Front matter
Reading edition
MEMORIES OF A MUSICAL LIFE
WILLIAM MASON IN 1899
Copyright, 1900, 1901, by The Century Co. Published October, 1901. The Devine Press.
TO MY DAUGHTER MINA MASON VAN SINDEREN AT WHOSE REQUEST THESE MEMORIES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN
CONTENTS
PAGE
Early Days in New England3
Lowell Mason's Career7
First Beethoven Symphony in America8
Musical Conventions9
Early Musical Training10
Webster and Clay11
First Public Appearance18
Leopold de Meyer19
"Father Heinrich"22
An Embarrassing Experience25
Student Life Abroad27
Meeting with Meyerbeer28
Liszt's Feat of Memory31
First Meeting with Liszt33
Arrival at Leipsic34
Moscheles, Beethoven, and Chopin36
The Intimacy of Moscheles and Mendelssohn37
Schumann38
Schumann's "Symphony No. 1, B Flat"39
Schumann's Absent-mindedness42
Moritz Hauptmann44
A Visit to Wagner48
Wagner on Mendelssohn and Beethoven51
A Wagner Autograph55
Moscheles57
Joseph Joachim62
Schumann's "Concerto in A Minor"63
Carl Mayer65
Dreyschock66
Prince de Rohan's Dinner71
Chopin, Henselt, and Thalberg75
Anton Schindler, "Ami de Beethoven"79
Schindler and Schnyder von Wartensee82
First London Concert84
With Liszt in Weimar86
Accepted by Liszt88
The Altenburg93
How Liszt Taught97
"Play It Like This"99
Liszt in 1854101
His Fascination102
Liszt's Indignation103
Objects to my Eye-glasses106
A Musical Breakfast108
Liszt's Playing110
Liszt and Pixis117
Liszt Conducting119
Liszt's Symphonic Poems—Rehearsing "Tasso"121
Extracts from a Diary122
Opportunities126
Brahms in 1853127
Nervous before Liszt128
Dozing while Liszt Played129
"Lohengrin" for the First Time in Leipsic132
In Stuttgart—Hotel Marquand135
The Schumann "Feier" in Bonn, 1880136
Brahms's Pianoforte-playing137
A Historical Error Corrected141
More about Liszt's Wonderful Sight-reading142
Liszt's Moments of Contrition144
Peter Cornelius145
Some Famous Violinists147
Remenyi151
Some Distinguished Opera-singers153
Henriette Sontag154
Johanna Wagner156
Mme. de la Grange157
"Der Verein der Murls"158
The Wagner Cause in Weimar159
Raff in Weimar161
Dr. Adolf Bernhard Marx165
Berlioz in Weimar168
Entertaining Liszt's "Young Beethoven"171
Rubinstein's Opposition to Wagner174
At Work in America183
Touring the Country184
"Yankee Doodle" and "Old Hundred"187
Settling down to Teach191
Theodore Thomas at Twenty195
Thomas as Conductor197
Karl Klauser, Musical Director at Miss Porter's School202
Louis Moreau Gottschalk205
Propaganda for Schumann's Music209
Sigismond Thalberg210
Pedal and Pedal Signs—Why not Dispense with the Latter?215
Pedal Study for the Pianoforte219
Rubinstein and the Autograph-hunter221
Evolution in Musical Ideas—Beethoven Pianoforte Recitals226
Rubinstein's Favorite Seat at a Pianoforte Recital227
Bach's "Triple Concerto" and "Les Agréments"229
A Significant Autograph from Rubinstein234
Rubinstein, Paderewski, and "Yankee Doodle"236
Meetings with Von Bülow238
Edvard Grieg241
Rates of Tempo—The Present Time Compared with Fifty Years Ago 243
Electrocuting Chopin244
Tempo Rubato246
Unusual Pupils—Transposing—Positive and Relative Pitch247
Appledore, Isles of Shoals251
Music in America To-day259
Appendix273
Index297
The author acknowledges the efficient collaboration of Mr. Gustav Kobbé in preparing these Memories for publication, and also the valuable assistance of his son-in-law, Mr. Howard van Sinderen.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Some of the illustrations may be viewed enlarged by clicking directly on the image. (note of etext transcriber)
William Mason in 1899Frontispiece
From a photograph by Gessford & Van Brunt.
FACING PAGE
William Mason as a Boy12
From a daguerreotype.
William Mason at the Age of Eighteen20
From a daguerreotype.
Autograph of I. Moscheles32
Autograph of Robert Schumann38
Autograph of Mme. Schumann44
Autograph of Moritz Hauptmann48
Autograph of Richard Wagner56
Autograph of Joseph Joachim64
Autograph of Anton Schindler80
Liszt in Middle Life88
Drawn by George T. Tobin from a photograph of uncertain date.
The Altenburg, Liszt's House at Weimar96
Autograph of Vieuxtemps144
Autograph of Ole Bull150
Autograph of Henriette Sontag164
Autograph of Hector Berlioz168
Autograph of Ferdinand Laub180
The Mason-Thomas Quartet196
Theodore Thomas about Twenty-four Years Old200
From a photograph by Duchochois & Klauser.
Autograph of Moreau Gottschalk208
Autograph of Sigismond Thalberg212
Autograph of Anton Rubinstein232
Autograph of I. J. Paderewski236
Autograph of Hans von Bülow240
Autograph of Edvard Grieg244
Interior of Studio in Steinway Building, New York248
Autographs of the Kneisel Quartet262
Lowell Mason277
From a daguerreotype.