Page:Anecdotes of Great Musicians.djvu/194

182 We may join with Mr. Prout when he says, "The more I study Händel the less I feel sure what is Händel's and what is not. No one in all the whole range of composers has robbed in such a wholesale and unprincipled manner as this dear old boy has done; but with all his faults I love him still."  

A young composer called on von Bülow one day to get his opinion of a pianoforte concerto. Von Bülow declared he was too busy at that moment, but promised to look at it at his leisure. That same evening, at a party, von Bülow was asked to play, and to the amazement of the youthful aspirant for fame, who happened to be present, he sat down and played the entire concerto from memory. When he was director of the famous Meiningen orchestra, not content with conducting without a score, he endeavored, though without success, to induce the members of his band to learn their music by heart. The orchestra lacked both Bülow's prodigious memory and his matchless enthusiasm.  

The great composers have each had their own ways of writing out their masterpieces, and some of them chose peculiar surroundings to witness the birth of their musical ideas. Some of these surroundings, while they may seem an odd choice to us, were very commonly chosen by literary and musical men of past days. The tavern and the wine room are not now regarded as productive of great ideas. But, be that as it may, much of our greatest music has come to light of day by that route.

Beethoven was often seen to jot down in his tavern and coffee room visits some musical idea that occurred