230.—SCHERZO.
It is not always that we can have from a great musician's own pen a concise sketch of his life. So we present the following one, in the line of a curiosity. In a collection of musical autobiographies we would naturally expect the "ego" to be rather prominent. But in the following sketch of himself which Moszkowski sent to a Boston friend, we find an admirable modesty and a ready turn of humor. In reply to his friend's request he wrote:—
"I took my first step before the public in my earliest youth following my birth, which occurred August 23, 1854, in Breslau. I selected this warm month in hopes of a tornado, which always plays so prominent a part in the biography of great men. This desired tempest, in consequence of favorable weather, did not occur, while it accompanied the birth of hundreds of men of much less importance. Embittered by this injustice, I determined to avenge myself on the world by playing the piano, while I continued in Dresden and Berlin as Kullak's pupil. In spite of the theoretical instruction of Kiel and Wuerst, a lively desire to compose was early aroused in me. I perpetrated, in time, an overture, a piano concerto, two symphonies, piano and violin pieces, songs, etc.; in short, I have twenty works in print.
"I should be happy to send you my piano concerto but for two reasons: first, it is worthless; second, it is most convenient—the score being four hundred pages long—for making my piano stool higher when I am engaged in studying better works.
"My prominence as a pianist is known to you. I have concertized in France and Germany, and soon go again to Berlin, where they are at work, day and night (by electric light), preparing my triumphal arch and a procession of virgins clothed in white.
"Besides these extensive acquirements, I can play billiards, chess, dominoes and violin, can ride, imitate canary birds, and relate jokes in the Saxon dialect. Am a very tidy, amiable man and your very devoted friend and colleague,