Note footnotes — PREFACE

[1] An expression of commendation peculiarly German.

[2] 'Sehr geehrtes und liebes Fräulein,

'Es war neulich zu spät am Abend geworden als dass ich, wie ich wünschte, Sie selbst noch hätte aufsuchen u. Ihnen meinen Dank aussprechen können.

'So lassen Sie mich denn nachträglich diesen sehr herzlichen sagen für Ihr so freundliches u. werthvolles Geschenk.

'Es war in der That gar zu liebenswürdig von Ihnen sich mir zu gefallen von dem hübschen Schatze zu trennen u. es soll Ihnen im nächsten Jahre auch noch zur Verfügung stehen!

'In der Hoffnung Sie aber im nächsten Jahre wieder hier zu sehen u. Ihnen meinen herzlichen Dank wiederholen zu können,

'Ihr sehr ergebener,

'J. Brahms.'

[3] 'Geehrtes Fräulein,

'Mannichfach abgehalten, erlaube ich mir die Anfrage ob es Ihnen nicht möglich ist vorzusprechen bei

'Ihrem ergebensten

'Johannes Brahms.'

[4] 'Brahms Erinnerungen,' in Die Gegenwart, No. 45.

[5] Printed verbally in Max Kalbeck's 'Johannes Brahms,' p. 4.

[6] Vol. II., Chap. XXI.

[7] 'Musikalische Skizzen Köpfe,' vol. iii.

[8] Clasing was a pupil of C. F. G. Schwenke, who succeeded C. P. Emanuel Bach as cantor and music-director of St. Catharine's Church, Hamburg. On the death of Emanuel Bach in 1788, a portion of his library came into Schwenke's possession, including the score, in Sebastian Bach's own handwriting, of the great B minor Mass.

[9] La Mara, 'Studien Köpfe.'

[10] 'Brahms in Erinnerung.'

[11] Steiner's 'Johannes Brahms'. Neujahr'sblatt der Allg. Musikgesellschaft in Zürich, 1898.

[12] Cf. Kalbeck, p. 186.

[13] Two Guter Groschen were of about the value of 2-1/2d.

[14] Heuberger, 'Musikalische Skizzen.'

[15] The concertmeister is the leader—i.e., leading violin of the orchestra. The capellmeister is the conductor of the orchestra.

[16] Moser's 'Life of Joachim.'

[17] To assist those of our readers to whom the terms 'musical form,' 'absolute music,' 'programme music,' convey no distinct ideas, and who do not realize with exactness what the real position of Wagner's art was in its relation to the school of Weimar, we have entered into these subjects, in Appendix No. I. of this volume, in detail which cannot be conveniently introduced into the body of our narrative.

[18] The accounts of some authors place the visit in Göttingen. They must be regarded as, in this respect, mistaken. Dr. Joachim is positive on the point. 'The whole scene lives clearly in my memory; it occurred in my rooms in Princes Street, Hanover,' he lately said to the present writer.

[19] Festival address at Meiningen, October 7, 1899.

[20] Moser's 'Life of Joachim.'

[21] 'Memoirs of a Musical Life.'

[22] From La Mara's 'Briefe hervorragender Zeitgenossen an Franz Liszt.'

[23] According to a personal communication to the author by Frau Dr. Langhans-Japha, to whom Brahms showed the case.

[24] 'Aus siebzig Jahren.'

[25] 'Joh. Kreisler jun.'

[26] This letter and another to Amtsvogt Blume, which follows in Chapter VI., were first published in the Lüneburger Anzeige March 29, 1901.

[27] 'Gedenkenblätter an berühmte Musiker,' by Carl Reinecke.

[28] 'Erinnerungen von Johannes Brahms.'

[29] At this period envelopes were not in universal use. The large 'letter-paper' was folded and sealed, and addressed on the blank fourth page.

[30] Ehrlich, 'Dreissig Jahre Künstlerleben.'

[31] 'Robert Schumann's Briefe.' Neue Folge. Edited by Gustav Jansen.

[32] These words sufficiently disprove the assumption occasionally adopted, that Schumann expected Brahms before receiving his call at Düsseldorf.

[33] The movements of the F minor Sonata were no doubt submitted to Schumann's criticism during the process of their composition.

[34] See, for this and other letters of Schumann, Dr. Jansen's collection referred to above.

[35] 'Frei aber einsam' (Free but lonely), Joachim's favourite device at this time.

[36] 'I have here in my mind Joseph Joachim, Ernst Naumann, Ludwig Norman, Woldemar Bargiel, Theodor Kirchner, Julius Schäffer, Albert Dietrich, not forgetting the earnest-minded E. F. Wilsing. As trusty heralds in the right path, Niels W. Gade, C. F. Mangold, Robert Franz, and St. Heller should also be named here.'

[37] Joachim.

[38] Anti-philistines.

[39] 'Robert Schumann's Briefe.' Neue Folge. Edited by Gustav Jansen.

[40] The letters in this and the following chapters from Brahms to Schumann were first published by La Mara in the Neue Freie Presse of May 7, 1897.

[41] 'Eine Glückliche. Hedwig von Holstein in ihren Briefen und Tagebuchblättern.'

[42] 'Liszt's Briefe.' Edited by La Mara.

[43] Kalbeck's 'Johannes Brahms,' p. 35.

[44] Bülow's 'Briefe und Schriften.' Edited by Marie von Bülow.

[45] Two overtures on which Joachim was working.

[46] This and all other extracts from Dietrich are taken from his well-known 'Recollections of Brahms.'

[47] From the original letter, presented by Dr. Joachim to the author.

[48] Cf. Schumann's great variations: the 'Etudes Symphoniques.'

[49] Sittard's 'Künstler-Charakteristiken.'

[50] See footnote on p. 117.

[51] Professor Carl Neumann's introduction to the second edition (1904) of Allgeyer's 'Life of Anselm Feuerbach.'

[52] This and the following letters written by Schumann at Endenich were first published by Edward Hanslick in the Neue Freie Presse of October 27 and 29, 1896, and afterwards republished in Hanslick's 'Am Ende des Jahrhunderts' (Robert Schumann in Endenich).

[53] See footnote on p. 131.

[54] The introduction by diminution of Clara Wieck's theme mentioned on p. 160.

[55] In manuscript: Ballades for Pianoforte, Op. 10.

[56] The doppio movimento marked in the manuscript of the first ballade was changed before publication to allegro ma non troppo, no doubt in deference to Schumann's suggestion.

[57] Concert-allegro with Introduction for Pianoforte and Orchestra, Op. 134.

[58] Fantasia for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 131, dedicated to Joachim.

[59] Fräulein Bertha Bölling, a young lady who was resident for some years in the Schumanns' house as domestic help to Frau Schumann, to whom she was greatly attached, and in whose confidence she stood high. During the first few days of Schumann's illness, before his removal to Endenich, she was allowed by the doctors to go in and out of the sick-room, and her presence had a tranquillizing effect on the patient.

[60] Joachim's compositions.

[61] 'Gesammelte Aufsätze über Musik.'

[62] 'Aus meinem Leben.'

[63] Die Musik, first May number, 1903.

[64] In the author's possession.

[65] In the possession of Professor Julius Spengel.

[66] In the library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna.

[67] In the possession of Fräulein Marie Grimm.

[68] 'Aus meinem Leben.'

[69] Grove's 'Dictionary of Music and Musicians.'

[70] Chiefly taken from the account written at the time for the Neue Zeitschrift, by Ferdinand Hiller.

[71] 'Aus Johannes Brahms' Jugendtagen,' by Carl, Freiherr von Meysenbug (Neues Wiener Tagblatt, April 3 and 4, 1902).

[72] 'Johannes Brahms,' p. 297.

[73] In the possession of Fräulein Marie Grimm.

[74] 'Brahms in Hamburg,' by Professor Walter Hübbe.

[75] The few sketches Brahms allowed to survive him are preserved in the library of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde at Vienna.

[76] Dr. Georg Fischer's 'Opera und Concerte im Hoftheater zu Hannover bis 1866.'

[77] The concerto opens with a long-continued roll of drums.

[78] From a letter first published in Max Kalbeck's 'Johannes Brahms,' vol. i., p. 356.

[79] 'Musikalisches und Literarisches': 'Neuer Brahms Katalog.'

[80] Moser's 'Life of Joachim.'

[81] Brahms' Trio in B major.

[82] First published in Reimann's 'Johannes Brahms.' One of the Princess Friederike's Christmas presents to Brahms whilst he was her teacher consisted of the five volumes (1851-1855 inclusive) of the Leipzig Society's edition of Bach's works issued before he became a subscriber, and it would appear from the opening of the above-quoted letter that she made herself responsible for his subscription during the consecutive seasons of his visits to Detmold. It is interesting to read the traces of his movements furnished by the subscription list placed at the commencement of each volume. In 1856 his name appears as belonging to Düsseldorf; 1857-1864 inclusive, to Hamburg; and from 1865 onwards, to Vienna.

[83] 'Aus Johannes Brahms' Jugendtagen,' by Hermann Freiherr von Meysenbug (Neues Wiener Tagblatt, May, 1901).

[84] First published, with an account of the Ladies' Choir, in Hübbe's 'Brahms in Hamburg.'

[85] Hübbe.

[86] 'Aus Brahms' Jugendtagen.' See footnote on p. 205.

[87] 'Joseph Joachim,' p. 154.

[88] Reprint of Wagner's pamphlet 'Das Judenthum in der Musik.'

[89] The rules, first published by Professor Walter Hübbe in his 'Brahms in Hamburg,' are given entire in the original German in Appendix No. III.

[90] This pleasant description is given entire, as containing a substantially accurate account of Brahms' artistic progress, though Dietrich, writing after the lapse of many years, has overlooked the fact that the works referred to had already been performed in public from the manuscripts.

[91] A revised edition of the second serenade was published by Simrock in 1875.

[92] Max Kalbeck, p. 458.

[93] First published in Hübbe's 'Brahms in Hamburg,' pp. 42-44.

[94] Dietrich.

[95] The Variations are dated 1866 in the published catalogue.

[96] Max Kalbeck, p. 497. The reader must be reminded that at this period German bank-notes frequently represented but small sums.

[97] 'Music may accompany action, but can never become its substitute.'

'In the case even of the best and most ideal examples [of Programme-music] it always happened that I so completely lost the thread that no effort enabled me to recover it,' etc.

Wagner, at a certain period of his career, professed himself a partial convert to Programme-music—i.e., as it is exemplified in the works of Liszt; but it is scarcely possible to read his remarks at this point without feeling that they were wrested from him by his conception of the obligations of friendship, and the circumstances of the time. Confessing that he finds it extremely difficult to explain himself, he says that he leaves to others the task of developing his meaning, and returns repeatedly to the expression of his general dislike of Programme-music.

[98] From 'Brahms in Hamburg,' by Walter Hübbe. See p. 255 of this narrative.