The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-23
strangling this stately monumental city
of distances

OF uIBJAnCeH
If the visitor il musical and not merely 1
lover Of the drama. Vienna is charged
with more musical memories than Berlin
Paris and Leipzig combined. Out in thu
central Friedrich lie, in memorable circle
the remains of Beethoven, Mozart, Schu
pert-think of this song magician!-Brahm'
and Johann Strauss The latter two were
such good friends in life that they have
been placed near each other in death. TIC
be critically just, neither belongs in this
great group of Beethoven, Mozart and
schubert; but Strauss il such a typical
,iennese composer--he literally wore the
dancing spirit Of Vienna on his sleeve
that a grateful city could not but honor
MN greatly Not far away, in the same
park-like domain Of death, ia the tomb Of
the famous surgeon, DR.. Billroth, noted for
mis- intimacy with Brahms. Brahms, too
though born up in the cold north of Ham
Durg, was real Vienna lover and spent
many years within its graceful Ring
Nor does the testimony to the worth OF
these Sons OF Light end with a cemetery
marble. The remains Of Beethoven. Mozart
and Schubert were exhumed after the
Wahring Cemetery was closed and brought
to the Central Friedhof, where the very
much mixed bones are inferred within the
enclosure mentioned above. In the city
Beethoven Is honored with striking statue;
Haydn and Mozart also. There is too, a
perfect cluster Of Denkmais in the pctur-
esque Sfddtpark There Schubert, Brick
ner--one of whose dramatic symphonies
Seidl introduced to New York-Hans
Makart and Amerling-the latter a worthy
painter OF not extraordinary powers-are
celebrated in bronze and marble. Brtickner
being the newest come to mortality. and
possibly immortality, boasts of the most
artistic monument, which Is slrmounted
nj oil ,aNy LaAI ,.,,tl tts,
kindly features. There is the Beethoven
gang up on the kahlenberg, where the COM
poser took his lonely walks, and in the city
the Chopin lover can just sec the site of the
hall where Chopin made his debut in 1920.
II was in this park on warm July evening
that | met Arthur Nikisch walking with
MRS Nikisch. He has always been nearer
my ideal OF conductor OF orchestral music
pure and simple than any of the dead or
living men, and l have heard them all
Thomas, Seidl, Paur, Muck, Motif, Richter
Levi Richard Strauss, Mailer, Weingart-
ner Gericke, Wood and the rest. | still
refuse to consider Siegfried Wagner better
conductor than composer, for he is, to nv
thinking better architect than composer
witness the mastery cupola he designed
as tomb for his maternal grandfather, the
late Franz Liszt
Mr.. Nikisch is still Interested in America
despite Boston and its east winds. But
his eyes melted with laughter when he
spoke Of the offer made him by our Philhar-
monte Society The idea that the conductor
OF the Berlin Philharmonic and Leipzig
Gewandhaus concerts should be asked
TO visit America only to beat time over the
heads OF mixed band for one concert and
one public rehearsal was a colossal Joke
10 Nlklsch--who In now the best known
and most sought-after conductor in Eu-
rope. | harbor the idea that Nikisch
would come to New York if the bait was
sufficiently gildet-a new permanent or
ihestra with a ten years guarantee and
complete control of the managerial reins.
This is big scheme, but not too much
,or man of Arthur Nikischs commanding
position.
Nikisch has changed but little. He is
'till slender, handsome and interesting.
When | said that the Viennese are in
Inherent to the advent Of strangers l really
meant that they do not care to alter their
ifne-worn customs to suit the methods
II younger generation. The Beriner
. wide-awake, up-to-date fellow. The
Vienna man likes his comfort, hates
o he hurried and would not forego his
afternoon coffee for any municipal pres
ige. He knows that he enjoys the
'est coffee and pastry in Europe and that !
lis cooking il as far superior to Berlin's az ,
3erln's is to London's In the matter of
vines, the Austrian red and white |
vines Hungarian included top the best
'intages Of France; while for the coarser
palate of the beer-drinker Rudweis is not
ar away and Pilsen is within wiring dis
ance. This recalls Mr.. Howells BARLEY
Hubbard in "A Modern Instance" " the further
outh one goes the blonder the beer.
Contented, then, with his earthly abode, !
With his cuisine, his theatres, opera, con
'erts, picture galleries (tbere are thirteen |
pecimens Of Velasquez in two small cabinets |
i the Imperial Museum), the citizen of |
Jenna smiles if you urge upon him the ,
necessity of changing his ways You argue |
hus
Why il it that with such glorious CITY, |
With palaces. parks, churches, cathedrals. |
monuments, public and private picture
galleries., sculpture-the "Theseus" of Cam
wa with its bastard classicisIh is in the
Museum gardens Venice in Vienna" re-
alls an ideal Coney Island Sch6nbrunn
,alace within riding distance; the Prater; the
totunda, where the running and trotting
aces are of the best-in word a Joyous,
city, sthetic, pleasure
owing, shrewdly commercial. is allowed
o play second fiddle TO Berlin, to Paris.
o London when it has better natural adj
antages than all of them?
JAMES HrNEEEp