4.—GLIMPSES OF CHERUBINI.
Cherubini was a gruff old fellow, but occasionally a bit of kindness or humor came to the surface, and then he showed the better side of his nature. He was one day met, at the Paris Conservatoire, of which he was the head, by a father who came bringing his talented son to gain admission to the institution. Cherubini exclaimed, when the man had told his errand, "What do you want? I do not take infants to nurse!"
The father was about to give up his attempt, but was told to take the boy to a certain room and have him play whatever he could think of, and not to stop when Cherubini came into the room. Soon the Director came in. Hearing the boy play, he was astonished at the talent and youth of the performer, and proceeded to question him on the principles of music. The result was that he at once admitted the boy to the Conservatoire. Cherubini afterward, in telling others about the affair, said, "I had to be very careful about pushing the questions too far; for the baby was beginning to prove to me that he knew more about music than I do myself."
When Berlioz was a student in the Conservatoire, he was generally at sword's points with the crusty director. Once, on examination day, Cherubini was running over a piece which Berlioz had submitted, when he came upon a complete rest of two measures.
"What is that?" he asked, in his usual ill-natured tone.
"Mr. Director," said the pupil, "I wish to produce an effect which I thought could best be produced by silence."
"Ah, you thought it would produce a good effect upon the audience if you suppressed two measures?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very good. Suppress the rest; the effect will be better still!"
As an instance of Cherubini's curt wit, the following little conversation is cited:—
One day a friend handed a score to Cherubini, saying it was by Mehul. After looking it over he exclaimed:—
"It is not Mehul's; it is too bad to be his."
"Then will you believe me if I tell you it is mine?" said the visitor, and Cherubini replied:—
"No! It is too good to be yours."