New-York tribune., 1907-09-07
JOSEPH JOACHIM.

RecoHectfors by One Who Kne1 Him Well
Edith sichel In The London Nation
Like all interesting people he liked interest
ing peopIe best and men who had made their
mark in the world inspired him win respect
and curiosity. He was courtIy Wlthou' I DeiiIs @ q
corrtier His feeling for the Emperor, LOT roy
altv was a sentiment-the sentiment thaI
Goethe had at Wemar. Bismarck was one OF
the persons for intercourse with whom ne nag
cared most. and fo- the last SIXTY years ne @ nad
known most people worth knowing both IN Ger
many and England In the sos ne mad piayeu
10 CIoethe's Bettina, and in his drawing ioOpL
AT Berlin there hung g water color sketch OF
him and a quartet Of that day. high coilareo
in swallow tailed coats, playing 70 a little Ole
lady. Bettna ArniIn.
ant the great friendships OF his life were
those for Mendelssohn. the SchuHanns. and
Brahns His relations with Schunann began
when he was very young He had been playing
Reethoven's Concerto. and he and SchUmann
came out together from the hot. crowded con-
cert room into the starlit open. Little Master
Joachim" said Schu,nann looking skywards
do YOU think that star knows that you nave
}IIst plaved the Beethoven Concerto and that
his hand tenderly upon the boys knee The IN
cident was always alive 70 Joachim as II II had
TO tell the story in his vivid way, acting the
gesture recalling the tones which the years mad
NOT duIled for him Joachims friendship Ior
Brahms was one OF those rare cominSs togetner
which influence the history of art. Ike the
friendship Of Goethe and Schiller
The difference between Joachim and other
artists was that intellectual equals such as these
did not spoil him for the less effectual myr-
midons But with all his kindness IL would be
misleading to write of him If he were
sanity bishop, instead of the most human Hf
human beings. He did not affect tame company
ne loved good looks. ne loved quick wits and
brilliance. He himself witty His hunor
had sly malice. innocent fnesse and ne
did not object occasion to point IL at par
ticuIar persons Some one had been criticlslns
Mr. L. a fussy man of his acquaintance But
he is such a kind friend" he rejoined-then, as
IL by an afterthought-"and he always lets me
know it,
Another time at a concert OF Bachs music.
he was sitting next a lady of high rank; they
were looking over the score together she
pointed out the beauties that were there-aatd
some beauties that were not there. he remarked
afterward. But his vision of their weaknesses
did not at all interfere with his liking either for
Mr. T. or the lady. His satire was never dis
courteous He was asked If a woman or note
a reputed nar-was untruthful as was sup
I,oseG Let us call il romantic, he answered:
she was a very attractive person
Those who have had the memorable good
fortune to watch him among his pupils at his
Hochschule to him conduct his orchestra,
a king whose kingdom was youth; those Who
have witnessed his patience with all who did
their best. his wrath with what was lazy or
sIovenly understand how he Epeut himself for
them OF his sovereign kindness young
musicians there are many stories TO tell He
loved young life; he eXacted nothing from 1t.