286.—HAYDN'S LAST APPEARANCE.
Haydn was a very religious man, and at the same time conscientious and modest. That he recognized the source of his musical talent and rendered unto God the things that are God's, is shown in the following incident:—
In 1808, shortly before Haydn's death, a grand performance of his oratorio of the "Creation" took place in Vienna. Haydn was present, an old man of seventy-six years. He was so feeble as to be wheeled into the theater in a chair. This was the last time that the venerable composer made his appearance in public, and then it was only as a listener, his age and state of health precluding any active performance.
The audience greeted the old man with great enthusiasm, and when, in the course of the work, the orchestra and chorus arrived at the place where there is a sudden change from the minor to the major, at the words "And there was light," they created a tumult of applause.
The old composer struggled to his feet, and mustering up all his strength cried in reply to the applause of the audience, in as loud a tone as he was able:—
"No, no! not from me, but from thence, from heaven above, comes all!" at the same time pointing upward.
He fell back in his chair exhausted by the excitement, and was hastily removed to his home, never again to come before his beloved Austrian public.