The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-04-03

often these days on musical
should be of interest to many.
Remensi. Who wss thor
oughl, convinced Of Brahms
genius. took him n Neimar,
and presented him to I>xt.
The master. ever kind 10 rising
artists. received him cordially. An
incident occurred AZ this first
meeting which. with any one less
generous than List, might have
led 10 prejudice against = strang-
er- After List had played through
Brahms trio in B flat and praised
II highly. he offered to play for
Brahms, his lLiszts) sonata in
B minor. which he had just fin
ished and which lay in manuscript
on the piano.
During the slow movement.
he turned towards Brahms a.
though To note Its effect upon
him. only to discover that
Johannes, worn Out bs all
night travel in a third-class
railway carriage, had fallen
asleep,
Dr. William Mason of New
York WAS present with several
other of LISTS pupils. and de-
scribes the scene as embarrassing
in the extreme. However, List
said nothing, but finished the
sonata, got up and closed the
piano, while the scandalized REM
enyi awoke the sleeper with
whisper. You might as well pack
your things and go: you have
done it,
But he was mistaken. BY invita-
ton, Brahms remained six weeks
as the guest of List. who showed
a lively interest IN his compost
tons.
Later the same year. Brahms
sought schumann in Dusseldorf.
The impression he made upon
Schumann the latter made known
in his famous article, Neue Bahnen
New Paths), written for the Neue
Musikalische Zeitung New Musi-
cal Timesl in which he proclaimed
the advent of a new musical lumi-
nary of the very first magnitude
II seems worth while to quote
a few Of his more significant sen.
fences, as giving an idea of
Brahms leading characteristics in
words which still hold good nearly
a century after they were written.
Speaking of the many talented
ones whose careers he had watched
with great interest, he said:
There must, after such
promise, suddenly appear one
who should utter the highest
ideal expression of the times,
ship by no gradual develop
ment. but burst upon as fully
equipped as Minerva sprang
from the brain of Jupiter. and
he has come. this chosen
youth. over whose cradle the
heroes and graces seem to
have kept watch.
His name is Johannes Brahms,
he comes from Hamburg. where
he has been working in obscurity,
by an excellent, enthu.
siastic teacher. in the most diff
cult principles of art, and lately
to me by an honored |
and well-known master. Seated |
At the piano, he disclosed wond.
rous regions. We were drawn into
an enchanted circle.
Then came a moment of
inspiration which transformed
the piano into an orchestra Of
wailing and jubilant voices.
There were sonatas, or rather
yelled symphonies; songs
whose poetry revealed itself
without the aid of words,
while through them all ran a
vein Of deep song -rnelody; then
sonatas for piano and violin,
string quartets. and each one
of these creations so differ
ent from the rest thai they
appeared TO flow from so
many separate sources.
Then. like an impetuous tor. |
rent, he seemed to unite these
streams into q foaming waterfall;
over the tossing waves the rain.
DOW stretches its peaceful arch, |
while on the bank butterflies fit |
10 and fro and the nightingale |
MARBLES her song. Whenever ne
bends his magic wand toward |
great works. and the powers of
orchestra and chorus lend him |
their aid. still more wonderful |
glimpses of the ideal world will be
revealed TO US May the Highest
Genius help him onward"
Naturally, this enthusiastic
praise Of a young. entirely TN
known composer. drew general /
10 Brahms. and led 10 /
the publication of the works which /
20 charmed Schumsnn.
TO Be Continued)