New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23

nuous matter relating TO the authors babyhood
and boyhood and at times II is mawkishly SEN
,inental Also In one instance Mr.. Moscheles
shows questionable taste But we forgive him
ms and his egotism, he has such amusing notes
on a few Of the celebrities he has known VIII
ness this passage on Rossini and his wife:
II well remember my first Introduction TO
Nine Rossini. in April, 1854. was sitting with
the maestro in his study one morning while he
War finishing his toilet: his valet had selected
ON. Of two brown wigs and adjusted II on his
liustrious masters head, leaving the other
placed Oh a little stand. TO ornament the Hahlel-
Niece Next he brought him silver bowl fuii OF
milk and one or two Of those cunningiy twisted
rolls or crescents the very thought OF Whch
CONVEYS to the appetite's memory whln OF
dainty Paris The door was abruptly
thrust open and a bejeweled hand-it was Nine
Kossinis-triumphantly appeared hourlshing
ham Of unusual dimensions, that she hau
brought for the master 10 see ana 10 reJoioe
o,.a, Whilst | was contemplating her,
she and her husband were examining the nam
and commenting upon il en- amateurs was
called unon 70 admire it, and incidentally intro
duced 70 Madame. Disgracefully ignorant as
was Of pork flesh and being Of those honest
youths who call pig pig, found nothlhe DEL
%, N cav than VOLTA &c que jappelle un
c,chon, That seemed about as much they
avnected and / was allowed TO pat i, on the
hip" MI Moscheles paints RossinI az the
Industrious maestro" and az the gourmet. he
also gives a rather pathetic sketch OF the cUHh-
poser struggling TO become pianist loving the
instrument with all his heart, and never quite
satisfied with his control over It, HIS EFFORTS
were in the last degree sincere, and even num-
bic He had no mannerisms at the piano. Ihere
was nothing TO see but benlgnant old gehtfe-
man playing the piano; one wouldn't have oeeh
surprised If ne had worn pigtaH Ike those
planists his predecessors. who were not IN
hurry and treated their little set Of crowquills
with loving care" Rossinis musical tastes are
picturesquely stated in this book. Beethoven,
he declared Il take twice week, Haydn four
times but Mozart take every day Of the week
Beethoven. 10 be sure, is a colossus, and one VINO
often gives you a tremendous dig in the ribs
Mozart is always adorable But then he had
tie good fortune to SO TO Italy al time when
singers still knew how to sing 1t was at Ros-
sinis house that Mr. Moscheles saw Wagner.
who had come bearing Tristan and Isolde in
tho manuscript score. Nine Niardo; was at
the uiano reading IL at sight and mastering its
iutricacies with the grasp Of the true musician,
whilst Wagner stood by her side, turning the
leaves and occasionally breaking in with a word
or two. Nest &c pas, Matame. he said, carried
AWAY NV the grandeur of his own creation.
Nest &c pas Matame, que c'est supneY
Robert Browning We learn from these recol-
k.c;ions vas not only an inveterate haunter OF
Studios sitting by the hour TO watch his friends
al work but there is hint that ne constituted
himself kind Of comforter when such a one
sent back from the Royal Academy, where they
hac been offered for the exhibition. Annually
then. toward the end Of April, when the judges
at Burlington House had spoken, Browning had
his visits Of coincidence TO pay How helpful
and encouraging he would be none OF US am