Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03
SOME GREAT IMPROvTsrDc
MUSIC. y

London Standard.
Like Mozart, Beethoven was
omental extemporizer. One dav U'
quintet by Steibelt had been now s''''
ed, he placed the violonceuo noa.
side down on his desk, and fro. w.
suggestion it thus presented dr, 'oI
a subject from which no ,uIled
such a performance that before rye, veg
over SteiDelt, his rival. had 8oS was
scene and avoided him afterwar37 t99
the occasion OF his first appearano- W
a pianist, he performed his fire. "a. aA
certo in c major, which was fnisbo eo4'
a great hurry on the previous sf..~ ~
noon. At the concert he disco
that the piano was half tone Aot ~
this did not seem to discomfort bi-
much, for he settled the m8ttor ~
playing in c sharp-a great fear ~, W.
formed also by Brahms in like ~ ".
cumstances, in connection with -
"Kreutzer Sonata" Scores Of sucb s s-'
ecdotes attach to the memory M ~
truly great maestro, Beethoven
characteristic account is given ~ "a
Eroica, or third, symphony. Comnos@S
|, in 1904, 1t had its origin in his all
miration for Napoleon, whom be IooS
ed on as a model Of republican yirtns
His design was to call 1t the Bon8Da-,
symphony, when the news came tho,
the first consul had made himself an
emperor. The dedication was d.
stroyed in a rage, to be replaced bv tho
following title: "Sinfonia eroica nos
festeggiare il souyenire dun grand
uomo."
Of Wagneriana there are volumes
That is an entertaining story anent his
visit to Vienna, when Count Won Beust
dined him. The chancellor was
warned that Wagner was to be seyA.
naded by the Prussian party, and 20.
litical considerations made it desirable
to avoid a demonstration; but Wag,
ner could not be got rid of. So tho
chancellor sauvely interested the great
musician in autographs, and by simu.
lated accident turned up a revolution,
airy and firebrand document which
Wagner had signed in lS4S. There
was no serenade, for Wagner departed
the next day How cruel was fate To-
ward him in 1859, when the Prince
Metternich influenced the emperor, who
ordered the mounting of 'Tannhauser'
on a scale Of extraordinary magnif-
cence at a cost of $4,000. A cabal was
organized by the Jockey Club in oppo-
sition to the opera on the ground tina.
it had no ballet, and it only survived
three performances.
List was the subject OF many after
dinner stories. When in Russia 1t Is
said playing before the emperor and
empress. the former conyersed IN a
rather loud voice. List suddenly
stopped, and, bowling to the emperor,
said: Sire, when the king speaks all
should remain silent" The car did
not relish this rash mot, and llszt was
handed his passports the next morn
ing.
Some interesting things are RECORDED
of Mozart, who, like Mendelssohn ana
Beethoven, was great at lmproVlsatioD'
At a party of musicians one Gay ne III
yited Nine. Niclas, the vocalist OF MS
day. to suggest a theme, which sAa
did. and from the refrain she sang h7
evolved a brilliant and charming Tan
tasia. Jain, in his Life" mentions
that when a child he extemporlzeo a
song on the word "PerfidO," he became
very excited, struck the clavier ilAs
one possessed, and several times
sprang up from his seat. AFTER q
rehearsal of his 'Idomeneo," Writer
saws the oboe and horn players went
home half crazy" so delightful to tn
musicians was Mozart's music; whlf
during the rehearsal of lie Nozze O
Figaro" when Benucci was singns
"Non piu andrai,' the orchestra anu
listeners were all at the same mo-
ment so excited and enthusiastic oye'
it that they rose as one man. Crying
"Bravo. bravo, maestro; viva, viva
grande Mozart" When the compose,
Of the immortal Twelfth Mass produced
his "Entfuhrung aus dem Serial" n
1882 the emperor Of Austria expressed
the opinion that it was too me 70.
our ears, my dear Mozart-too many
notes" To which Mozart repheo'.
"Exactly as many notes as are re-
ouired. your majesty"