12.—PLAYING LIKE "ZWEI GOTTS."
De Pachmann, the pianist, is so full of whimsicalities, of grimaces and odd doings, and withal is such a superb player, that he has been characterized by one epigrammatic writer as "having the soul of an angel in the body of an ape," and by another as "a combination of specialized wisdom and undifferentiated dam-foolism."
An instance of this latter element of his character took place after a recent recital of his in New York. A pianist of some note went on the stage to congratulate him on his brilliant performance. He found De Pachmann pacing up and down the stage exclaiming in fury:—
"Ach Gott! Dese Ameriken beeples, how dey do—dey know not museek! I vill go back to my Jermamie. Here dey know notings. I blay like von Gott and vat dey do?"
Taking his hand, the visitor tried to assuage his wrath by saying, "Yes, yes, Mr. Pachmann, you did play like a god."
Whereupon the irrepressible combination of egotism and genius burst forth:—
"Blay like von gott! I blay like zwei gotts, and dey do notings!"