-&. of Lamartine politician.
and what he himself saw There are sever
al pages devoted to HeIne. together with
very interesting letter written by the
poet TO Prof. Muellsrs father. Heine he
never knew. but gives the following ac-
count of meeting him; zone afternoon
as | and my friend were sitting on the
boulevard. near the Rue Richelieu, sip
ping cup OF coffee. Look there he said !:
there comes Heine" / jumped up 10 see.
my friend stopped him. and told him who
/ was. ! saw a sad sight, He was bent
down. and dragged himself slowly along,
his spare. grayiyh hair was hanging
round his emaciated face: there was no
/ light in his eyes He lifted up one of his
| paralyzed eyelids with his hand and looked
az me- For a time. Ike the blue sky
| breaking from behind gray October clouds
| there passed friendly expression across
| his face, as II ne thought OF days long
| gone by. Then ne moved Oh, mumbpny
| line from Goethe IN a deep broken and
yet clear voice "a Il appealing for SYM
| patty.
'Das Maulthier sucht i'm Duostern
| SEMEN Veg
Thus vanished fie.ne the most brill
/ liant. sparkling, witty poet ~ Germany
+ have seer him: that Is OH l caa say. as
( saul saw Samuel. and wished he had not
( seen him
Charles Kingsley and Anthony Froude
hold large place among these literary
1 recollectlons. The former was connected
by marriage with Anthony Fr0Gde and
( Prof Max Mueller The author aF Amid