New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-08-13
A FAILURE OF MEMORY.

| "In this simple record the lady's memory
evidently mistakes by overrating the pow
erty of Beethoven at the time she was his
pupil and in making him then so negligent
| i'm dress In his earlier years Beethoven
dressed carefully. even elegantly; only later
did he become negligent. which he carried
| To- the verge Of uncleanlness,' says Grill
parzer; and Czerny: About the year 1873
| "A. when Beethoven looked we'll and strong.
| he also cared for his outward appearance
But what a blow to all it's supposed ro-
mantle significance is the short, prosaic
| account Of the dedication Of tile C-shalp
minor sonata TO hor-a composition which
was not a favorlta with the composer HIM
self, Everybody is always talking about
the C-sharp minor sonata! Surely I have
written better things There is the sonata
in F-sharp major Top. 70-that Is some
thing very different he once said to Ger
ny. There Is but one well authenticated
fact TO be added. namely, that Beethoven
kept up his intercourse with the family
Gu,cciard certainly as late as May or
June. 1868: that Is. to within six months
Of the young la6y's marriage.
"A careful survey and comparison both
Of the published data and OF the private
traditions and hints cleaned during resi-
dence Of several years at Vienna result
in the opinion mote, an opinion. not a
statement vesting n competent evidence)
that Beethoven at length decided 10 oner
Countess Julia his hand; that she was not
indisposed TO accept it. and that one OF
her parents consented to the match; but
that the other. probably the father re-
fused 10 intrust the happiness Of his daugh-
ter to a man without rank fortune or per-
manent engaeement-a man. too. OF char-
acter and temperament so peculiar. ami
afflicted with the incipient stages OF an
infrmity which. if not arrested and cured,
must deprive him of all hope OF obtaining
any high and remunerative official ap-
pointment. and at length compel him TO
abandon his career a. the great pianoforie
virtuoso In 1892 already this infrmity be-
gan to attract attention: should II result
I'm deafress. he would have nc other re-
sources for the support of family than
his compositions, his small annuity from
Prince Lichnowsky and the regular sup
rort' which according to carl Holz. he re-
ceived flom Count Moritz Fries until the
latter's financial failure In 1872. As the
Guicciardis themselves were not wealthy
prudence forbade such marriage. BE al,
this as II may, this much Is certain: Bee
,hoven did not marry the Countess Guicci
ardi: Count Wenzel Robert Gallenbers dld
The rejected lover. true 10 the principle
of his letter to Xmeskall, March "a, 1883
| There Is no use In quarrelling with what
cannot be changed made the best OF IT,
and went 10 work on the Sinfonla erolca
Every reader acquainted with Schlnc-
| lers hook will have noticed that TWO grave
matters connected by him with the Guicci-
ardi affair have leen silently passed over
notwiths landing the very great importance
given tc them by him and his copylsts
They must now be considered. Schindlers
honest and conscientious desire TO ascer-
! tain and impart the truth concerning Bee
| thoyen admits no doubt The spirit was
willing, but his weakness as an invesu '
! gator was something extraordinary Ills
: helplessness i'm finding and following the
clew out Of "A difficulty is sometimes pitia-
| bic. sometimes ludicrous lie reminds US
! now and then OF the character described
nv Addison: he Is perpetually puzzled and
perpleXed amidst his own blunders. rake
the present matter. for instance In TIE
first edition q the biography the date given
| 10 the Gulcciari affair is 1906. with Wege-
| Ier's letter tcfore him. giving him one
! fixed point-November. lSOl-and 'Das Graf
uche Taschenbuch' TO be consulted IN every
respectable book store and public library Tor
the day OF Galenberg's marriage. Novem-
! tcr y 1903 he is still AT a loss. ! had
! first 10 Gene TO Paris there make the &C
IcuaIntance of Cherubni. In order to hi;
quite accidentally upon certain clew Tor
this date. for which I had vainly searched
/ Ir Vienna Cherubini and his wife, soou
after their arrival in Vienna, In 1895. heard
of this AFFAIR as Of something that had
bappened two years before Following this
/ hint. I'm his edition II 1850 he changes the
$50, to 1893. that is he adopts the new
date because twenty years before ne heard
/ from an old gentleman OF eighty years
and his wife. nearly as old. that. thirty
/ Eve years before. they had heard that
some two years before that time Beethoven
had been fitted, They also could say
with certainty that the effect upon Bee
,boven's mood had already been overcome
] Il which we are very willing to hear from