g to soar
upwards to the clouds. Everything about him was in activity; not a
part of his organization remained idle, and the whole man seemed like a
perpetuum mobile. Concerning expression, the little nuances, the equable
division of light and shade, as also an effective tempo rubato, he was
extremely exact and gladly discussed them with the individual members of
the orchestra without showing vexation or anger."

62. "It has always been known that the greatest pianoforte players
were also the greatest composers; but how did they play? Not like the
pianists of today who prance up and down the key-board with passages
in which they have exercised themselves,--putsch, putsch, putsch;--what
does that mean? Nothing. When the true pianoforte virtuosi played it
was always something homogeneous, an entity; it could be transcribed and
then it appeared as a well thought-out work. That is pianoforte playing;
the other is nothing!"

(In conversation with Tomaschek, October, 1814.)

63. "Candidly I am not a friend of Allegri di bravura and such, since
they do nothing but promote mechanism."

(Hetzendorf, July 16, 1823, to Ries in London.)

64. "The great pianists have nothing but technique and affectation."

(Fall of 1817, to Marie Pachler-Koschak, a pianist whom Beethoven
regarded very highly. "You will play the sonatas in F major and C minor,
for me, will you not?")

65. "As a rule, in the case of these gentlemen, all reason and feeling
are generally lost in the nimbleness of their fingers."

(Reported by Schindler as a remark of Beethoven's concerning pianoforte
virtuosi.)

66. "Habit may depreciate the most brilliant talents."

(In 1812 to his pupil, Archduke Rudolph, whom he warns against too
zealous a devotion to music.)

67. "You will have to play a long time yet before you realize that you
can not play at all."

(July, 1808. Reported by Rust as having been said to a young man who
played for Beethoven.)

68. "One must be something if one wishes to put on appearances."

(August 15, 1812, to Bettina von Arnim.)

69. "These pianoforte players have their coteries whom they often join;
there they are praised continually,--and there's an end of art!"

(Conversation with Tomaschek, October, 1814.)

70. "We Germans have too few dramatically trained singers for the part
of Leonore. They are too cold and unfeeling; the Italians sing and act
wi