January 19 Wednesday – Sam’s notebook:

Vienna, Jan. 19, 1898. Tonight, drove out to Letschititzky’s house (wife & Clara along) to attend one of the fortnightly meetings of his piano class. About 25 of his great multitude of pupils present. The master sat at one piano, & each of 7 pupils in turn sat at the other. It was a wonderful performance. Young Voss, a handsome American, carried off the honors, by a little. Now & then the master would let fly a rebuke, & play a passage as a pupil had played it, then play it as it ought to have been played. Beautiful as the pupil’s work had been, the superior splendor of the master’s touch was immediately recognizable.

He gave one young lady a devastating dressing down—poured out wrath, criticism, sarcasm and humor upon her in a flood for 10—no, as much as 12 minutes. He is a most capable & felicitous talker—was born for an orator, I think. What life, energy, fire, in a man past 70!—& how he does play! He is easily the greatest pianist in the world. He is just as great & just as capable today as ever he was [NB 40 TS 7].

Jan. 19/98. New barber began. Terms 8 gulden a month & 2 gulden pourboire—total 10 G (didn’t pay in advance.

———

Accept the homage of a stranger. Ecclesiastical & military courts made up of cowards, hypocrites & time-servers can be bred at the rate of a million a year & have material to spare; but it takes 5 centuries to breed a Joan of Arc & a Zola [NB 42 TS 54].