Beethoven Depicted by His Contemporaries, by L. Nohl., Tr. by E. Hill

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1880 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXXIII. LUDWIG RELLSTAB. "HE sketch by Rellstab has already been referred to in Zelter's letters. Since that time, the relations between Zelter and his great "brother artist" had grown more intimate; and the latter had written a very respectful letter, asking him to subscribe to his Grand Mass. Zelter's appreciation of this work shows the complete conquest which Beethoven had made of the old master mason. It was, however, his desire of assisting his young friend in following some fixed pursuit which led him to address Beethoven in such reverential terms, rather than a firm conviction of the immeasurable superiority of his genius to the rest of his contemporaries in the art world. But this reverential tone served to raise the young poet's opinion of the great musician; and, although he was then, as always, far from thoroughly understanding Beethoven, he at any rate acquired a clear idea of the human side of his nature, and of his troubled and even tragic existence, which he has depicted with a faithfulness " surpassing art." From his own reminiscences, he was enabled to give a clear picture of the master in his various writings (" Garten in Wald," 1854; "Aus Meinem Leben," 1861), the chief materials for which were gathered from letters and journals written at the time. He says--"I had decided to go to Vienna. With what hope, pleasurable confidence, and wholesome joy does a youth, who has just experienced the gratification of finding his first literary efforts favourably received by a small circle, set out on such an expedition! What, then, are the past and the far-off future in comparison to the present? To my enthusiastic spirit, the supreme attraction of the imperial city was Beethoven! The mere sight of the man I adored would have satisfied a long...