Page:Anecdotes of Great Musicians.djvu/25

Rh the baby was beginning to prove to me that he knew more about music than I do myself."

When Berlioz was a student in the Conservatoire, he was generally at sword's points with the crusty director. Once, on examination day, Cherubini was running over a piece which Berlioz had submitted, when he came upon a complete rest of two measures.

"What is that?" he asked, in his usual ill-natured tone.

"Mr. Director," said the pupil, "I wish to produce an effect which I thought could best be produced by silence."

"Ah, you thought it would produce a good effect upon the audience if you suppressed two measures?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good. Suppress the rest; the effect will be better still!"

As an instance of Cherubini's curt wit, the following little conversation is cited:—

One day a friend handed a score to Cherubini, saying it was by Mehul. After looking it over he exclaimed:—

"It is not Mehul's; it is too bad to be his."

"Then will you believe me if I tell you it is mine?" said the visitor, and Cherubini replied:—

"No! It is too good to be yours."  

Many years ago, in 1827, there lived in an almshouse in the old city of Stockholm a little six-year-old girl, who had been put in charge of an old woman who, by the way, was none too kind to the orphan in her care. When her guardian went out to earn her daily pittance, this little maid was locked in the house to prevent her wandering about; and so the lonesome little Johanne was deprived of the bright sunshine and the sight of the beautiful trees and flowers so beloved by every Swedish heart. 