My Austrian Love

ality the tunes, the harmonies, the combinations of sounds which he had up to that moment heard only in his fancy, a profound terror overc

ntions of the singers deteriorate the musical sense, wrong notes hurt the poor composer's ears. But by and by the whole thing

e rehearsals, his masterpiece-for secretly, in the inmost recess of his heart, he considered La

very silent, "oh, why did I disobey my good mother? Why did I not follow the ideal career of an insu

creams became music, when I ceased shuddering and quaking as the hours of rehearsal approached-my confidence came back. I e

aud. But will they understand? Is the crowd sufficiently educated to appreciate my work? Do I not stain the beautiful conception of my fancy by submitting it to the crude judgment of the crowd? Still, a crowd it will be; they will come and listen and applaud. The theatre contains room for fifteen hundred people. There are about

, for I am b

has happened to Sergeant Young. He has seemed sulky since the other day, when he left me so abruptly. It pai

I was happy. I have already stated that I was altogether happy only during our performance in front of Schubert. That sentiment of perfect felicity ne

n Heidenbrunn. I suppose that you have seen it coming a long time ago, and I have only to record how th

nk had been shifted from Salzburg to Brünn. This was a co

to meet Mitzi at the Viennese Northern Station, and we travelled together, which rendered that hour as short as it was delightful. Rehearsals in Austria as

n. Well, first there was that double journey which I would have lost, as well as

ts one inhabitant to Birmingham's ten! Brünn with its wide and empty roads in the new town, and with its narrow and crooked streets in the old one! Brünn with its one and only beautiful building: the Jewish synagogue, and its one and only curiosity: the luna

ll only say that when Mitzi and I lunched at the Grand Hotel, which is situated quite near the theatre, covers were generally laid for four. Of course, I was always allotted the Countess Augusta, who proved a rather insignificant girl, by whose side I remained unfathomably calm, while Mitzi seemed to enjoy the nutti

ion strong." And soon I found myself burning as by "the mines of sulphur." (How good o

Besides, I must say, Mitzi was never as sweet to me as during these days. Full of hope and confidence, she always comforted and cheered me when I was disheartened, which happened more than once. Poor Doblana, who on his side was busy

not a word was said about our betrothal. And Daniel Cooper was greatly amused by being called the "great Mr. Cooper" by Doblana. It was on this occasion only that I found out that the good horn-player, who knew bu

rist in a specially hired motor lorry. I speak of such unexpected things as, for instance, a magnificent set of diamonds he presented to my mother in remembrance of my coming triumph. Needless to s

trustful. But all my friends of the Round Table and other acquaintances were present, and they did their hand work well. There was first-honour to whom honour is due-the Herr Graf, then old Hammer, on whose account I had been obliged to invent a special scheme so as to make him accept a railway ticket, for he would not have been able to come otherwi

e Vienna Opera downwards, had been invited, but onl

t of Brünn, would be ashamed of most of our conventional society performances at the Royal Theatre Covent Garden, in spite of all the stars. Confound the stars, who c

a loud opera, and I could expect that the critics would not reproach me with being too noisy in my orchestration. Indeed, it was found too so

ho sang Macbeth. I had great trouble in explaining him why

aside. His reserve, his taciturnity are awful. Whatever he speaks, must be uttered as though against his own will. Berlioz, once, to obtain a very tragic effect, had a drum covered with a cloth. Macbeth must be spoken with a voice resembling the soun

the operatic art. It was a unique, incessant horror for the audience as long as the fearful score lasted-and it became

r scene seemed to shake with dread and terror. Bischoff knew how to produce the biggest effects with small means. Thus I will never forget that there was a sort of small lamp burning during the scene of the murder. The trembling flame, now more reddish, now more bluish, was fla

ile the scenery was being built for the first act, Macbeth's castle at Inverness, the orchestra played my paraphrase of the "Pibro

have resisted this Lady Macbeth. Even when she had to deliver a reproach, she did it trembling

so that sometimes they seemed to be but one being with two souls. How she sang all the hideousness and atrocity of her part-how she perfumed the blood

public seemed awed, so intense was the impress

ld break them. His eyes were shining and I could swear that there were tears

at the door of Mitzi's

e, not Mitzi's, but that

tinctly perceive through the door, and then a woman came out, openin

man, as if I had been a mere st

an would have acted otherwise than I did. I bowed to that dressi

az colleague. They both congratulated me, and the manager of

ing to let me have your opera at the same terms as the ones you have here, I will play it wit

I thanked him for such encouragement. But the entr

or opened and.... Franz von Heidenbrunn came out. I thought that my heart was going to stop.

f his box I found

d my old Daniel Cooper &

ing to spoil

nswered. "And the manager of the Graz

plendid!"

well?" aske

led Daniel Cooper, turning to he

other went into their box, wh

he incident. I asked myself whether she was not too much an artist to be a wife. What, if frivolity were unavoidable in th

urning brow of a sick man. I saw, too, how she smiled at the ghost, how she mocked him, and I heard how she sang the words: "What, quite

e first. However, Doctor Bernheim, whom you know as a sen

sured from the applause. The public is much too moved to appla

s act. I was afraid lest I should m

alking scene arrived. Never before had the ruin

ca

came like a child, with bare feet and bare legs-there was just then the craze of dancers who appeared like that-tripping full of anguish

hich I ever heard, she began. Sweet as the singing of a breeze

ere's

who would have thought the old ma

Oh, oh, oh!" How she whined these three oh's! The audience pitied her. And

e more repeated all the motives of the opera, including the lullaby. Mitzi was slowly to turn round and to

there in that short chemise. She had dared that! And to my horror I saw that it was t

times to find the right expression for ... you know what I mean. And this time I feel truly awkward because I have reached an important point. I m

r something which was as difficult to baptize, help me ... help me to

e Dar

this idea co

arling, but being shy

ontrary. The truth is that the attractive sight made me forget my anger, my dejection. She did look fascinating, and

isappeared in the background, and at the same time the curtain was sl

idden in a light dressing-gown. But the wanton people had had their sensation, they applauded and shoute

nothing of it was meant for me, for my work. It was not Lad

er struggles and her wretchedness. The crowd will never recognize the nobility of suffering. No

audience had been shaking with terror, and that the following times it was shaking with

ot so wicked

dozen was struck by the sweetness of her voice, by her sublime acting, by her pow

Grand Hotel there was much joy in the air. Dad was offering to my friends a

how she had en

," she said. "I like

hat w

had they the same opinion on anything. Yet, there was one point on which they seemed to agree ..

t marry that

n the moment came for the parents to leave. Business had allowed dad to take only a very f

or thus they escaped the cr

ulge you t

mpanied by a sauce anglaise prepared at a Worcestershire (or is it a Yorkshire?) manufacture by a certain Patrick Cooper, who has-unfortunately-nothing in co

ritten such a score. As for the libretto, it is the mistake of an intelligent man who has treated the subject not from the immortal poet's

nelli, the performance would have been a total fiasco. She played and sang the Lady with charm as well as with ene

oroughly English lines that he knows no foreign language? Blessed