Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-08

What confessions! Can we longer be surprised
at the nobility of Beethoven's music after such
+ utterances?
If more proof wanting of Beethovens
warmth of heart we can instance his behavior
towards his pupil Ferdinand Ries, who became
his chief and favorite disciple. In 1857 the i'll
ness and funeral expenses of Beethovens mother
had greatly impoverished his exchequer and
but for the generosity of Franz Ries the volinist,
ID the Beethovens would have been pushed for
necessares Years and years afterwards son
" of Ries, poor and needing lessons, waited upon
Beethoven with letter of introduction "Tell
your father that have not forgotten the death Of
my mother" the characteristic assurance
turned. From that day Beethoven interested him.
self much in the lad. He gave him free piano
forte lessons; induced Allbrechtsberger to take
him pupil in composition; secured him an
appointment as pianist to Count Browne, besides
giving him money unasked.
The occasion of Moschees first visit to Bee
thoven furnishes further instance of the great
composers thorough goodness of heart. arrived
at the door of the house." writes Moscheles, 81
had some misgivings, knowing Beethovens strong
aversion to strangers 1 therefore told my brother
to wait below. After greeting Beethoven, l said,
will you permit me to introduce my brother to
you? He is below. What! downstairs!' and
Beethoven Immediately rushed off seized hold of
my brother, saying Am l such savage that
you are afraid to me-? He dragged
him upstairs and showed great kindness to u.s."
Add to these another striking trait in his dis
position, his capacity for seeing talent and worth
| in others, especially in other musicians, and we
get more of the real Beethoven. No great
poser ever had such enthusiastic praise to bestow
upon the members of his craft The narrow
minded spirit, with its train of petty sptes and
jealousies, which mars many meaner musician
even today, wholly absent in BeethOvens
broad, honest mind. Handel was his IDEAL Han
del is the unequalled master of all masters! Go,
turn to him. and learn, with few means, how
/ to produce such effects" "He," once exclaimed
Beethoven, was the greatest composer that
lived. 1 would go bareheaded and kneel before
his tomb" AS he lay on his death-bed Beethoven
was of the same opinion still "There, there is
the TRUTH" said the dying man, pointing to the
folios of Handels works which generous friend,
little dreaming that the end was so near had
sent him wherewith to vile away the long hours
in the sick-room
"Cherubn" he once said, sis, in my opinion,
of all the living composers, the most admirable.
Moreover, as regards his conception of the
quiem my ideas are in perfect accordance with
his, and sometime other, if can but once set
about it, mean to profit by the hints to be found
in that work"
SYMPATHY WITH PAGEANTRY.
Beethoven had sympathy whatever with the
pomp and glitter of a monarchical state or the
trappings of an exalted aristocracy. Decorations
and orders possessed nothing beyond their con-
vertible value in his eyes, and the shells of the
sea-shore would have found much favor with
him for his breast the grandest cross or star
ever designed. On occasion the Prussian
J ambassador at Vienna gave him the choice OF
fifty ducats or the cross of some order. Beetho-
ven was not long in deciding. "The fifty ducats,"
replied the composer The true spirit oozes out,
too in his letter to Bettina Won Arnim: "My
ymost dear, kind friend-Kings and princes can
indeed create professors and privycouncillors,
and confer titles and decorations but they cannot