The Washington times., 1903-08-30
IS GIEBT MUIR A WEN"
The Vienna of Today Still the Pride of the Danube-A
City of Great Musical Past and CompIa-
cent, Happy Musical Present.

If the visitor is musical and not mere
II lover of the drama, Vienna IS
charged with more musical memories
than Berlin, Paris, and Leipzig COM
bined.
Out in the Central Friedhof lie, in
memorable circle. the remains of Beet
hoven, Mozart, Schubert-think of this
song magician! - Brahms, and Johann
Strauss. The latter two were such good
friends in life that they have been
placed near each other in death. To
be critically just, neither belongs in this
great group OF Beethoven, Mozart. and
Schubert; but Strauss is such a typical
Viennese composer = he literally wore
the dancing spirit of Vienna on his
sleeve-that a grateful city could rot
but honor him greatly Not far away.
IN the same park-like domain OF death,
is the tomb of the famous surgeon, DR..
Billroth, noted for his intimacy with
Brahms Brahms. too. though born up
in the cold north of Hamburg, was
real Vienna lover and spent many years
within its graceful Ring.
Living Monuments.
Nor does the testimony TO the worth
of these sons OF light end with a Gene
terry marble. The remains OF Beethoven,
Mozart, and Schubert were exhumed after
the Wahring Cemetery was closed and
brought 10 the Central Friedhof. whsre
the very much mixed bones are inferred
within the Enclosure mentioned above
In the city Beethoven is honored with
a striking statue; Haydn and Mozart
also. There is, too, perfect cluster CT
.'Denkmals'' in the picturesque "Staat-
park" There Schubert, Bruckner-one
of whose dramatic symphonies Seidl in
troduced TO America-Hans Makart, and
Amerling-the latter worthy painter of
not extraordinary powers-are celebrated
in bronze and marble. Bruckner, being
the newest come TO mortality, and Dos
sibly Immortality, boasts of the most
artistic monument, which is surmounted
10y his grotesque, shaver head. with its
kindly features.
There is the -'Beethovengang" up on
the Kahlenberg, where the composer
took his lonely walks. and in the city
the Chopin lover can just see the site
of the hall where Chopin made his debut
in 1929.
Nikisch and America.
II was in this park on warm July
evening that / met Arthur Nikiseh
walking with Mrs. Nikisch. He has al
ways been nearer my ideal Of a con-
ductor of orchestral music pure and
simple than any Of the dead or living
men. and I have heard them all
Thomas, SeidI, Paur, Muck, Mottl,
Richter, Levi, Richard Strauss, Mailer,
Weingartner. Gericke, Wood and the
rest. still refuse to consider Siegfried
Wagner a better conductor than COM
poser, for he is, TO my thinking, bet
ter architect than composer-witness
the mastery cupola he designed as
tomb for his maternal grandfather, the
late Franz List!
Mr.. Nikisch is still interested in
America-despite Boston and its east
winds. But his eyes melted with laugh
ter when he spoke OF the offer made
him by our Philharmonic Society. The
idea that the conductor OF the Berlin
philharmonic and Leipzig Gewandhaus
concerts should be asked to visit
America only 10 beat time over the
heads OF a mixed band for one concert
and one public rehearsal was a colossal
Joke 10 Nikisch-who is now the best
known and most sought after conductor
in Europe. l harbor the idea that
Nikisch would come TO New York If the
bait was sufficiently gilded-a new. per-
manent orchestra with a ten years
guarantee and complete control OF the
managerial reins. This is a big scheme.
but not too much for a man of arthur
NikIsch's commanding European posi-
tiOn.
NIklsch has changed but little He is
still slender. handsome and interesting.
When I said that the Viennese are in