The times., 1899-01-15
NEW STORIES ABOUT LIszT.
They Are Told by One of His Pu-
pills.


List was my teacher for many years.
and many are the charming recollections
of that period in my life. AS Schuman
said: IF you only heard List play and
didn't see him. you lost half the pleas
ure," so wonderful was his personality.
/ shall never forget how young Mag
var tried to play sonata of Beethoven
before him one day. Piano, piano."
cried Liszt. Piano. softly Let is sing,
let it sing, Can't you see piano written
there?" cried he still more sharply, but
. the young patriot only grew nervous and
played the harder.
At last List took his hands from the
keys, saying, half angrily, half laugh
ingly: DO you know, my young friend,
what the field sergeant does when the re-
cruits cannot tell the difference between
right and left? He ties bundle of straw
on their right arms and a bundle of hay
on their left, and then gives the COM
mand, Hay, straw, We shall have to try
this plan with you for piano and forte"
Now, then, give old Beethoven chance.
Hay! Hay! Hay!7-well, Now, Straw.
Straw,-plenty of straw-stiil more
straw" and List laughed until the tears
came. Straw, straw, nothing but
straw"
But even this had no effect on the young
man, so at last List said: Perhaps can
explain it better on the piano." and seat
ing himself, he played the allegretto of
Beethoven's seventh symphony. We were
all SO moved that We sat breathless until
at last a little Russian woman jumped up
and rushed out OF the room, crying "J'ai
peur! j'ai peur." LisZt turned around on
his chair to say, We'll. what's the mat
ter?" and after he learned, he turned to the
young pianist: so. you see, my friend,
that hay and straw in proper proportion
produce good results
Here is an anecdote of his early life. as
related by List himself: Richard Wag-
ner Bulow and i were all quite y0lYk
when We lived together in Leipzig, and had
a good time. That is. l enjoyed myself,
but Wagner was already fermenting with
his political and philosophical ideas, and
our prosaic circumstances offered little
ground for the idealists of the future We
called Bulow 'Krit!kus," and we-espec-
ialiyl-always feared his sharp tongue
little. OF course all of us had very little
money, but Wagner put our slender purse
10 great strains. He could not bear money
worries, and We let him feel them as little
as possible.
Once, after long autumn. 1t became
cold very suddenly. and Wagner with his
nerves" suffered from the sudden change
in the temperature He demanded heat
ed room at once. For two whole days the
debate ragged between him and Bulow as
to the immediate purchase of wood with
our reduced purse. l was not asked, be-
cause Bulow knew that l would yield, but
he, as treasurer. contended that II was
ridiculous to buy wood in the month of
September. But l am freezing said
Wagner, in rage, TO which the inexorable
Bulow suggested that he 90 out and gel
warm by running or warm himself by his
muse. Laughing at his cheap, spiteful
advice. Bulow and l went out.
But when we returned, after two hours,
We were thunderstruck TO find Wagner in
the room heated to suffocation. He sat
at his writing table, deep in his work.
His face was very red.
" Where? began Bulow. but the words
stuck in his throat, for glance round the