76.—MENDELSSOHN COMPOSING FOR FUN.
There is a great deal of mechanical as well as mental labor about musical composition. But musicians who compose a great deal become as expert in the quick transfer of their ideas to paper as do those who deal in words rather than notes. When spurred by necessity, remarkable speed in composition has been developed. Mendelssohn once had his pride slightly wounded, and the result was the composition of an overture in two days' time.
He had expected to write a romance and an overture for a performance of "Ruy Blas," but owing to other duties had only completed the romance. The music was to be played for the benefit of a charitable society. After sending the committee the romance music they soon called on him to express their thanks, and said "it was a great pity he had not written the overture, though they understood it could not be done in a hurry, and next year, if they might be allowed, they would give him longer notice."
Mendelssohn felt the inference was that he could not write the overture without much time for consideration, and owned to being "rather nettled" by their remarks. But in two days he had completed the overture; and they were not two days of uninterrupted work on it, either, for in that time he had rehearsals to attend and a concert to give. But with all this he declared that the composition of this overture gave him more fun than anything he ever did.