The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27

after, our author saw Llszt once moro, q
the last visit no paid to London. II
came, IL seems. to the Lycoum TO so
Irving and Ellen Terry acting Faust.
When the play was over Irving gave a suppe
party, and Max Mnlier sat next to List, who
however. was not in good spirits. A few week
later his death was announced In the papers
Our author, who had seen his entrance and hi
exit. asks himself, what has no left behind
/ can only think Of the new school Of brilliant
executionists. OF which he may DO truly called
the founder and lifelong apostle. l confess that
though 1 feel daEzled At tho impossibilitie
which no and his pupils performed with theii
ten fingers, I often sigh for an allegro and
an andante by Haydn and Mozart as they
were played In my young days, with simplio
ity and purity on very imperfect Instruments
Players now seem to think Of themselves only,
not Of the musical poets whose works they
are to render"
When Max M0ller was q student at Berlin he
was much at the house of Mendelssohn's sister
Fanny. who was married to Hensel. tho painter.
There he heard many q private concert given in
the large room looking out on the garden. He
recalls that Mendelssohn played almost every
instrument in the orchestra. and generally had
to play the instrument which he wal supposed
to play worst. When no played the piano.
forte he was handicapped by being made to play
with his arms crossed. 'All the celebrities OF
Berlin land Berlin was then rich in celebrities)
were present at those musical gatherings. and
Mcndelssohn was tho life Of the whole. HI
was mover quiet for q moment, moving from
chair to chair and converting with every
body" Our author goes on to mention that
Boeckh. the great Greek scholar, lived in tho
same house. and that Mendelssohn had re-
ceived 30 good q classical education that he
could hold his own whom discussing with the
old master the choruses of tho Antigone.
"Mendelssohn was, In fact, a man teres ct
rotundus: he was at home In classical litera-
ture; he spoke French and English; he was an
exquisite draughtsman, and had seen the great
est works Of the greatest painters, ancient and
modern. His father, a rich banker in Berlin,
had done all he could for the education Of his
children. He was the son Of Mendelssohn tho
philosopher, and when his own son Felix had
become known to fame he used to say. with his
slightly Jewish accent: When I was young I
was called the son Of tho great Mendelssohn;
now that I am old. I am called the father Of tho
great Mendelssohn. Then what am Z
One of the reasons why musicians took an in.
terest In our author was because he was tho son
Of the poet William Muller. whose songs had
been set to music not only by Schubert, but by
many other popular composers. II we'll re-
member we read on page 16 Of this volume,
when telling Jenny Lind whose son I was, how
she held up her hands and said. 'What! The
son Of the poet of tho MULLER lieder." Now,
sit down. she said, and let me sing you the
"Schone Mhllerin."' She began to sing. and
sang all the principal songs of that pa
thetic idyl, just moving her head and hands
q little, but really acting the whole story. as
few actresses could have brought it out"
r.. --- o 80 A
had become n fellow Of All Souls, Jenny Lind.
or Mrs. Goldschmidt. as she was then. often
came to stay at the house Of Stanley, afterward
Dean of Westminster. who was then living in
Oxford. 1t is well known that Stanley never
felt or professed any admiration for music, but
always walked out Of the room where there
was singing or playing. Nevertheless, Jenny
declared: 1T Is so nice; no one talks
music; there is not even a pianoforte in tho
house." Her content with that sort of at.
did not last long. however. A
few days afterward she said to Max
Muller: II hear you have a pianoforte in
your room at All Souls. Would you mind my
practicing a little r Practice she did, and de-
lightful it must have been. "She even came to
dine in college. and after dinner said in the most
charming way: D you think your friends
would like me to singf' OF course. I could not
hoNoo n hof ~ III v WAS III ucCeb-
sity for asking my friends. In fact, not only did
my friends listen with delight to her singing.
tho whole quadrangle of All SOULS was
black with unlimited listeners. and tho applause
after each song was immense both inside and
outside the walls of tho college,"
Music was at q very low ebb when Max Muller
went to Oxford. The young men would have
considered 1t almost mira di0nitatem to play
any instrument. Tho utmost they would do
was now and then to sing q song. To ask the
head Of q house or a professor or even q senior
tutor to play would have been considered al.
most an insult. Things have changed since
then. Some of the young mon now come up to
college very good performers on the pianoforte
and other Instruments. and there are musical
clubs at Oxford where the best classical music
may be heard rendered by undergraduates with
the help Of professional players from London.