tle man, otherwise so gentle,--I never would have credited
him with such a thing. Now Weber must write operas in earnest, one after
the other, without caring too much for refinement! Kaspar, the monster,
looms up like a house; wherever the devil sticks in his claw we feel
it."

(To Rochlitz, at Baden, in the summer of 1823.)

125. "There you are, you rascal; you're a devil of a fellow, God bless
you!... Weber, you always were a fine fellow."

(Beethoven's hearty greeting to Karl Maria von Weber, in October, 1823.)

126. "K. M. Weber began too learn too late; art did not have a chance
to develop naturally in him, and his single and obvious striving is to
appear brilliant."

(A remark reported by Seyfried.)

127. "'Euryanthe' is an accumulation of diminished seventh chords--all
little backdoors!"

(Remarked to Schindler about Weber's opera.)

128. "Truly, a divine spark dwells in Schubert!"

(Said to Schindler when the latter made him acquainted with the "Songs
of Ossian," "Die Junge Nonne," "Die Burgschaft," of Schubert's "Grenzen
der Menschheit," and other songs.)

129. "There is nothing in Meyerbeer; he hasn't the courage to strike at
the right time."

(To Tomaschek, in October, 1814, in a conversation about the "Battle of
Victoria," at the performance of which, in 1813, Meyerbeer had played
the big drum.)

130. "Rossini is a talented and a melodious composer, his music suits
the frivolous and sensuous spirit of the times, and his productivity is
such that he needs only as many weeks as the Germans do years to write
an opera."

(In 1824, at Baden, to Freudenberg.)

131. "This rascal Rossini, who is not respected by a single master of
his art!"

(Conversation-book, 1825.)

132. "Rossini would have become a great composer if his teacher had
frequently applied some blows ad posteriora."

(Reported by Schindler. Beethoven had been reading the score of "Il
Barbiere di Siviglia.")

133. "The Bohemians are born musicians. The Italians ought to take
them as models. What have they to show for their famous conservatories?
Behold! their idol, Rossini! If Dame Fortune had not given him a pretty
talent and amiable melodies by the bushel, what he learned at school
would have brought him nothing but potatoes for his big belly."

(In a conversation-book at Haslinger's music shop, where Beethoven
frequently visited.)

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