New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-10

While he does not profess to pose as a Column
bus. to be the discoverer of Vienna, Mr. Levetus
lays claim at least to the credit of being the
first person to write in any language the story
of the Austrian capital He tells this story If not
exclusively, nevertheless with an effect Of
completeness which conveys to the stranger an
excellent idea Of the pleasure loving, pageant
liking, beautiful musical. artistic cty-as it is,
as 1t was, and in it's various stages of growth. If
he dwells somewhat Iingerlngly on its attrac-
tions and romantic associations and passes
more lightly over It's shortcomings, he does so
frankly, and doubtless undertook his task with
no idea of alternating the affections of the people
with whom he has spent. and probably expects
TO spend many years Of his life.
His method In general has been to take up the
various points Of interest" in such order as
to make them the pegs which to hang the
traditions, the history and the development of
the city to present-day conditions leading the
reader. with as few retrogressions as possible,
from it's earliest to modern times. Thus, he
takes for his starting point the Cathedral of
St Stephan, which Heinrich Jasomirgott the
Babenberger duke when he came in 1142 from
his Kahlenberg castle to the old Roman Vim
dobona. found a small church. and proceeded
to enlarge as he enlarged the city The cathedral
three hundred years building: the city is
growing yet In fact but little of old Vienna,
save some of her churches and religious houses
remains to tell of her past glories Her present
glory is everywhere apparent. Old buildings
have been torn down to make place for new
to the regret Of the antiquarian. If to the sat
lsfaction of the santarian. Yet many of the
old streets and market places endure recall
ing by association notable incidents and Gus
toms of the olden time. The Graben.
for instance. commentaries in its name
the cd IN RI
make a street. and has been for nearly seven
hundred years one of the favorite loung!ng
places of the Viennese. At the corner Of the
Graben and Kartnerstrasse is the famous
Stock i'm Eisen. supposed to be the stump of the
last tree of the old forest which once grew where
the city now stands. 1t was formerly the Gus
tom Of locksmiths on completing their appren-
ticeship and before departing on their wander
jahr. to drive nail into this stump. until 1t
became completely studded with the metal.
Interesting associations cluster around Am
Hof where Jasomirgott established his court.
It is now a retail market; but here Friedrich
Barbarossa, Conrad III and Louis VII mus
tered the second crusade. and Jasomirgott went
with them. Here, too, came Barbarossa to as
sist at the wedding of Jasomrgott's daughter.
Agnes, to Stephen III of Hungary. The great
Emperor stayed a fortnight, and there were
grand dongs, tournaments. singing and dancing
the first time we hear of those swaying move
ments which later developed into the distinctive
Viennese waltz-a historic spot indeed For, to
quote the author, IF one can judge of a nation
by its amusements. then one must judge
the people Iof Viennal by their dancing; it is
their favorite occupation when at rest!' Balls
are the great diversion of every class, from the
court to the washerwomen, each gay in its own
fashion with the costumes Of its respective
der Ma Sl<Ad hall iptrO
France. reached their zenith in the middle Of
the eighteenth century but are still popular
al carnival time. Only the women wear masks
however. Every servant girl expects to be al
lowed to 90 to at least one ball during the
season. and woe to the mistress who refuses.
Costumes are cheap. The LANDER takes
the place Of the waltz; the music is always
good" When the great Congress of the Powers
was assembled in Vienna, in 1S14-'15, to settle
the affairs Of Europe many were the balls
and fetes that it was said: lie congress dance.
mais ne marche pas
The waltz the waltz, ever the waltz! What
wonder then that Johann Strauss should have
held high a place in the hearts of his COM
patriots, and that he should have been hon
ored in death by the strains of the dance tune
that made him famous In life?
1t was a solemn moment in the volksgarten when
his death was announced The Vtennese seem in
the bandmaster; for a second there was a dead
silence then the tones of the Beautiful Blue Dan
ube" were heard above the stiffness which was
only broken by the rustling of the leaves. All
assembled inVOuntariy stood up, the men in
stinctiyely removing their hats. And the hush as
the strains died away was far more expressive of
the hearers feelings than any burst applause
on another and happier occasion could have been.
The same tune served as his funeral march
and his violin was borne reverently at the head
of tie long procession on a velvet cushion; but
its strings were cut-"no hand should touch
them again.
Music has always held an honored place in
Vienna. Except Handel Bach and Mendels-
sohn, there has for ages been no great master
who has not been sheltered within her hospta-
bic walls Whichever way one turns one
is always reminded of the great musicians"
CLICK, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven Abt, Vogler
Schubert. Schumann, Wagner Brahms List
Rubinstein, Leschetizky-merely to name them
would make too long list. Yet to some of them
honor came too late to do them service Mr.
Levetus relates this anecdote of Schubert al
ways poor. but cheerful:
concert was given in the palace of n princess
Schubert accompanying his own songs The sinoer
was applauded' me composer stood quietly by the
princess noticed. and began 10 clan her hand
whereupon he turned to her and said: ut does not
matter: am used to it," "o'
When he was dead. Vienna went Schubert
mad
Inc Gayety and happiness that so char
acter!suc OF the Niennese may be due I'm !
no email measure to the fact that they have
mainly been happy in their rulers The Hans
burgS seem to have Ioyad aod Iahorad 20. -,