New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-17
By Alexander w. ThaYcr


From advance sheets of The Life Of
Bsethcven, edited by Fl. E. Krehbiei.
Through the courtesy Of the Beethoven
Association-)
In the "Merrymaking OF the Country
folk" of Beethoven's Pastoral" Sym
phony. at the point where the fun grows
most fast and furious and the excite
u,ent rises to its height. an ominous
sound, as Of distant thunder, gives the
first faint warning of the coming storm.
So in the life Of the composer at the
moment of that highest success and
prosperity which we have labored to
place vlvidly before the mind of the
reader, just when he could first look
forward with well-grounded confidence
to the noblest qualification of a n,u-
sicians honorable ambition, new and
discordant element thrust itself into the
harmony Of his life. This was the
symptoms of approaching deafness. His
own account fixes their appearance in
the year 1899; but they were still so
feeble and intermittent, as to have
caused him at first nc serious anxiety;
but in another year they had assumed
so much the appearance of a chronic and
interesting evil as to compel him to
abandon plans for travel which he had
formed, and for which he was preparing
himself with great industry and perse-
verence, to appear in the twofold ca
pacity of virtuoso and composer. In
stead, therefore, in 1901. of having long
since journeyed through half of the
world" he, for two years, had been con-
fined TO Vienna or its immediate vicinity,
vainly seeking relief from surgeons and
physicians.
It is not difficult to imagine calamities
greater than that which now threatened
Beethoven-as the loss Of sight to
Raphael or Rubens in the heighth of
their fame and powers; q partial par
a,ysis or other incurable disease of the
train cutting short the career of
Shakespeare or Goethe, Bacon or Kant,
Newton or Humboldt. Better the uE-
timely fate of a Buckle than to like
long years Of unavailing regret over the
blasted hopes and promise of early man
hood. In such cases there remains no
resource; hope itself is dead. But to
Beethoven, even if his worst fears
should prove prophetic and his infrmity
at length close all prospects of a career
as virtuoso and conductor, the field of
composition still remained open. This
ne knew, and it saved him from utter
despair. Who can say that the world
has not been q gamer by a misfortune
which stirred the profoundest depths of
Ills being and compelled the concentra-
ton of all his powers into one direction?
As the disease made progress and the
prospect of relief became less, not
outstanding a grief and anxiety which
caused him such mental agony as even
70 induce the thought of suicide, he
so we'll succeeded in keeping it con-
cealed from all but few intimate and
feithful friends that no notice what
ever is to be found OF it until 1902, ex-
capt in papers from his own hand.
They form a very touching contrast to
lis letters to other correspondents.
Neither the head nor the heart is to
lie envied of the man who can read
them without emotion. The two most
important are letters to Wegeler, Civ
ing full details Of his case; doubly
valuable because they are not merely
letters to a friend, but an elaborate
account of the symptoms and medical
treatment Of his disease. made to a
physician of high standing who thor
oughly understood the constitution of
MUSICAL INSTRUCTION