New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-04-07

noon In ST. Pauls cathedral. The con.
gregation fingered as he supposed he
was playing them out until at last the
outraged vergers went and let all the
wind out Of the bellows In the middle
Of Bach's mighty fugue In a minor.
He was grateful for the beautiful
manner" in which they performed his
oratorio. In the Weightier sense the
English are without doubt more pro-
foundry musical people than those Of
the supposedly more artistic countries.
The sacred oratorio does not commend
itself generally to Americans as to the
English, though Handlers Messiah is
now heard every winter in all the
large cities and towns.
When the new king, William w.,
came to the throne Of Prussia he Of
fered Mendelssohn the dictatorship of
music in his new Academy Of Arts.
Mendelssohn declined at first, afraid
Of the anxieties and hustle incident to
every new institution. At last he ac-
copied, in May, 1841 That he had his
hands full is evident from a letter to
London friend: The spring program
Is more troublesome than ever-nine-
teen concerts between Jan. / and
March Is, seven more to come in the
next three weeks and at least three
rehearsals a week" He was bound
for year. Meanwhile he was often
In England playing for Queen Vic
toria and giving her organ lessons, and
he dedicated his Scotch symphony to
her.
The king decorated him with his
Order Of Merit, given at the same time
to List, Meyerbeer and Rossini Soon
after receiving it Mendelssohn and a
party of friends were enjoying walk
| and crossed the bridge at Ofenbach.
One Of the gentlemen paid toll for the
party. The tollkeeper came up to this
gentleman a moment after. Excuse
me. Isn't that the M. Mendelssohn
whose music we sing at our society?''
On being answered Eyes" the man
handed one toll fee back. 'If you
please, I would like to pay for him
myself" When told Of this Mendels-
sohn was delighted. II like that bet:
ter than his majesty's order.''
Family cares, the birth Of fourth
child, his wifes and his own delicate
health and the many journeys and
public duties he had to perform
wearied him Of the Berlin academy
tie. The king gave in to his petition
for release from permanent residence
In Berlin. He received an invitation
to conduct musie-festival In New
York in 1916, but he had to rest. His
opera "Antigone" was produced in
London and his great dramatic ora
torio elijah" in Birmingham, for
whose society it was written. This
was in August, 1916. It is classed
with '"The Messiah" in popular esti-
nation.
To merely name the celebrities who
crowded around him now would fill
this column and the list of his works
a page. Deaths in the family and
anxfeties incident to nervous tenn
permanent undermined his health, so
that he collapsed on Nov. 4, 1847.
He was Of slight If not frail build,
about five feet six, active and excita-
BILE. His face Is to be classed with
that Of Edgar Poe, fellow pilgrim from
1869, but who outlived the German
nearly two years. A face always pale
but dark of hair and in the hollows,
an overrefined natural air and intense
susceptibility. Thackeray said, ''Men-
delssohn's is the most beautiful face !
ever saw. like what imagine our Sa.
viours to have been" His whole
frame and countenance were in con.
slant activity, and his large dark
brown eyes glowed like lamps. It
may cheer the ambitious who covet
the fame Of genius to know that the
brain food for which Mendelssohn
most hankered was rice with milk and
cherry pie. And this dreadful glut-
tony produced not only his music, but
| the pictures and lively letters and did
not lessen his enthusiasm for dancing
swimming and gymnastics.
| 1t is not given to many sons Of gen
ius to enjoy Memberships immunity
from the ordinary Ills Of life. His
was a path Of roses. No tmprovident
marriage, no wolf at his door, DO
vices, no catastrophes, none of the
tribulations within and without which
imbitter their victim by distorting his
real better self. Why grumble be-
cause placid life produces gentle
works? Nothing can be less profitable
or equitable than to compare Men
delssohn's music with Beethoven's,
Chopin's or Wagner's. The bee is all
| industry and
! !. ]
sting, yet it's gift ~ m
| to us is sheer lM II
sweetness out of ~
which our an tA1i
cestors conjured Hs3 w vi
the spirit that II
maddens. Werun -
| the gamut Of all 4
moods in ourday HI IA
/ HanninoSS oomnc III III ~ III