/
Recollections
OF A
Russian Home
[Photo by !'. Schmidt, .Manchester.
ADOLPH BRODSKV ix 1913.
Recollections
of a Russian Home
A Musician's Experiences
BY \*-
**&
MRS. A. BRODSKY
SECOND EDITION
488288
LONDON
SHERRATT & HUGHES
Manchester : 34 Cross Street
1914
(1L
PREFACE.
WHEN, some years ago, at the earnest entreaty
of friends, I most reluctantly decided to
publish my small volume of Recollections I
never dreamt that a second edition of it would
ever be required. Since that time many kind
letters about my book have reached me from
different parts of England many from
people I have never seen. These kind
letters have given me very great pleasure
and I take this opportunity of expressing to
the writers my deep gratitude for their
encouragement.
Also I should like to offer my warmest
thanks to my dear friends Miss Lilian
Winstanley and Miss Gertrude Gregson for
their kind help in connection with this book.
Hoping to make the second edition more
attractive I venture to enlarge it by adding
my description of our visit to Grieg, which
will, I hope, interest my readers.
The proceeds of the second edition will
again be devoted to the Sustentation Fund
of the Royal Manchester College of Music.
ANNA BRODSKY.
Recollections of a
Russian Home
Far away from here, in the South of
Russia, there is a lake which is formed by a
tributary of the large river Dnieper. On
the shore of that lake, surrounded by very,
very old willows, which are still bathing
their branches in its waters, stands the
house where I was born. It has been
rebuilt and altered since; but in former
days it was a large one-storied building,
simple in architecture, with no decoration
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outside, and no luxuries within; still such a
dear old home it was, and most comfortable.
We never suffered in it from heat or cold,
the walls were so thick and the stoves
splendid.
We were a large, happy family, seldom
alone, for friends were continually staying
with us, and there was always something
going on in the house; we did not feel
ourselves cut off from the world, though
there was no railway, and our nearest town,
Cherson, could only be reached by driving.
The house was surrounded by flowers and
trees, and there was a large orchard close
at hand which extended along the banks of
a small stream running out of the lake.
As I write I can see these familiar scenes
rising before me; I can hear the cows and
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horses, the many, many birds home birds
and wild ones giving us concerts several
times a day.
The singing of birds in the Spring,
Summer and Autumn was generally my
first impression when I woke, and often my
last when I fell asleep; we could hear the
nightingales from our bedrooms.
I have travelled much since then, but
have never heard such songsters as these
Russian ones. The nightingales especially
were marvellous : they closed their eyes as
they sang, so that it was possible to approach
quite close to them, and the birds trembled
all over with the passion of their notes,
while the song itself was full of delicate
variations.
We were several sisters, of nearly
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the same age; and though there were
governesses and teachers living in the house,
we were allowed the greatest freedom,
and could enjoy the lovely country that
surrounded us, and so we learnt to love
Nature at all seasons of the year.
We cared nothing for sport, but delighted
in our simple daily walks through the
gardens or the fields, where we might
wander for hours and see nothing but the
blue sky above and the endless steppes
around.
These steppes took very different aspects,
according to the time of the year, and at
every season they had their own beauty and
blessing for us. Whether the earth was
covered with a thick, white sheet of snow,
glittering in the sun, and the air as still as
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in the grave, or whether it was covered with
grass and spring flowers, wild crocuses, tulips
and irises, and the air filled with the delicious
songs of the birds, we loved Nature in every
mood, and felt happy.
And Autumn, how beautiful this time can
be in the south of Russia !
Winter does not come suddenly : there is
a gradual passage from summer to winter,
when the leaves remain for a long time on
the trees, changing from one bright colour
to another, giving the scenery a special
character of beauty. How intense these
impressions of nature on my child's heart
were I judge by the freshness of my
recollections. Even now it seems to me at
times that I am walking on the long path
of our orchard, the sky a beautiful dark
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blue. The smell of dry leaves covering
the ground has something invigorating,
quickening the energy, and making me look
into the future with hope. As I am walking,
absorbed in my thoughts, the distant sound
of a threshing machine reaches my ear;
such a familiar sound, saying so much to an
inhabitant of the country, often accompanied
by the farewell song of some departing
birds. What precious recollections ! Nothing
could be more peaceful, more full of rest
and beauty.
We really had all that children could
wish affectionate parents, happy playmates,
useful activity among the peasant families
which lived near, and besides all this,
something quite special in good music.
Artists frequently found hospitality in my
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father's house, and stayed with us for weeks
and months together. Amongst them I
must mention Adolph Brodsky, then a
student at the Vienna Conservatoire. He
used to spend his summer holidays with us,
and often brought other artists with him.
He was the favourite with everyone in the
house, and his coming was like a fete for
both old and young.
To him we owed our musical education,
for, though only a young man of about nine-
teen or twenty, he was already the ripe
musician he is to-day, and just as enthusiastic
a lover of string quartettes.
I shall never forget one summer evening,
when the music room was half lighted, the
windows wide open, looking into the garden,
and perfect stillness outside, except for
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occasional faint sounds from the distant
village. We were seated in the dark corners
of the room, as still as if in church; no one
moved or made a sound, we were listening
breathlessly to the great Beethoven string
quartette (B flat major). Adolph Brodsky
had rehearsed it most carefully with my two
brothers and his clever pupil the day before ;
it was now what we called the " concert," and
he put his whole heart into the work. When
they began to play the divine Cavatina, the
inspiration of the first violin reached its
height, every nerve in me was strained I
experienced the purest and completest joy.
It was probably this evening which decided
my future, though I did not then realize it.
At that time I was only fifteen, and Adolph
Brodsky was nothing more than a friend and
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comrade, whom I very much admired for his
wonderful playing.
There is one feature of Russian life which
cannot be praised too highly, and that is
the relation between young men and girls :
they can be such excellent comrades, such
close and intimate friends, without the
thought of any engagement or future
marriage between them. Of this kind were
then my relations with A. B.
Next to his playing, I admired most of all
his courage; he proved it on several occa-
sions, but I shall mention only two.
It was late in September, when the days
were already short and cool. A party of ten
of us took a large boat, and went for a sail
on the lake, in the happiest possible mood,
singing songs and telling stories. When
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it began to grow dark we decided to turn
homewards, but just as the large sail was
moved, the boat turned to one side, and we
noticed a crack through which water was
entering.
We made light of it at first; but when
we saw how rapidly the bottom of the boat
was filling, and that our feet were already
wet, we became alarmed.
No sooner had A. B. noticed our fear,
than he sprang into the water, dressed as
he was, and tried to persuade us that he felt
the bottom, though as a matter of fact he
was out of his depth. He was a good
swimmer, however, and it was not long
before he found a place where he could
stand. To that spot he managed to bring
us one by one; four girls and an elderly
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lady. I was not as tall as the others, and
had to be supported above the surface of
the water.
The boat was soon overturned, and we,
a group of ten shivering people, stood at
some distance from it, with the water up to
our chins, waiting for help. It was getting
dark, and there was some danger that we
might be run down by a passing boat, but
we were afraid to shout, lest our voices,
carried across the water, might alarm my
mother. We decided to sing songs, but they
sounded somewhat uncertain, as our voices
were trembling with cold.
As time passed on, the singing grew
fainter and fainter, and at last the poor old
lady began to cry.
A. B. used all his humour and courage
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to cheer her, and meanwhile, my brother,
alternately swimming and wading, was
making his way to the shore for help.
Nearly an hour passed before we could
get into the boat which was sent to our
rescue. It was no easy task to climb into
it, in our woollen dresses heavy with wet.
We went home in perfect silence ; the
servants had come out to meet us with
candles and lanterns, and when the light fell
upon us, we looked a sad enough procession.
As soon as we had changed our clothes,
however, our cheerfulness returned; we
danced till we were quite warm, and then
we listened to a fiery rendering of the
Kreutzer Sonata, by A. B. and a fine pianist,
which made us forget all the troubles of the
day, and left us with only a feeling of
pleasant excitement.
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This was an occasion when his presence
of mind was tested by water : on another
occasion it was tested by fire. Late one
dark night, when some of us had gone to
bed, we were startled by a cry of " fire ! "
The next moment we were all out in the
yard, and a dreadful spectacle was before
us; the house of our priest, the first in the
village, and not many yards from our own,
was one mass of flames, the roof was blazing,
and long tongues of fire licked the walls.
A. B. was one of the first to rush towards
it; as we approached, we beheld a scene
which remains indelibly stamped upon my
memory. Books and pillows and all kinds
of things which had been flying through
the windows were strewing the ground, and
our priest, Father Nicolas, carrying a sacred
14 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
relic in his hands, was marching round and
round the house, quite distracted, and half
chanting, half praying, in a most pathetic
voice : " Merciful God ! Merciful God !
Merciful God, help us !" Groups of peasants,
men and women, stood wringing their hands
in helpless despair. These Russian peasants,
so stoical in all else, who die with the
most noble and grave composure, were like
a flock of frightened sheep before the fire.
The horror of the whole scene was increased
by the screaming of the terrified animals,
which could feel and smell the fire, but were
still pent up in their outhouses. Veritable
whirlwinds of sparks flew into a sky of utter
blackness.
A cool head and energetic hands were
absolutely needed, and A. B. put his whole
RUSSIAN HOME 15
heart into the work. My brother told the
peasants that their dear priest would lose
everything, unless they roused themselves
at once, and did their utmost to help. He
and A. B. sent men in all directions for
pails, made a chain of people to the lake,
and had the water passed from hand
to hand, until the pump, which was
unfortunately out of order, could be got
ready. In this way they saved a great
portion of the priest's furniture, and also
the animals belonging to his farm; what
was still more important, the fire was
prevented from spreading, for since the
houses of Russian peasants are thatched
with straw, such a fire often destroys a
whole village.
This fire was specially dangerous, for the
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house burnt like tinder; it was made
inflammable by large stores of dried bread,
which had been accumulated in the attics
and under the roof. Russian priests receive
no stipends from the Government, and live
mostly on offerings from the people; these
offerings, especially from poor peasants who
take part in the annual processions, are very
frequently in the form of bread, and great
stores had been accumulated in the house of
Father Nicolas. It was owing to this highly
inflammable material that the house burnt so
fast.
Most of us left when the chief danger was
over, but my brother and A. B. did not
return till towards morning, when they
came back exhausted and smoke-begrimed,
with their clothes completely destroyed, but
very happy.
RUSSIAN HOME 17
One of the most interesting things on
our estate was a holy image. This eikon
had a remarkable history. An old woman
was once praying fervently in her own
house before a faded picture of the Virgin,
when she imagined that the picture became
quite fresh and new. She was greatly
stirred by this miracle, and reported it to
the priest; her statement was supported by
the evidence of her neighbours; it was
generally believed that the change had
taken place, and the whole matter was told
to the Archbishop. Many people in our
village came to the image for help, and the
news gradually spread through the whole
district, and finally throughout the south of
Russia. The Archbishop decided that the
image was far too precious to remain in a
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village, and decreed that it should be placed
in the Cathedral of Odessa during the
greater part of the year. In the Spring it
was taken by steamer to Nicolaieff and
Cherson, and from Cherson a great
procession began. It was carried through
our estates to the church of the village
where the miracle had occurred. This
procession became famous through the
whole of south and middle Russia, and
people came on foot from immense distances
to take part in it. It still seems to me as if
I could see the great cloud of dust which
heralded this procession, and then the figures
of the peasants, bareheaded and barefooted,
carrying staves in their hands, scrips and
water-gourds on their backs, dusty and foot-
sore from the way, men and women murmur-
RUSSIAN HOME 19
ing prayers, and the chorus chanting behind.
They were accompanied by the district police,
who rode bareheaded, bearing their insignia
of office, and by several priests in their robes,
on foot, swinging golden censers. Sacred
banners were carried, and in front the image
was borne under a baldaquin, plainly visible,
in a wooden frame. Thousands of people
were tramping together in this way, and
from time to time the whole procession
stopped, when the pilgrims knelt down in the
dust, and prayed with a zeal and fervour
almost incredible. The procession generally
made a halt before our house, to bring
blessings upon it. Another halt was made
by our old church, where food was sold to
the pilgrims cakes of bread and rolls,
apples, salted cucumbers, and so on, but
nothing that was not very plain.
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At these halting places sick people were
brought to the image, to pray before it;
those who were very weak were lifted up
that they might kiss it, and many cures
were believed to take place. All our family
who were strong enough to walk, walked with
the procession; those who could not do this
followed in vehicles. When the place of
destination was reached, the image was put
in a church, and many of its chief devotees
remained all evening and part of the night
praying before it. The next day it was
carried back in the same way. To take part
in this yearly procession was for the elder
members of our family an act of devotion;
to the younger ones something like a picnic.
But this kind of picnic was very tiring,
and not by any means so enjoyable as our
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real picnics. On these, as on so many other
occasions, A. B. was the life and soul of the
party. A cart was loaded first thing in the
morning with the huge samovar, and all
kinds of provisions; baskets of bread and
cake, boxes of wine, and sometimes a whole
dinner in pots and frying-pans; several
servants accompanied the cart. There were
always carriages at our disposal, but we
young people did not find them sufficiently
amusing; we asked our father to order a
large hay cart; it was drawn by two grey
oxen, and filled to the top with fragrant
hay. On this we all sat, and A. B., who
was full of fun, would stand up on the hay,
make us all sing, and conduct our chorus.
This drive in the cart was the best part of
the whole, and A. B.'s merriment was
22 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
literally inexhaustible; sometimes he would
bring out his violin, and play all kinds of
fantastic music, imitating the crowing of a
cock, or the singing of an old nun with
a worn-out voice, or a man singing on his
way home after a good supper, etc. When
we arrived at our destination, usually one
of our large gardens, we all set to work
to build a bonfire in order to finish the
cooking of the dinner; the meal was then
spread upon the grass, amid the flowers, and
we partook of it, while the birds were
singing around. We returned in the same
way in the slow-moving cart, tired, and
not too lively, but very happy : there was
usually glorious moon- or starlight, and we
could hear the voices of the night birds.
One of our favourite excursions was to
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the fisheries on the Dnieper. This took
nearly a whole day, for it was several hours'
journey. We started in a roomy boat,
filled with hay and cushions, crossed our
lake, and then went down a small river to
the vast and beautiful Dnieper. We took
no food with us, for the fishermen always
prepared for our arrival. When we had
crossed the lake, we usually found the little
river almost choked up with the broad leaves
and flowers of water-lilies; our progress was
difficult, and everyone had to help in the
rowing. At length we reached the majestic
Dnieper, so wide, it would take in some places
a quarter of an hour to cross, deep and clear
and calm; it was so lonely, that for miles we
could float along, seeing nothing but a few
fishermen's cottages on the banks. Some-
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times along the shores were willows, droop-
ing their boughs in the water, and there were
acres of reeds ; these reeds were a country in
themselves, filled with a numerous population
of birds, whose songs were very delightful.
Sometimes we in the boat also sang, some-
times we remained silent, looking at the
scene so monotonous, but to our eyes so
beautiful : water, willow-covered islands,
reeds, fishermen's cottages, and slow-moving
water, with forget-me-nots by the banks.
From a long distance we could see our fisher-
man-host standing at his door to welcome us,
and he greeted us with the greatest kindness.
These fishermen were a remarkable class,
living alone with nature, simple, grave, and
poetic. They were always, it seemed to me,
neater than the peasants; they wore clean,
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white shirts, and their houses looked neat,
and were whitewashed. When we landed,
we were met by a strong smell of dried fish,
mixed with the scent of the flowers on the
banks. Our coming had already been pre-
pared for; a large fire was built outside the
house, and over it hung an immense kettle,
in which bubbled a fish soup. This soup was
made in a very special way; a great quantity
of different kinds of fish, large and small,
was mixed with herbs and onions and garlic,
and boiled for hours in water. It was very
delicious.
In the same yard where the poultry were
strutting about, the samovar was also pre-
pared with a wood fire inside it.
The host and hostess received us with
stateliness and courtesy, and welcomed us
26 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
into their little house ; as soon as we entered,
we could tell from the smell that they had
whitewashed it specially for our reception,
while the clay flooring was generally covered
with freshly-cut grass or reeds. We sat
down on the benches, which were ranged
round the walls, and tried to show, by our
gravity and politeness, that we were greatly
honoured in being received there as their
guests. Meanwhile we looked round at the
quaint, simple furniture of the room. The
walls were ornamented with pictures, with
the Czar's portrait, framed, and mirrors which
distorted our features in the most curious
manner. One corner of the room was rilled
with eikons, and a little oil lamp, hanging
from the ceiling, was burning before them.
For some time we carried on a conversa-
tion, usually about the weather, and the
RUSSIAN HOME
27
prospects of fishing; then the tables were
moved up to our benches, and the host and
hostess brought in plates full of their
delicious soup, with the fish remaining in it;
they gave us red, wooden spoons, with which
we aie. The rye bread was home-made,
fresh, and had a sour smell, but tasted very
good. Our host and hostess urged us to take
more soup, and apologised for having nothing
else. All the time we ate we talked with
them. These fishers will sometimes remain
for years together in one spot (the Dnieper
is, indeed, extraordinarily rich in fish). We
admired the peace and beauty of the prospect,
and they agreed with us that it was indeed
beautiful, but lamented that there were so
many mosquitoes; these creatures were a
dreadful scourge, and gave them no rest; it
28 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
was necessary to smoke the house inside and
out. After the soup was cleared away, tea
was served, and then we took leave of our
kind hosts, shaking hands with them, and
thanking them.
We returned home, bearing with us the
strongest possible impression of peace and
calm. Our journey back was very slow, as
we had to row against the current, and some
of us fell asleep, and were only wakened,
on approaching the house, by the first crowing
of the cocks.
Autumn, too, was a very important time
in our village. It was the season for
marriages : partly because the peasants were
too busy in the summer to have time for
festivals of this kind, and partly because
autumn made it clear what the year had
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brought them, and therefore whether they
could afford to marry or not.
The village was full of songs and happi-
ness. They did not leave us apart from
this enjoyment. It was the custom for the
bride, attended by her bridesmaids, to visit
our house on the eve of the ceremony, and
invite us to be present. She was, as a rule,
very simply attired, and wore her hair loose,
on it was a wreath of bright flowers, to the
wreath were attached many-coloured ribbons,
which fell down to her waist.
The bridesmaids carried bridal loaves
made of plain bread, but ornamented with
points like a diadem, and also adorned with
ribbons. The bride bowed down before us,
so low that her ribbons swept the ground,
and then one of the bridesmaids gave her a
30 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
loaf which she presented to the person she
addressed and entreated him or her to be
present at the ceremony. A suitable reply
was made and every happiness was wished
to her.
The bride then went round to every
member of the family and repeated the same
ceremony before each one : she bowed to
the ground, stood up and kissed the person
to whom she had bowed, whether man or
woman, upon the lips; the bridesmaid gave
her a loaf which she presented and then went
on to the next.
After the ceremony the bride and bride-
groom came together, bringing once more
the bridal loaves, and this time they invited
us to be present at the feast. It was on this
occasion that we gave them presents. We
RUSSIAN HOME 31
sometimes attended the feasts and partook of
a special beverage, " varenoye," which con-
sisted of wine mixed with honey and
flavoured with spices.
We also had an autumn festival of our
own, this was our mother's name-day
(August 28th, by the English calendar).
This occasion was known to all our friends,
and many arrived in order to be present.
There were the owners of neighbouring
estates, whose families had been friendly
with ours for generations; there were my
brothers' friends artists, musicians, doctors,
university professors, lawyers, and men of
science; the only element inadequately
represented was the military one, for we were
all of us opposed to the idea of war, and
disliked any connection with the army. The
32 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
house was filled, and not only the house, but
all the cottages which belonged to it; we had
not a sufficient supply of ordinary beds, and
were compelled to use little folding beds.
A. B. was generally present on these
occasions, and would train us to sing mixed
choruses for the morning church service;
his enthusiasm as a musician sometimes
carried him away, and made him conduct
so vigorously in the church, that Father
Nicolas would feel uneasy, and make signs
through the altar door that he must control
himself, and employ milder gestures.
Besides those guests who came from a
distance there were also visitors arriving on
the day itself. After we returned from
church our priests came bringing for my
mother the Consecrated Loaf. This was
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a loaf out of which had been cut small
triangular pieces of bread to put into the
Cup of Wine at Holy Communion.
Then the nuns arrived from the convent
situated on the opposite shore of the lake,
bringing presents for my mother; these
presents were always of their own work and
consisted of beautiful embroideries made
in gold thread on silk and velvet; they
were offered with many congratulations.
Numerous carriages brought acquaintances
from Cherson, and during the whole morning
there was one continual stream of guests.
We sat down 40 or 50 to dinner and some-
times more. It was impossible to accommo-
date all our friends in the house, and if the
weather at all permitted we had tables spread
by the lake or under the trees.
34 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
The young people generally sat outside
and the elder ones in the house. Before
sitting down the guests went to a special
table where appetising dishes were spread :
caviar, sardines, pickled mushrooms, pickled
herrings, different vodkas, etc. They par-
took of these standing and then went to
their seats at the large tables. The chief
ceremony of the day consisted in eating the
pirog or name-day dish, this was a sort of
large pie, its interior filled with chicken
and rice, or sturgeon, mushrooms, and rice,
delicately flavoured. It was served on
small plates at the same time as the soup
and eaten with it. Many toasts were given
during this meal, and the guests filed in long
procession to my mother, kissing her hand
and clinking glasses with her. This
RUSSIAN HOME 35
elaborate dinner generally lasted till well
on in the day; as soon as it grew dark the
front garden was illuminated with coloured
lanterns and we had fireworks. When this
was over we always had a real concert
organised by A. B., and all the guests
gathered round to listen.
Several times every year my father gave
public dinners to the people of the village.
Two of these festivals were of special
importance, one being held on the Com-
memoration day of my father's mother,
whose memory he held in the greatest
veneration, and the other being given on
the day of the annual procession through
our village, which I have already described.
No one was invited, but everyone, without
distinction of sex or age, could come, and
36 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
was welcome. Besides the peasants of our
village and their families, poor strangers,
and even beggars, found their way to the
feast. The dinner was cooked in huge
kettles in the open air, near our own kitchen,
and consisted of a mutton soup, boiled,
home-made macaroni, small pies, stuffed
with cabbage or liver, boiled fish, and a
kind of pudding made out of macaroni,
honey, raisins, and dried prunes. The
bread, white and brown, was baked to order
by some of the women in the village. The
dinner was served in large bowls, placed on
long planks, which lay on the ground in our
yard, and were covered with a long piece
of linen. The people sat on the grass,
everyone had a piece of white and of brown
bread, and a pie, and each person was
RUSSIAN HOME 37
provided with a spoon, with which he ate
from the common bowls. Each of the men
received a small glass of vodka. Men,
women, and children sat side by side. When
a whole party had finished, they rose, crossed
themselves, and went away, giving place to
another party ; and so it went on until all the
provisions were exhausted.
Hundreds of people were thus entertained.
The planks which served as tables were
usually placed in rows, but on Procession
Day they were arranged so as to form
crosses.
Winter sports were of a very different
type from the summer ones. My father was
not fond of hunting, but to give pleasure to
his friends he organised wolf-hunts, and for
these also many guests arrived. It was
38 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
necessary to enlist the services of large
numbers of peasants to form a cordon round
the places, covered with reeds, where the
wolves were hidden during the day, and
drive them to the guns.
I was never myself present at these hunts,
and always disliked to hear of them, so they
are not events concerning which I remember
much; the hunters used to come home very
tired, and elaborate meals were prepared for
them. These hunts were, however, quite
necessary, for there were a great number of
wolves in the neighbourhood 30 years ago.
They have disappeared since. Once, when
my father was driving to Cherson, three of
them pursued his sledge; they followed him
very closely, and he fired repeatedly with his
pistols, before he could frighten them away.
RUSSIAN HOME 39
These recollections are not very pleasant,
and I much prefer to remember our sledging
parties.
No one but a Russian can fully appreciate
the delight of these.
We rode in a comfortable sledge, com-
pletely clothed in furs, fur coats and fur
boots, furs above our ears, a fur cap, and a
fur rug over our knees. Three horses were
harnessed to the sledge, the middle one
with a musical bell. We flew at marvellous
speed over the steppes, fragments of snow
were dashed in our faces, and endless
stretches of snow were glittering and
dazzling in the sun ; the snow was absolutely
virgin, and our sledge track was the first on
its surface; the keen air cut our faces, but it
was fresh and crystal-clear, and intoxicated
40 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
like champagne. We returned home,
glowing with health, and with the keenest
appetite. In summer the steppes were full
of life, but in winter their stillness was
almost incredible; there was not a sound
to be heard but the cawing of the crows,
whose black coats contrasted strongly with
the endless white. This terrible stillness,
however, did not weigh upon our ears,
because our parties were nearly always
made up of three sledges, and we had
endless jokes and merriment.
Sometimes we drove across the lake, and
then for miles along the Dnieper; it was
frozen for many feet down, and the ice was
very beautiful, bluish, and transparent. It
cracked loudly beneath our sledges as we
flew along; but, except for this cracking, all
RUSSIAN HOME 41
was absolutely still. Sometimes we went on
the Dnieper as far as Cherson. This
beautiful ice afforded us pleasure, not merely
for a day, or a week; such winter weather
lasted for months, and we could enjoy our
skating every day. If ever there was a
happy youth, it was ours. I cannot hope to
describe the wonderful freedom of the
steppes; the memory of it stirs my heart till
I could weep.
The sledge horses were trained in a
peculiar way. My father had on his estate
great herds of wild horses, and was fond of
breaking them in himself. They were very
beautiful creatures and full of spirit; we
could understand his love for them, but his
daring made us very anxious. It was indeed
a terrible sight to see three of these wild
42 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
creatures forced to draw the sledge for the
first time ; it took three or four men to compel
them into the harness, then, at a sign from
my father, the men would let go and the
sledge would fly onward like a whirlwind.
My father was so remarkably skilful that he
nearly always drove with safety, but once he
was thrown out and badly injured.
Our life contained excitements of this
kind, but it also contained many happier
distractions.
Our father brought us up very plainly, he
said that we could not know what might
be in store for us, and we must not become
used to luxury; he would not give us any
jewellery, not even watches until we were
sixteen, our dresses were of the plainest and
our shoes made by the peasants, but when
RUSSIAN HOME 43
it was a case of giving us pleasure he spared
no expense. A ball with us was really a
wonderful festival. Preparations began
long before, peasant hunters were sent out
to bring in game-bustards, wild ducks by the
score, and quantities of fish. Cooks were
working for days. The whole house was
turned upside down in order that the rooms
might be prepared for dancing, and an
orchestra was hired from Cherson. Friends
and acquaintances came from Cherson and
from all the country round. It is impossible
to describe our delight. The ball began
about seven in the evening and lasted well
on into the morning. There were plentiful
refreshments, and before we dispersed in
the morning the samovar was brought and
we all had tea. If our friend A. B. hap-
44 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
pened to be present, as he sometimes was,
he played a very important part; he was an
enthusiastic and untiring dancer, and (a trait
very pleasing to his host and hostess) he
had the habit of always choosing out the
plainest ladies who stood neglected by the
wall to be his partners. These great balls,
however, were rare festivals and did not
occur more than once or twice in the year.
There were many smaller entertainments
arranged for our people. One which always
proved very amusing was the lottery. Long
tables were arranged in our great drawing-
room, covered with all kinds of gifts, most of
them of a useful character: hams, cheese,
gingerbread, Russian sweetmeats, chocolate,
writing paper, inkstands, etc. I remember
once a small sucking pig was brought in, with
RUSSIAN HOME 45
a red ribbon tied round his neck. These
lotteries were for the benefit of the well-to-do
families on our estate the priest and the
deacon, who had both many children, and
the stewards and estate keepers. Lots were
drawn, and the things distributed, amid
shouts of laughter and endless fun.
Only those who have experienced a long
and severe winter quite know the delight of
the first signs of the approach of spring;
to find and bring home the first wild crocuses,
so sweet-scented in Russia; to see and
announce the return of the first starling, or
the flight from the south of storks and cranes
and other birds, was a source of great
excitement and joy. It was delightful to
see how the snow gradually melted away and
the steppes grew more and more lively with
46 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
the singing of the birds. With the delight-
fulness of spring there is inextricably
associated in my mind the most important
feast of the year the great Easter Festival.
This feast was unique, by reason of the
long preparation that had to be given.
Seven weeks beforehand we began to fast,
and our fasting was very arduous. During
the first week we were forbidden not only
meat and fish, but also butter, eggs, and
milk; such vegetables as we took could only
be prepared in oil, and we took our tea
without cow's milk; instead, we had in it a
kind of milk made from almonds. The next
five weeks were not so strict, since we were
allowed fish, but the last week before Easter
was the strictest of all; on Wednesday and
Good Friday we had no food at all until
RUSSIAN HOME 47
evening. The great pleasure of these seven
weeks of Lent lay in the church services.
The Greek Church has the most beautiful
and pathetic melodies for this Lent season,
especially for the last week. At the end of
the last week before Easter came Holy
Communion, for which we prepared in the
most careful way. For days beforehand we
had to keep the strictest watch upon our-
selves, to speak as little as possible, to refrain
from any unkind word, from any impure or
ignoble thought. Then we confessed to the
priest, received his blessing and prayer, and
partook of the sacrament. This Communion
was followed by a feeling of the most
ecstatic delight : our minds seemed so pure,
so free from any trouble or care, that we felt
ourselves lifted above the earth, and prepared
48 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
for anything, even for death. It was in this
exalted mood that we awaited Easter Sunday.
On the night before no one dreamt of
going to bed. A very long table, the Easter
Table, was prepared and decorated with
flowers and candles in the drawing-room, and
covered with a variety of cold dishes, special
Easter cakes, some of them standing very
high and beautifully decorated on the top
with candied fruits and small sugar lambs :
all these Easter cakes were made with a
richness and delicacy that required the most
careful skill. There were also baskets of
Easter eggs, dyed in different colours,
crimson being our favourite. An Easter
lamb and an Easter pig were roasted whole
and dressed with coloured paper and ribbons
to make them gay. Everyone had a new
RUSSIAN HOME 49
dress for the occasion; these dresses were
mostly very simple, but it was essential that
they should never have been worn before,
and we young people usually had white.
At eleven o'clock the bells began to ring
in our old church and in the convent. On
this night no one remained at home,
believers and unbelievers, old and young,
all went to church. Several carriages were
filled with the members of our family and
with guests.
From a long distance we could see the
different lights round the church, bonfires,
torches, and tar barrels.
There were many conveyances in which
poor people had come; they carried their
Easter eggs and cakes to the church court
to be sprinkled with holy water. We also
50 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
had sent some of our eggs and cakes, and
one of our servants sat with a basketful
near the church waiting for the priest to
sprinkle them.
We made our way to the church through
a crowd of people and took our places in a
spot reserved for us by the altar.
In the centre of the church was a balda-
quin covering an image of the dead body of
Christ; the image had been brought and
placed there on Good Friday with the
saddest music, exactly as dead bodies are
brought, and left there ever since.
The church was half-lighted and the
service consisted of a monotonous reading,
and we, tired with our wakefulness and
fasting, began to feel weary; some of the
children went to sleep upon the floor.
RUSSIAN HOME 51
At twelve o'clock the altar door was
opened, and the clergy appeared, clothed in
white and gold. They went to the centre
of the church, lifted and carried away the
image into the altar. Then they went
outside, and made a procession round the
church; the congregation followed them,
and the church, meanwhile, remained empty
and still. While the congregation was
outside, the candles were lit, and the front
door closed. After having gone three times
round the church, the procession stopped at
the closed door, and the priest sang " Christ
is risen from the dead. He conquered death
by His own death, and gave life to those
confined in their graves." The door was
now opened, the chorus took the song up,
and in the most jubilant music repeated
52 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
" Christ is risen from the dead, He has
conquered death by His own death."
The priest, on his entrance into the church,
took his stand by the altar, and facing the
congregation, addressed them with " Christ
is risen," to which all present answered,
4 Yes ! truly He is risen." " Christ is risen,"
repeated the priest. ' Yes ! truly He is
risen " ; and for the third time he spoke, and
again they replied : it sounded like the
rolling of a huge wave.
The church service followed, with the
jubilant melodies peculiar to Easter.
The happiness grew more and more
ecstatic, and at the end the priest, stepping
forward, with a golden cross in his hand,
blessed and kissed those approaching him,
saying to each one " Christ is risen." Each
RUSSIAN HOME 53
one answered "Yes! truly He is risen";
and we all began to kiss each other, with
the same address and reply, the nobles
kissing poor people, peasants, and beggars.
There was no longer any distinction of
rank or sex, and everyone seemed irradiated
with joy.
Whatever changes may have taken place
in my faith, I can never remember these
moments otherwise than as great moments.
I felt the passionate faith all these people
had in their Redeemer, and I experienced a
deep emotion as I saw the peasants men
and women kissing my father and my
mother on the lips.
When the service was over, we returned
home through a crowd who were all hastening
away with their eggs and cakes.
54 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
The house was brilliantly lighted for our
return, and the servants were there waiting
to greet us. They kissed my father and
mother, and each one of us. To everyone
they said " Christ is risen," and everyone of
us kissed them back, replying " Yes ! truly
He is risen."
Then we went to the Easter table. The
cake, which had been sprinkled with holy
water, and which we called the "holy cake,"
was cut in slices, and everyone partook first
of this and of the " holy eggs," then of as
much more food as they desired. Tea was
served, and we stayed for some time together,
and then went to bed.
The next day we got up late, being very
tired; the Easter table remained as we left
it, with all the food on it, and stayed in that
RUSSIAN HOME 55
way for three days or more; such visitors as
called to wish us a Happy Easter partook of
it. This was the prosaic side of the beautiful
feast, and need not be dwelt upon.
The merriment still continued, though in
different forms; swings were put up at some
distance from the house, and the peasants,
who were very fond of this kind of amuse-
ment, used to swing there for hours.
We thus enjoyed life in the country the
whole year through until I was 15 years of
age. All this time our education was in
the hands of tutors and governesses living
in the house. Then the time came when it
was decided that we should live in town in
order to attend the High School. This
would only allow our return to our delightful
country home in the holidays and for our
56 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
summer vacation which lasted three months.
Our stay in town gave us an opportunity of
seeing something of life and society.
In the High School we met with the most
different ranks. At the same desk as myself
there were two girls, one the daughter of the
chief official in the town, the governor, and
the other the daughter of a carpenter; the
latter was a bright intelligent child whom I
soon learned to love and admire. Behind us
was the daughter of a rich merchant, and
next to her a curly-headed little Jewess, who
came from the family of a poor money-
changer; the Jewess was especially clever in
mathematics, and helped us when we found
our problems too difficult.
Christian and Jew, rich and poor, the
children of nobles and of the working
RUSSIAN HOME 57
classes, we were all on terms of equality,
dressed in the same fashion plain brown
dresses and black aprons.
Mingled as we were in this fashion we
brought the most different experiences to a
common stock, and taught each other a great
deal. The school was a splendid place for
teaching us to estimate human beings at
their own inherent worth, and it was here that
I conquered my inborn prejudice against the
Jewish race.
When we had taken our leaving certificates
from the High School we returned home,
and then began the busiest period of my life.
I have never felt so passionately eager for
knowledge as then.
Without assistance or any definite plan of
study I devoured volume after volume from
58 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
my father's library, reading mostly on
scientific subjects chemistry, physics, ana-
tomy, and political economy.
Much of my reading was really beyond
my strength; I wish now that I had not
attempted so many different subjects, but
had limited myself more and gone to the
heart of those I did choose.
In addition to my own reading and study
I was very anxious to organise a school for
the peasant children of the village.
My father had been a serf-owner, and
though serfdom was abolished in 1861 I felt
an obligation lay upon us who were the first
generation after it.
I cannot say that I suffered any remorse
on my father's account. He was a man of
exceedingly generous temperament and his
RUSSIAN HOME 59
ideas were very advanced. He never took
advantage of his position as serf -owner; his
servants were well fed, well kept, and well
treated; there was an admirably organised
hospital in the village, with a doctor con-
tinually at their service. My father never
used his right of interference with the private
life of his peasants, and would not permit
any person who was sick, especially a woman,
to be engaged in hard work.
The result of this kind treatment was that
we had not a single case of revolt or any-
thing approaching it, though there were
revolts in other parts of Russia, which
concluded at times with the death of the
proprietor.
After the Proclamation of Freedom some
of my father's serfs who were employed as
K
60 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
domestic servants remained with us for years
afterwards. The faithfulness of several of
them was touching. A coachman who later
on passed to the service of my brother, grew
so old, that he was not able to do the coach-
man's work. He would have been permitted
to retire and live in a small cottage, in a
village on the estate ; but he would not leave
our family. He asked to be employed as
watchman, and so he was. Once when my
brother's family left their town house for
some time to go to the estate, old Vassili
was left behind to take care of the house.
He was very pleased with his important
role, and fulfilled it gladly. One day when
my brother wanted to give a message to
Vassili, he called him to the telephone;
he did so, again and again, but without
RUSSIAN HOME 61
result. Knowing the dutifulness of his old
servant, my brother felt uneasy; he
immediately sent a man on horseback to
his house in town. The man arrived, and
found old Vassili lying dead on the floor,
by the telephone. The dear, faithful
servant had tried to do his duty to the very
last moment of his life, and died at his
post. All the family were deeply stirred
by the loss of the faithful friend, and all
attended his funeral. But I have digressed.
I am speaking of recent events, and must
return again to long-passed days.
However well serfs are treated, the
principle of serfdom is wrong and degrading
for both sides, and the idea that my beloved
father's name should be in any way con-
nected with it was always painful to me; I
62 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
had the feeling that we ought to atone for
the past in any way possible, however small.
I decided to use my private savings to
procure the necessary equipment for a school,
and obtained permission to use a little cottage
which stood empty not far from the kitchen.
In feverish excitement everything was
bought and prepared, and the little rooms
transformed into schoolrooms. The last
night before beginning I could not close
my eyes a single moment. I was up very
early, and went to our church, walking
more than a mile through the village, but
scarcely able to feel the ground under my
feet.
The church was a small, wooden building,
very old, built by the Cossacks more than a
hundred years before. It was situated close
to the lake, and surrounded by old trees, a
RUSSIAN HOME 63
favourite haunt of birds, whose songs often
accompanied the chanting.
When I entered the church it was quite
empty : the sunlight played on the golden
images and on the floor. I went to my
favourite spot before the picture of Christ,
and prayed fervently, trying not to look at
a painting below, which represented the
bodies of sinners devoured by tongues of
fire.
Meanwhile, the children, boys and girls,
from eight to fifteen years old, came in
slowly, and formed a group of twenty-two
in the middle of the church.
Then from one of the doors of the altar
there issued our dear old priest Father
Nicolas followed by the still older sexton
Adrian, with his peculiar short pigtail of
hair.
64 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
The brief service began. We asked God
to assist us in the work we were undertaking,
and there followed an address from Father
Nicolas to the children : his words were very
few and simple, but produced a great impres-
sion, for they had a warmth and sincerity
such as only he could give.
I may say that Father Nicolas was a very
remarkable man. He was a Jew by birth,
but had been so interested in the Greek
religion that, after the necessary preliminaries,
he was baptised. At the age of twenty he
entered the military service, and rose to the
rank of officer, but changed his vocation for
that of priest. He devoted the rest of his
life to the Church.
He was a very dear friend of mine, and
his warm words made the children and
RUSSIAN HOME 65
myself feel as if we belonged to each other.
After the service and the blessing, we
proceeded to our new school. Not a single
child could either read or write. The first
lesson, in which I taught them the sounds of
the alphabet, was one of the happiest hours
of my life. I wish I could paint their dear
little faces; I see them before me as if it
were only yesterday, and not many years ago.
They looked so intelligent and eager, they
behaved perfectly, and some of them had
really exceptional capacity ; and yet they were
only the children of peasants, freed from
serfdom hardly more than ten years, who had
lived for generations in perfect darkness and
ignorance, as untouched as the virgin soil on
which they were born.
Except for the Bible Class, which my
66 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
younger sister took, all the subjects read-
ing, writing, arithmetic, and geography fell
to my share. The classes began early each
morning, and continued till dinner-time,
when the children returned home to help their
families. They grew so fond of this school
that they generally came before the time, and
would often insist on staying longer than the
hour arranged.
The success of the little school was soon
known in the village and neighbourhood,
and many more children came asking to
be admitted. My dear sister Olga then
arranged another class, similar to mine, and
held in the next room, for twenty more
pupils. We worked in this way for several
years. Russian peasant children can only
remain at school a very short time, some
RUSSIAN HOME 67
two or three years, for they are badly needed
at home. When they left us, however, they
were sufficiently advanced to acquire further
knowledge by reading for themselves. For
this purpose my sister Olga arranged a very
good library, comprising not only all the best
works of Russian literature, but also transla-
tions from English, French, and German,
skilfully abbreviated and adapted to the use
of such readers.
This library was much appreciated by the
people of the village. A crowd of children
would wait at the school door on the after-
noons when books were distributed. The
older generation were soon equally interested,
and, as many of them could not read, they
got their children to read for them.
It was amazing to see the excellent taste
68 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
of these uncultivated people. Their chief
demand was always for the best books.
My sister had to procure several copies
of Shakespeare's " King Lear," of Victor
Hugo's " Les Miserables," and of the best
works of Tolstoy, they were asked for so
repeatedly.
It was also my sister Olga who later on
organised Sunday lectures in literature,
history, and science : the lectures were illus-
trated by the magic lantern, and attracted
people of all ages : the schoolrooms were
crammed with the most eager and attentive
listeners.
These happy, quiet years of work in the
dear old home were interrupted by our first
serious misfortune. Death took from us
quite suddenly our dear father the heart
RUSSIAN HOME 69
and soul of the family. He had an
apoplectic stroke, and passed away pain-
lessly. After his loss, home could not be,
and never was, quite the same again. Our
first thoughts and plans for leaving Russia
and going abroad dated from that sad time.
Some ten years before, in the sixties, there
had been a movement for independence and
higher education among Russian women.
Not being able to obtain it in their own
country, they went abroad, and crowded the
universities of Switzerland. Some of them
really distinguished themselves, and proved
how justifiable their endeavours for know-
ledge were. We knew women doctors who
had graduated in some foreign university,
and then returned to work among the poorest
of the population.
70 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
Some ten years later, Russian women
began to attend the University of Paris.
They met with great difficulties. It was not
so much the professors who opposed them
as the men students; the latter resented the
attendance of women at lectures, more
especially in the medical department : they
continually made demonstrations, hissing the
women on their entrance, and applauding
them when leaving the lecture room. But
the women endured these and many other
similar signs of disapproval. They worked
seriously, and at length conquered the pre-
judices against them.
Like many others, my sister Olga and
myself were seized with a strong desire for
study, and wished to go to Paris. It was
not that we thought of any special applica-
RUSSIAN HOME 71
tion of our knowledge, but we wished to
widen our ideas, and know something more
of the world we lived in. My mother,
naturally enough, was not easily reconciled
to the thought of two young girls going to
Paris by themselves. After some time,
however, we succeeded in persuading her
that we could not be happy in any other way,
and so we went.
I should explain that, after my father's
death, we suffered not only in our affections,
but also from a quite material point of view.
As long as it remained undivided, my father's
fortune was large ; but after his death, it had
to be divided among my mother and her
seven children the three grown-up sons
inheriting the estate.
Time was needed to get our affairs in
72 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
order, but my sister Olga and I were too
impatient to delay; we started with a very
small supply of money. We had to perform
our long journey across Europe in the very
cheapest trains, and third-class carriages in
those days were little better than cattle
trucks, and when we reached Paris, we had
to live very simply : we knew the meaning
of poverty, even of privation. We were so
eager, that we stayed till our money was
completely exhausted; and I remember one
return journey, when we had to go cruelly
thirsty, because we could not even pay for
water to drink.
We found rooms and settled in the famous
Quartier Latin, where all the students live.
A month after our arrival we were already
plunged in chemistry, in qualitative analyses
RUSSIAN HOME 73
of earths, stones, minerals, etc., spending
whole days in the laboratory except for the
time necessary for lectures and meals; the
latter we took very hastily in some restaurant
near at hand. We followed several courses
of lectures in natural science.
There is no place in the world like Paris
for facilities of study : the Sorbonne, the
College de France, the Jardin des Plantes,
all these and other Institutions give ample
opportunities to people of every age and
class. Many lectures are entirely open,
others are accessible on permission, which is
easily granted.
During the three years we stayed in Paris
we had the privilege of hearing such illus-
trious men as Sainte Claire Deville, Claude
Bernard, the great chemist Wiirtz, and many
74 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
more, and for all this we did not need to
spend a franc; the only expense we had was
the thirty francs monthly for our practical
work in chemistry, carried on at a municipal
laboratory. The best libraries and every
kind of museum for the study of natural
science were at our free disposal. It is small
wonder if we were for some time completely
absorbed in lectures and studies. We hardly
knew anybody in Paris, and spent even our
Sundays at home. We went occasionally to
Sunday concerts, or to the Comedie Fran-
^aise, to see good acting; but we often felt
the want of society, the lack of that mental
intercourse which we had so enjoyed at home.
Whenever I recall our lonely life in Paris,
I always remember one kind and gifted
friend the man who afterwards became
RUSSIAN HOME 75
my sister's husband. He was the chief
demonstrator in the laboratory where we
worked, a most able and gifted man, whose
enthusiasm, knowledge, and deep interest
in science had impressed us from the very
beginning of our acquaintance. He helped
us in the most generous and disinterested
way. We had been accustomed to such
simple comradeship from the men of our
own country, but to find it in a young and
handsome Parisian astonished us greatly.
My sister Olga became engaged to him
after the close of the third year, and soon
after they were married quietly in the Greek
Church in Paris.
One of my greatest pleasures at that time
was the active correspondence I carried on
with my friend A. B. After having finished
76 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
at the Vienna Conservatoire, he returned to
Russia, and played all over his native
country, sometimes as soloist, sometimes
giving concerts of his own.
He began with the towns where he was
already known. He played in Odessa,
Cherson, in the Crimea and the Caucasus,
and went as far south as Baku. I remember
his letters from Baku containing most
interesting accounts of the large fountains
of petrol, and the still more wonderful jets
of burning gas. They are known as the
;< Perpetual Fires of Baku," and are the
object of special adoration by some of the
Persian inhabitants. Not less interesting
were his descriptions of the Tartar and
Persian customs; they dyed the hair and
beard red, and also their horses' feet and
RUSSIAN HOME 77
breasts, in honour of the beard of the
Prophet. He gave me some curious details
of his experiences while giving concerts.
He came to Baku with his pianist, neither of
them knowing anything about the place or
the people. The first thing was to obtain a
concert hall. There was a large hall quite
suitable for the purpose, but it contained no
chairs. These A. B. had to procure for
himself a matter not at all to his taste and
what was still worse, the piano standing in
the hall was wretched, and there was no
music-shop where he could hire a decent one.
They had no alternative but to use it. As
for the difficulty about the chairs, A. B. heard
that there was a travelling circus in the town ;
he decided to visit the director of the circus,
and try to get assistance from him. This
78 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
man proved to be by no means an ordinary
type. He had married the daughter of a
circus owner, but was himself a man of
culture and a lover of music. He received
A. B. most cordially, and showed the
greatest willingness to help him. First of
all they arranged that the circus performance
and A. B.'s concert should not take place
on the same evening. Then he offered
A. B. the use of his chairs, and added "Some
of my clowns are very fond of music," to
which A. B. replied that he himself was very
fond of the circus; so it was arranged that
they should exchange tickets, and assist each
other's performances as much as possible.
The friendship between the circus and the
musicians became so close that A. B. was
invited to a clown's wedding, and spent a
RUSSIAN HOME 79
very agreeable evening. He was greatly
struck by the extreme seriousness the clowns
maintained during the whole time.
Notwithstanding the remoteness of Baku,
the musicians found a most enthusiastic
public, so that they gave four concerts during
their ten days' stay, and all were crowded.
Among the audience was the Russian
Ambassador to the Persian Court, a great
lover of music. He invited A. B. to go with
him to Teheran, and said that although he
could not answer for the financial success,
he could promise that he would have con-
ferred upon him the Order of the Lion and
the Sun. A. B. however, was not tempted.
I ought to mention that the morning after
the first concert, as A. B. was sitting at
breakfast, he heard a knock at the door, and
8o RECOLLECTIONS OF A
was surprised to see a young girl of fourteen,
who said, " My father sends me to ask if you
would like to use our grand piano (Becker).
We were at your concert yesterday, and were
so sorry such musicians should have a bad
instrument." A. B. was greatly pleased, and
accepted the offer with gratitude, so that the
following concerts were given under better
conditions. From Baku he started on a long
tour to the north, stopping at all towns of
importance Elizabethgrad, Ekaterinoslav,
Kiev , Karkov, etc., to give one or more
concerts. At one small town between Kiev
and Moscow he saw an announcement of a
concert to be given that evening by Nicolas
Rubinstein, brother of the famous Anton
Rubinstein, and an equally fine pianist.
The advertisement spoke of an orchestra;
RUSSIAN HOME 81
and, as in such a small town there could
hardly be more than two first violins, A. B.
thought he might be able to help. He had
just time to return to his hotel, get into
evening dress, and reach the concert hall.
The orchestral seats were still empty, and
not knowing exactly what to do, he took
the leader's place. When that gentleman
entered, he was considerably astonished to
find his seat occupied, but thinking the
stranger must have been invited by Rubin-
stein, he sat next to A. B., and said nothing.
The conductor entered, and also looked at
the new leader with great astonishment, but,
for the same reason, he also said nothing.
At last Rubinstein himself appeared to play
his solo, and A. B. could see by his expression
that he did not remember having seen the
82 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
leader's face at the rehearsal. During the
interval Rubinstein and the conductor
talked together, then came up to A. B., and
acknowledging the help he had given them,
asked who he was; he told them. Rubin-
stein, who already knew him by name, was
delighted; he asked A. B. to supper, and
they had a very enjoyable time. A. B. had
to promise that he would visit him in Moscow,
and from that time began a warm friendship
between them. When A. B. went to Moscow,
he appeared as soloist at one of the symphony
concerts conducted by Rubinstein.
After this appearance at Moscow, he was
offered the post of assistant professor of the
violin in the Moscow Conservatoire. He
was then only 24, and accepted the post
with pleasure.
RUSSIAN HOME 83
He worked there for several years, but
this work did not quite satisfy him, for he
wished to finish his own pupils, and not
merely to prepare them for another teacher;
as this could not be arranged, he resigned
his post. Soon after this he decided to
retire for a time from all the pleasures of
society, to live like a recluse in complete
solitude, and devote all his energies to
perfecting himself as an artist. Many of
his friends opposed this plan, but he kept to
it, and at the very beginning of winter, when
the long evenings commenced, he went to
Shaichasan, a lonely estate in the Crimea.
The house stood alone, and was inhabited
only by the manager of the estate, who had
no family, and was very much occupied, so
that A. B. hardly ever saw him, and was
84 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
sometimes alone for days together. He rose
at daybreak, worked at his violin before
breakfast and the greater part of the day,
and so in work, reading, and letter-writing
he passed his time. I greatly admired his
resolution in this, and tried to give him some
variety in his monotonous life by sending
him frequent letters.
At the close of our third year in Paris
we were invited one evening to the house of
a Russian lady a medical student. We
met a small circle of Russians, and among
others, a socialist. I had never met anyone
of similar views before. Soon after he was
introduced, he began telling us about his
past. It was a really wonderful story. He
had been imprisoned because of his socialistic
propaganda among the working classes, but
RUSSIAN HOME 85
escaped after a year and went abroad. He
had settled in Paris. We were deeply
interested in his experiences, and it was not
long before we met him again. We found
nothing attractive or sympathetic in his
personality, but his socialist theories im-
pressed us greatly, and he expressed them
very forcibly. It was like a new world, and
caused a revolution in my mind. I lost
interest in my studies, and reproached myself
for having spent so much time on them; I
became quite indifferent to music. Only one
thing in the world seemed to me really worth
living for, that was to give away everything
I possessed, and to spend my time in the
simplest and hardest work. I became
possessed with this one idea the socialist
saw it, and his interest increased. We met
86 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
frequently, and it was not long before he
asked me to marry him. I had no personal
feeling for him, but felt that I must at all
hazards carry out the socialist teaching, and
I knew I was far too weak to do it alone, so
I consented, and we were engaged. I was
really possessed by my ideas, and endeav-
oured to gain all possible information on the
subject of socialism.
At that time I heard there were some
celebrated leaders of the movement in
Liverpool, and I determined to take a
journey there to get further light. I
happened to pass through a street where
there were some large rich houses; I
suddenly decided to go and ring at one of
the doors, and when it was opened, asked if
they wanted a servant; my wish was to
RUSSIAN HOME 87
humble myself by doing the common work
of a house. I was refused, and the look of
astonishment I received frightened me from
ever attempting the same thing again. I
soon felt it necessary to tell my mother of
my engagement, and yet it was impossible
to break her heart by saying that he was a
socialist, living under a false name, to escape
the pursuit of the Russian police, and that
he could never return to Russia. I decided
that it would be better for me to go home,
and let my mother learn all from my own
mouth. I arrived in Russia, and the first
person I took into my confidence was my
brother. He thought me half mad, but
treated me with great consideration; he
promised to break the news to our mother,
and to make all arrangements for my return
88 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
to Paris, though in reality he was planning
against it all the time. He sent for my best
friend, A. B., who was then at Kiev. A. B.
came immediately. It was a very happy
meeting and we had much to say to each
other. Our talks over the past soon made it
clear to us both that we belonged to each
other. No more plotting was necessary, for
I no longer wished to return to Paris; my
best friend and my native place had restored
me to my old self.
Before I proceed, I ought to add a few
words about the socialist. We remained
friends for some time longer, and I
encouraged him to study the subject in
which he was most interested agriculture.
With the help of friends, and among them
Turgenieff (who was most generous to poor
RUSSIAN HOME 89
Russians in Paris), he entered the Agricul-
tural School at Montpelier, and, after several
years' work, graduated from there. He went
to South America, and obtained a very good
position as wine grower ; I cannot say whether
he remained faithful to his socialist princi-
ples.
As I look back on this time, I seem to see
a huge, black cloud hanging over me, and
threatening to crush my life. The cloud
passed away, but my time of excitement was
by no means over. My mother had always
felt the greatest sympathy for Adolph
Brodsky, and considered him as a very dear
friend, but she refused her consent to our
marriage. Who can read a mother's heart?
o
She had heard much of the Bohemianism of
the artist's life, and she did not believe it
90 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
would provide the quiet and happy future
she wished for me. I can see that the
probabilities were on her side; but with all
my heart and soul I believed in my new-
found happiness. It is nothing to struggle
against enemies, but to contend with those
who act in perfect love is the hardest task in
the world. All my persuasions were useless,
and there began the greatest struggle of my
life, a struggle which almost overcame me.
We both suffered terribly, but I had not
self-denial sufficient to sacrifice all my future
happiness, and so I took the necessary steps,
acting against my dear mother's will.
At length the partine hour came. I think
it was only at the very last moment that I
thoroughly understood my mother; when I
stood before her small, slender figure, dressed
RUSSIAN HOME 91
as always in plain black, when I looked into
her large, deep blue eyes, expressing such
thought and love, and such wonderful
strength of will, a great pang went through
me, and my heart still aches at the memory
of the suffering I must have given her. The
future showed, however, that in our dispute
I was right, and happily she lived long
enough to see it. But I wish to say a few
more words about her.
My mother was of very aristocratic birth;
her father was a noble, and her mother a
Poppel a Polish family of Royal descent.
At the age of sixteen she married my father,
a Russian noble. They had eleven children,
and her married life was one long devotion
to her husband and family. She had no
thought and no wish for herself : I never
92 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
heard her complain, and what was still more
remarkable, never saw tears in her wonderful
eyes, though I saw several times an expres-
sion of infinite suffering. She had lost
several children, one a son in the prime of
life. When she lost her beloved husband,
she suffered agonies, but she neither com-
plained nor wept; she bore heroically the
great trials of her life, and we children always
regarded her with love and reverence. To
the last days of her life (she died at the age
of 58) she took a great interest in all that
went on, in politics, in literature, and art.
She had always found time to cultivate her
mind. For music she had a great devotion,
and a really fine understanding. She was
always active at other times, and only when
listening to music would she let her beautiful,
small hands lie idle in her lap.
RUSSIAN HOME 93
After parting from my mother, I went to
the harbour where A. B., who had just arrived
from Kiev, was waiting for me; all the
luggage I had consisted of one small box.
We sailed on a steamer for the Crimea. We
two were without friends, without money,
without any sure position or prospect for the
future, except for A. B.'s talent and the love
in our hearts, which brightened everything.
After a day's journey, we landed in the
famous harbour of Sevastopol. We did not
know a single person in the town, but asked
at the hotel for the address of the priest
attached to the cathedral, and went to him
at once. Father Vladimir, a tall, old man,
with a severe expression in his deep-set eyes,
received us rather formally, and asked us
what we wanted. We told him that we
wished to be married.
94 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
" But who are you ? How do I know you
are not already married?" he said to A.B.,
and then pierced me with a flash from under
his heavy eyebrows.
When A.B. said he was a musician, a
violinist, we saw a friendly light cross the
old man's face.
" Do you know anyone here ? " was his
next question.
" No."
;c Well then ! Come here to-night, both
of you, and don't forget to bring your violin.
I will send telegrams meanwhile and make
all necessary enquiries about you."
When evening came we returned to Father
Vladimir as we had been told. He proved
to be a passionate lover of music, and I saw
for the first time what wonders it could do.
RUSSIAN HOME 95
As soon as we arrived, A. B. was asked to
play, and he gave one piece after another,
growing more and more inspired. Tears
rolled down Father Vladimir's cheeks ; all his
reserve and all his severity melted away. We
parted that evening from him and his children
(he was a widower) like old friends, and we
remained on these intimate terms till the end
of his life. We had to promise to come
again the next day.
He soon received satisfactory replies to
the telegrams, and two days later, April 3Oth
(May 1 3th English Calendar), 1880, at 12
o'clock, our marriage was quietly celebrated
in the old cathedral of Sevastopol. Father
Vladimir himself performed the ceremony.
There were no flowers and there was no
wedding dress; I wore my one black woollen
96 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
gown. There were no bridesmaids and no
groomsmen. It is a part of the Russian
marriage ceremony that golden crowns must
be held over the heads of the bridal pair;
this office, which should have fallen to the
groomsmen, was performed for us by two
military officers, friends of Father Vladimir.
The ceremony was very long and elaborate.
We had to stand on a square of pink silk,
to have our hands tied together, to walk three
times round a little table, the officers follow-
ing us with the golden crowns ; we drank wine
from the cup, and I had to promise to obey
A. B. a vow which I am afraid I have not
always kept. When the ceremony was over,
we had intended to return to our hotel; but
as we were taking leave of Father Vladimir,
thanking him for all his kindness to us, he
RUSSIAN HOME 97
looked at us with his queer, kind smile, and
said, " You to the hotel ! Nonsense ! You
are expected in my house."
We gave way to him; and how can I
express our astonishment when, on entering
his house, we saw a table in the centre of the
best parlour, laid as for a marriage breakfast,
and round it Father Vladimir, his children,
the two officers, and several intimate friends
of the house. They came to meet us, with
champagne glasses filled, certainly not with
Veuve Clicquot, but with Russian cham-
pagne, which seemed to us that day the best
in the world. We had a very happy time,
though my thoughts were constantly wander-
ing back to my mother, and I could scarcely
touch the food. After dinner we had some
music, and A. B. had again to play in order
98 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
to please the dear old man, who did not wish
to conclude the day without hearing him once
more.
Now that we were married, we had no
longer any need to stay in dusty Sevastopol,
we longed for a quiet spot in the country.
The Crimea is very rich in beautiful scenery,
and we decided to go to Alooshta. We took
the next steamer from Sevastopol. We
spent a few hours on the Black Sea, curving
round the southern coasts of the Crimean
Peninsula, and then a most beautiful
panorama opened before our eyes. We
saw the whole chain of the Crimean moun-
tains descending sheer into the sea. Their
wonderfully-shaped peaks were still covered
with snow, and this contrasted vividly with
the brilliant vegetation of the lower slopes.
RUSSIAN HOME 99
The golden crosses of the churches, the red
and green roofs of villas peeped out from
woods and gardens. Sometimes we passed
magnificent castles belonging to the Czar's
family. The weather was fine, and the sun
played on the clear green of the sea; the
snow on the mountain summits made every-
thing appear like a fairy tale. As we
approached Yalta, all the passengers came
on deck, expressing their delight with the
picturesque little town, the pearl of the
Crimea, where everything sea, snow, moun-
tains, cliffs, and tropical vegetation combined
to make a scene of incomparable beauty.
Yalta lies in a deep bay, surrounded by
mountains, whose summits are so curiously
and beautifully carved, that they looked like
lace work in the clear air. We landed in
ioo RECOLLECTIONS OF A
the harbour, and proceeded to our destination
by carriage.
After several hours' driving, we reached
Alooshta at that time a rather primitive
Tartar village; the peculiar straight-roofed
houses made a pleasant contrast with the
high turrets of the minarets. Buried in
vineyards, gardens, and orchards, in full
bloom when we arrived, it faces the sea,
and Chatardag one of the highest of the
Crimean mountains rises immediately be-
hind. There was only one Russian church
in Alooshta; to the priest attached to this,
Father Vladimir had given us a warm letter
of introduction. He received us very kindly,
and offered to give us lodging and board in
his house on very moderate terms; we
accepted gladly, for there were as yet no
hotels in Alooshta.
RUSSIAN HOME 101
Our room was very small; it contained
nothing but a table, two chairs, one small
bed, and a hard couch on which A. B. slept.
The couch was so narrow that whenever he
wished to turn it was necessary to stand up
first, but, being a good sleeper, he never
complained of these nocturnal gymnastics.
Except at night we only required this room
for A. B.'s hours of practice; he was then
studying Tschaikovsky's concerto with enor-
mous love and energy. I remember once
as I was returning home to dinner I heard
the sounds of the Tschaikovsky concerto
loud above the stillness of the village, and
saw beneath the window of our room a Tartar
in his picturesque dress, dancing to the
Finale.
We lived the greater part of that summer
102 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
under the open sky, sitting with our books
for hours on the sea shore, or making
delightful excursions in the country round;
we brought home fossils and stones, and,
with A. B.'s help, I formed quite a collection.
On one occasion night surprised us when
we were too far to return, so we asked for
shelter in a Tartar house which stood alone.
The Tartar and his wife received us very
kindly and showed us into the one large room
of the house. The floor was covered with
home-made carpets, there was no furniture,
but the feather beds and pillows lay directly
upon the carpet; the linen and everything
else was, however, beautifully clean. A
light supper was served and we sat on the
floor to eat it with the Tartar family. Later
on they gave up their comfortable beds to
RUSSIAN HOME 103
us, and themselves slept in the yard with
nothing above them but the starry sky. Next
morning after breakfast, we offered them
money, but they would not hear of it ; in order
to show our gratitude in some way, we bought
from our kind hostess a few embroidered
scarves. These were her own work : they are
worn by the Tartar women to cover their
heads and, occasionally, their faces.
Our quiet country life was interrupted at
times when our money came to an end.
Then A. B. would leave me for a few days
and give a concert at some town in the
Crimea. Each time he returned with fresh
supplies and we went on for some time longer.
We were very sorry when this delightful
summer came to an end, and we had to
leave Alooshta with its simple pleasures and
its quietness.
104 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
Autumn came and with it new plans and
cares for the future. I have never seen
A. B. so full of energy; it was inexhaustible.
His chief aim was to give peace to my
mother's mind, and to prove to her that her
anxieties about my future were unfounded.
Nothing seemed difficult or impossible, and
he was ready to make any sacrifice. First
of all he decided to have a concert tour in
the Caucasus. This meant our first parting
and a great deal of labour and anxiety for
my husband. Travelling and organising
concerts in the Caucasus was by no means
an easy task at that time.
I went to Kiev and waited for him, and,
after several weeks' absence, he joined me
there. His tour had been a success, both
financially and from an artistic point of view.
RUSSIAN HOME 105
He brought a magnificent rock-crystal for
my collection; it gave me great pleasure,
and I treasured it for years after.
We did not remain long at Kiev, for
A. B. was in no mood to rest on his laurels.
A month later he had decided to go to Paris.
He meant to try and play in one of the
famous concerts, and so make a reputation
abroad. This involved another parting, but
I sympathised with his plans; the separation
was very hard for both of us, but we were
determined to do what was best.
I remained with friends in Kiev and he
went to Paris. He took a small room and
his struggles began: his letters show very
plainly what a hard and anxious time he had.
He was always of a most independent nature,
and to ask any kind of assistance from
106 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
strangers was a great trial, but he had to
pay calls and make every attempt to be
introduced in the best musical circles. The
good star of his cloudy heaven at this time
was Saint-Saens. I shall never forget his
great kindness to my husband. He must
have liked him, for he repeatedly invited
him to his At Homes and introduced him
to many celebrated musicians. On one
occasion Saint-Saens played chamber music
with him and accompanied his solos. He
visited him in his garret and encouraged
him in every possible way. Nor was this
all, for when Brodsky decided to play before
the conductors of the Paris concerts, Saint-
Saens went with him to one whom he knew
personally and played for him, accompanying
his concerto on the piano. A. B. played two
RUSSIAN HOME 107
concertos : the Bach and the Tschaikovsky.
The conductor was greatly delighted with
his playing, but there was always some
difficulty which prevented his appearing at
one of the concerts. In the innocence of
his heart poor A. B. did not understand the
hints that were given him, and failed to
realise that all these difficulties could have
been set aside by a little money. It was
not till years afterwards, when we read of
Tschaikovsky's experiences in Paris, so well
described in his letters, that we understood
how matters had been. Yet A. B. had very
bright moments during that winter in Paris,
and among the best were his meetings with
our great Turgenieff.
Turgenieff then lived in Paris with his
friend, Mme. Viardot the singer and her
husband.
io8 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
He took a great interest in a concert that
was being arranged for the benefit of the
Russian poor in Paris. A. B. was asked to
play, and it was in this manner that he first
met Turgenieff. Several notes in Tur-
genieff's hand, which we treasure to this day,
refer to the arrangements. His writings had
always been very dear to Brodsky's artistic
heart, and I remember well the enthusiastic
letter he wrote me after meeting him. His
first emotion was one of surprise at Tur-
genieff' s unusual appearance : his gigantic
figure was very finely built ; he had a powerful
head, his hair and beard were white as snow,
his eyes rich blue, expressive of deep thought
and much gentleness. A. B. was astonished
by his voice, which was very high pitched,
and most strange in a man of such heroic
RUSSIAN HOME 109
stature. On one occasion my husband was
invited to attend a musical At Home in Mme.
Viardot's house. As he entered, he asked
the servant if Turgenieff was in the music-
room with the guests, but was told that he was
in his own room, suffering from a bad attack
of gout. A. B. had a happy thought : he
sent in his card to Turgenieff, asking if he
might come and see him. He received the
reply that he would be very welcome ; so,
instead of proceeding to the music-room he
entered the half-lighted bedroom, where
Turgenieff lay alone in pain; he was more
than rewarded by the latter's pleasure in
greeting him. Sitting- down on the bedside,
he had a long conversation. Turgenieff
spoke of his illness first, but soon forgot
himself in other topics. Feeling he had a
no RECOLLECTIONS OF A
sympathetic listener, he spoke of Russian
literature, told A. B. his views on Tolstoy
(whose genius he greatly admired), spoke of
Dostoievsky as a man of failing health, which
influenced his writings, and went on to speak
of Herzen. A. B. listened, fearing to lose a
single word, and Turgenieff, absorbed in the
narrative, forgot his suffering. A. B. left
him in a more cheerful mood.
Though my husband did not achieve his
main purpose in his long journey to Paris T
yet his stay there greatly aided his artistic
career. He was introduced to many musi-
cians, and listened to them, not with the idea
of fault-finding or criticism, but in order to
learn something from each one. He was
most impressed by Sarasate, and often said
that he had learnt much from him in
RUSSIAN HOME in
technique and tone production. They first
met under somewhat peculiar circumstances.
A. B. was invited to a musical evening at the
house of the French composer Lalo.
Sarasate was to play in a string quartette.
When all the guests were assembled, Lalo
received a note, saying that the viola player
could not come, and was in despair. Brodsky
offered to take the viola part, and the offer
was accepted; but Lalo, not knowing him,
felt somewhat nervous, and when the music
began, stood behind his chair. After the first
few bars, however, he smiled at A. B.,
returned to his seat, and listened comfortably.
When the performance was at an end, he
expressed his admiration and warm thanks
to A. B. for having done his task so well
without a previous rehearsal.
ii2 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
On returning to Russia, Brodsky resumed
his studies with fresh interest and zeal, and
at the same time planned a new journey
abroad.
Early in the autumn of 1881 he again left
Russia, but this time I accompanied him.
We went to the famous Danube capital;
I already knew it well from his accounts,
but was eager to see it for myself. Never
before or since have I been so impressed
with any city as with Vienna, its artistic
character and the something fascinating
and bright in its atmosphere. For Adolph
Brodsky it was full of happy recollections.
He had been only a boy of ten when his
father first brought him to Vienna to study
the violin under Helmesberger. But before
I speak of his connection with Vienna, I
RUSSIAN HOME 113
should like to say a few words concerning
Adolph Brodsky's childhood.
Once when I asked him if he remembered
anything of his mother, who died when he
was between six and seven, he said " Yes !
one picture remains in my memory. I can
see an ironing board, resting on two chairs.
At one end I sit with my little violin, playing
to my mother while she irons the linen, but
my mother's face and its expression I can
only see dimly, as through a veil."
This was at Taganrog, on the Sea of Azov,
where A. B. was born. His mother possessed
a very beautiful voice, and, though it was
quite untrained, she sang very well. A. B.'s
father played no instrument, but he loved
music intensely, and had a fine ear. He
tuned the little fiddle till the boy was able to
ii4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
do it himself. It was by accident that he
discovered his son's talent. Little Adolph
was not quite five when his father brought
home a toy fiddle, which he had bought at the
market. At the first sight of it, the boy was
excited, he would not lay it aside again, and
all his other toys were forgotten. Seeing
this, his father obtained the necessary strings,
put them in, and tuned the little fiddle. The
boy overflowed with joy. Striking the strings
with his fingers, he reproduced the simple
Russian melodies he already knew by heart
and could sing quite correctly. This roused
his father's attention. Since he was a man
of very limited means, he could not engage
a regular teacher; but he asked a soldier,
who belonged to a military brass band and
could also play the fiddle, to give his little
RUSSIAN HOME 115
Adolph lessons. The boy made rapid pro-
gress, and soon knew as much as his teacher.
There could no longer be any doubt of his
exceptional talent, and his father decided to
make a real sacrifice in order to obtain for
him the necessary musical training. He
engaged the best teacher in Taganrog, and
watched eagerly the boy's wonderful progress
during the first year. It was at this time that
A. B.'s mother died. His father took his
family and went to Cherson, having received
an appointment there as manager of a steam
flour mill. As there was no good teacher in
Cherson, Adolph was taken by his father to
Odessa. He was put under the charge of a
good teacher, leader of the orchestra in the
Odessa opera house, and a fine violinist. It
was arranged that the little Adolph should
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live in his teacher's house, and be entirely in
his charge. It so turned out that it was the
boy who had sometimes to take care of his
teacher : the latter unfortunately indulged in
intoxicating liquors, and was not always firm
on his feet. Sometimes when he found the
boy a hindrance, he would simply lock him
in the house and go his way. On one such
occasion the poor boy was left without food
and half dead, when, searching carefully all
over the room, he found under the bed a sack
of potatoes : he baked some of these in the
oven, and so was saved from starvation.
Notwithstanding these unfavourable sur-
roundings, the boy made great progress
during his time in Odessa, and at the end
of a year, his teacher arranged a concert in
the large opera house, for the benefit of his
pupil.
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Except for one singer who had kindly
consented to take part, the whole programme
consisted of the boy's playing. He was nine
years of age, and it was his first appearance
before a public audience. He won a
remarkable success. The profits were large,
but the boy gained nothing by them, because
soon after the concert his teacher disap-
peared with the whole of the money. The
child benefited, however, in another way.
The affair attracted the attention of some
rich citizens in Odessa, who raised the funds
necessary to send him abroad for a full
musical training. Vienna was chosen. His
father took him there. He was entered as
a pupil at the Vienna Conservatoire, and
lived in his teacher's house in the most
favourable surroundings possible. Helmes-
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berger soon recognised his great talent and
took a special interest in its development.
He became very proud of his pupil and
often exhibited him as a prodigy at different
public concerts in Vienna. The boy soon
became eager to earn a living for himself.
At the age of sixteen he competed for an
engagement in the Vienna Court Orchestra,
and was victorious over thirty other violinists.
It was only a salary of a little over $ a
month, but he felt he would be satisfied if
he could earn another pound by private
teaching, and so he tried to get pupils. His
first experiences as a teacher were of a some-
what curious nature. On one occasion after
he had played the Elegie by Ernst at a
charity concert, a portly gentleman of about
forty came to his house, and told him he had
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heard him play the Elegie and greatly
admired his performance. He said that he
would like to play it himself, and so asked
to be taken as a pupil. , It appeared he had
never handled a violin, and when young
Brodsky told him he would have to practise
on open strings before he could have proper
music, he rejoined: "Oh no! I should like
to learn the Elegie at once." The end was
that they could not come to terms.
The second pupil was a clerk of twenty-
eight, and in order to get his lessons at seven
o'clock, the only hour they could arrange,
he had to rise at five in the morning and walk
a long distance. Seven was rather an early
hour for the young teacher who had to play
in the Opera every night, and when he grew
a little better acquainted with his pupil he
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obtained his permission to give the lessons
in bed. Once when he wakened he was
startled by the impression that his pupil
ought to be there but was not. He looked
at his watch and saw that the lesson hour
was already past. He hoped his pupil had
been prevented from coming, but perceived
the clerk's card on the table; he understood
now what had happened ; his pupil must have
come and played to him in his sleep, but he
had not heard a note.
Brodsky had the greatest admiration for
his teacher, Helmesberger ; how great was
therefore his joy when his teacher made him
join his famous Helmesberger-Popper string
quartette as second violinist; thus Adolph
Brodsky early became known to the public
of Vienna.
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We soon realised that he had not been
forgotten during the years spent in Russia.
We had not been a fortnight in Vienna
before invitations to musical circles, musical
At Homes, etc., poured in upon us in greater
number than we could possibly accept.
Soon after our arrival A. B. went to see
his former colleague Hans Richter (Richter
had been in his last year at the Conserva-
toire when A. B. entered) who has since
become the famous conductor of the Court
Opera and of the Philharmonic Concerts.
Many of the brightest memories of A. B.'s
student life are connected with this extra-
ordinarily gifted friend. Richter's principal
instrument was the horn; he was also a fine
pianist. He could play the flute and clarinet,
as well as all the string instruments in the
122 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
orchestra, down to the double bass.
On account of these manifold accomplish-
ments he had earned in the Conservatoire
the nickname of Nothnagel (Hope in
Extremity), and in whatever difficulties the
orchestra might be placed by the absence of
some member, Richter promptly came to the
rescue. Once, at a public concert in the
Conservatoire, when the Tannhauser over-
ture was being given, he performed on three
instruments at once. Besides his horn, he
played the cymbals, which he fastened to his
knees, and the triangle : he hung the latter
on the music stand, and struck it whenever
he could free his right hand from the horn.
Another pleasing recollection is connected
with a rendering of Beethoven's septette at
an open practice. Richter gave a magnifi-
RUSSIAN HOME 123
cent interpretation of the horn part, A. B.
was leader in the first movement, and
Risegari (who was in the same class as A.B.)
led the Adagio and played with wonderful
expression and feeling. Risegari was con-
sidered at the Conservatoire as one of their
most gifted and promising violinists.
When they met after their long absence
Brodsky took Tschaikovsky's concerto with
him to play to Richter, who was always
interested in new compositions, and very
eager to help young artists and composers,
especially those whom he thought neglected.
Although the concerto had been written
several years before, no violinist had yet
attempted to play it in public, partly on
account of its unconventionality and partly
because it was extremely difficult. For more
i2 4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
than a year Brodsky had studied it with
increasing pleasure. He wished to play it
at one of the Philharmonic Concerts. Richter
heard it with great interest, and loved it at
the first hearing, and advised him to play it
at one of the " Novelties " rehearsals, where
a committee consisting of members of the
orchestra decided on new compositions.
A. B. did as he was advised. Personally
he had a great success; it was immediately
decided that he should play in one of that
season's concerts, but Tschaikovsky's con-
certo was rejected.
It would take pages to describe in detail
all my husband's anxieties and struggles.
Obstacles only strengthened his desire; he
repeatedly introduced the Concerto in
different musical circles, but always with the
RUSSIAN HOME 125
same result. The audience were evidently
impressed, but in criticising they always
found fault, and advised him not to play it
in public, especially in the Philharmonic
Concert, the habitues of which were extremely
conservative, and were also prejudiced
against Slavonic music in general and
Tschaikovsky's in particular. Richter had
already attempted to introduce to this
audience one of the best works Tschaikovsky
had as yet written the overture to " Romeo
and Juliet " but in spite of the excellent
rendering could not make it a success.
A. B.'s friends were unanimous in assuring
him that he would have a far greater success
with Mendelssohn, or Bach; but all was of
no avail, and he finally declared to the
Committee that he would play Tschaikovsky
126 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
or nothing. He was allowed to have his
way. On the day before the concert we were
both full of the most wretched anxiety. We
walked restlessly through the streets of
Vienna, trying to give each other courage,
or attempting to play chess in a cafe
anything to distract our thoughts from
to-morrow's concert. We felt that our future
depended on A. B.'s reception then. As far
as we ourselves were concerned, we felt we
could be happy anyhow, even if we had to
live in the country as simple farmers, or so
it seemed to us then : but what would my
mother think if my husband's first important
appearance should prove a failure? This
was our terrible anxiety.
At last the time arrived. I sat in the
front row with an old friend, who was as
RUSSIAN HOME 127
much excited a"s myself. Brodsky appeared
before the large orchestra ready to begin,
and at the moment there rushed into my
mind all the warnings our friends had given
us concerning the public; I was appalled at
the greatness of his task. Looking at the
hundreds and hundreds of people who rilled
the hall, I realised what a daring thing it was
to play this extremely difficult concerto for
the first time before such an audience, and
my heart beat violently. Then I became all
attention. The first few notes showed some
trace of A. B.'s nervousness, but then the
music he so loved took possession of him,
and he forgot everything else. His face
grew composed and happy; he played his
very best, carrying the audience away with
him into a better world, where there are no
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national or political differences, no place for
enmities or petty feelings, but where the pure
ideal art is sovereign.
I never saw an audience more attentive;
there was a wonderful stillness during the
whole performance. After the first move-
ment the applause was unanimous and
prolonged. Then came the dreamy poetic
second movement, which passes into a finale
full of energy and fire, original and free alike
in its conception and in its form. After the
finale enthusiastic applause filled the hall.
This must have been too much for the
conservative portion of the audience; they
wished to check it by signs of protest, and
for some seconds we heard unmistakable
hisses mingled with the applause, but this
seemed only to emphasise the success, for
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people stood on their feet to shout "Bravo !"
and the opposition was soon overcome.
Again and again Brodsky had to appear, and
bow his acknowledgments to the excited
audience.
After such a success, his artistic future
was assured. Next morning the majority of
the papers tore Tschaikovsky's concerto to
pieces, but all did full justice to the playing
of its interpreter.
It so happened that Tschaikovsky was on
his way to Italy that very day. A number
of the " Neue Freie Presse," containing
Hanslick's harsh critique on his concerto, fell
into his hands. Since Brodsky had left the
Moscow Conservatoire, where they had been
teachers together, they had never met, and
Tschaikovsky was quite unaware that
130 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
Brodsky so greatly admired his concerto, and
was about to play it in Vienna. The oblivion
in which this concerto had been left for years
was a source of suffering to Tschaikovsky,
and, notwithstanding the harsh and foolish
critique, he was greatly pleased to hear that
it had been played at all. He wrote a
delightful letter to Brodsky, thanking him in
the warmest terms and expressing his
admiration for his courage ; he said he would
never forget this service; he dwelt on the
feeling of a composer for his neglected
works, and compared it to that of a mother
for an unfortunate child loved more than
others, on account of its unhappiness.
Speaking of criticism in general he said,
" Oblivion and neglect are the worst fate
that can befall a composition, especially a
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new one. It does not so much signify what
the critic writes; that he should write some-
thing is the important matter."
Tschaikovsky and A. B. had been on good
terms from the beginning of their acquaint-
ance, but their real and close friendship dated
from this letter and lasted until Tschai-
kovsky's death.
We were soon able to judge how just his
views on criticism were. The critiques on
his Concerto, which had appeared in the
leading Vienna papers, were exaggerated in
their harshness and really sensational in
character, but they stirred the interest of those
who had not heard the Concerto.
A. B. received one engagement after
another to play in different towns in Germany
and Austria, and our travelling artist life
began.
132 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
I need not enumerate all the places we
visited in the next few years where Brodsky
introduced Tschaikovsky's Concerto for the
first time. I will only mention one incident.
When he played it in Mannheim the famous
violinist, Halir, was leader of the orchestra;
he became so enthusiastic about the Concerto
that he told Brodsky he had decided to play
it himself, which he did. His example was
followed by many other eminent violinists to
A. B.'s great satisfaction.
Tschaikovsky followed with deep interest
the fate of what he had been accustomed to
call his "unhappy Concerto," and was never
tired of expressing his gratitude to Brodsky.
As one memorial of it we have a portrait of
him bearing the following inscription in
Russian : " To the re-creator of the Concerto
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deemed impossible, from the grateful Peter
Tschaikovsky."
This Concerto had been dedicated to the
violinist, Leopold Auer, who showed not the
slightest interest in it; Tschaikovsky grew
uneasy about this dedication and thought that
Brodsky's name ought to be on the title page ;
he, therefore, decided to dedicate the second
and all future editions to him. A. B. would
have preferred Tschaikovsky to write a new
Concerto for him, but the latter would have
his way. Few people know of the first
edition, and so the piece is usually known as
being dedicated only to Brodsky.
Tschaikovsky, unfortunately, never wrote
a second concerto.
In the spring of 1882 we went for the
first time to London at the beginning of the
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musical season. My husband wished to play
in one of the Richter concerts, but Richter's
consent alone was not sufficient; it was
necessary to see the manager, Mr. Franke,
who received him very kindly but told him
the programmes were already filled, and
there was no chance for A. B. that season.
He asked Mr. Franke, who was himself
a violinist, to hear him play Tschaikov sky's
Concerto; the latter consented, and was so
enthusiastic over his rendering and so eager
to know how it would sound with the
orchestra that he determined he would,
somehow or other, find a place for it. So
A. B. introduced himself to the London
public by means of this Concerto, and its
success brought him many other engage-
ments. Among the rest he was three times
RUSSIAN HOME 135
asked to play at a Musical Evening given by
Rothschild. On one occasion it was in
honour of King Edward and the Duke of
Edinburgh. Madame Patti, Nicolini, Coque-
lin aine and others took part in the pro-
gramme, but A. B. was the only instrumen-
talist; he had the honour of being introduced
to both princes, who spoke appreciatively to
him.
His life in London was a very busy one;
he played at several Chamber concerts, at
different clubs, and in private houses.
I meanwhile was studying the English
language and literature, and the city of
London itself.
May was an exceedingly fine month. I
would sit for hours with my book in Ken-
sington Gardens or in Hyde Park watching
136 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
the children and occasionally making acquain-
tance with them. I remember on one
occasion as I was sitting on a bench in Hyde
Park, an elderly gentleman addressed me.
He looked refined, and as I was eager to
learn English and it would be practice for
me, I answered him and a conversation
began. He made the impression upon me
of being a well-educated man; we touched
on serious topics. Before he went away he
introduced himself to me, and I was puzzled
to hear that he was one of Rothschild's cooks.
My Russian conceptions of a cook were of
quite a different character.
We liked London very much and left after
two months with a strong desire to return
again to that unique city.
From London we went to the south of
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Austria intending to have a long summer
holiday on the shores of the beautiful
Worthersee, but about the middle of July we
had to leave that beautiful country to go to
Moscow, as Brodsky was invited to introduce
Tschaikovsky's Concerto there on the occa-
sion of the great exhibition.
A few years later he gave the first rendering
of it that had been heard in St. Petersburg,
under Anton Rubinstein.
On our return from Moscow we resumed
our travelling through Germany. It is
generally the special desire of every young
artist making a name to play at one of the
famous Gewandhaus Concerts. Many illus-
trious names Bach, Mendelssohn, Schu-
mann have been associated with Leipzig,
and have made of it a musical centre of first-
138 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
rate importance; though other towns have
equalled and perhaps surpassed it since, the
tradition of its superiority still remains, and
it was and still is important for a young
artist to get himself heard in Leipzig. A. B.
accordingly went there; he did not know
anyone and, in spite of all his previous
successes, was told that he must play on trial
before the Committee of the Gewandhaus
Concerts. To this he had no objection; he
gave the Mendelssohn Concerto for his trial
and was engaged to appear in one of the
concerts. He selected for his debut the
A minor Bach Concerto and the first move-
ment of Tschaikovsky's. Carl Reinecke
was the conductor.
Next morning, soon after breakfast, he
was surprised by a visit from the Director of
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the Leipzig Conservatoire, to whom he had
been introduced the previous night. After
paying many compliments to A. B. he
questioned him concerning his tastes and his
experience as a teacher, and finally offered
him the post of first professor in the Leipzig
Conservatoire, just then left vacant by Schra-
deck's departure to America. Knowing the
great fame of this Conservatoire, founded
by Mendelssohn himself, A. B. was much
flattered by the offer. As, however, he was
accustomed to consult me on every important
step in life, and I was in Frankfort at the
time, he asked the Director to allow him a
week before sending in his reply. I was
exceedingly surprised and glad to hear of
this offer, though to accept this post meant the
overturning of our plans for the future, which
140 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
were to return to Russia and settle down
there as soon as Adolph Brodsky's fame
abroad was assured. Nevertheless we
decided to do it, for we knew that nothing
could be more satisfactory to my mother than
to know we were settled at Leipzig under such
favourable circumstances. A. B. accepted
the Leipzig post, and I wrote a long letter to
my mother. I received a very beautiful
reply; she wrote that she was happy, sent
her love to my husband, and asked us to come
to her in Russia as soon as our summer
holidays began.
We looked forward very greatly to the
summer. But first we had to take up our
abode in Leipzig.
It is a strange feeling, and one full of
anxiety to approach a town you have never
RUSSIAN HOME 141
seen before, but where you know you may
live for an indefinite period, perhaps for
very long. My first impressions of Leipzig
were not favourable. It is neither beautiful
nor picturesque : it lies by the side of a
small river, too low to be healthy. We took
furnished rooms, intending to look for a flat
and settle more comfortably later on.
We had not been a fortnight in Leipzig
before we received a telegram, announcing
the sudden death of my beloved mother from
heart failure. It was a dreadful and cruel
blow. I left Leipzig at once, but arrived in
Russia too late even for the funeral.
It would have been difficult to find a place
better adapted than Leipzig to A. B.'s artistic
tastes and requirements at that period of his
life. Leipzig opened a vast and interesting
142 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
field of activity. He arrived in time to take
part in a memorable event, for in the year
1883 tne "Allgemeiner Deutscher Tonkiinst-
ler Verein " gave its Musical Festival in the
great opera house of Leipzig. Arthur
Nikisch was conductor : the soloists were
Eugen d' Albert and Adolph Brodsky, who
chose for this occasion Brahms' Concerto.
He had been repeatedly advised by musicians
and friends not to play the Brahms Concerto
before this society, which at that time con-
sisted chiefly of Wagner-ites and Liszt-ites,
and formed a sort of hostile camp towards
Brahms. But after a year's study of the
Concerto he fell perfectly in love with it and
was determined to play it at all hazards.
Franz Liszt, president of the Society, sitting
in the middle box opposite the platform, was
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the central figure of the whole, and his
presence gave especial lustre to the occasion.
The theatre was filled with an audience that
was made up almost exclusively of musicians
who had come from all parts of the world.
It was small wonder if such an audience gave
inspiration to the performers. The Brahms
Concerto was an immense success. I was
not then present, being in Russia, but every-
one who heard Brodsky at the festival
assured me repeatedly that they had never
heard him play so finely. This, more than
anything else, helped him to make a good
start in his Leipzig career.
The Conservatoire had really an inter-
national character. America, Canada, Aus-
tralia, England, Russia, Bohemia, etc., were
all represented by men and women students.
H4 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
The foreigners outnumbered the Germans,
and a good many of them were gifted.
Among Brodsky's pupils alone there were
many who became later distinguished artists.
I may mention especially Hans Becker, son
of the famous Jean Becker (now professor
in the Conservatoire at Leipzig), Ottokar
Nova^ek, Felix Berber, Alfred Krasself,
Alexander Fideman (now professor in the
Conservatoire at Berlin), Edith Robinson,
Nora Clench, and May Brammer. These
young people and their studies were a source
of interest and pleasure to us. Some of them
like Nova^ek and Fideman, who needed
friends more than the others, lived for years
in our house. They brought brightness into
our lives and made us forget that we had no
children of our own. They kept me busy,
RUSSIAN HOME 145
and as Fideman was a mere child I taught
him everything I could and directed all his
studies. The recollections connected with
these young friends are all most precious to
me.
The central position of Leipzig, within
easy reach of a number of great cities
possessing permanent orchestras and sym-
phony concerts, made it easy for A. B. to
appear frequently as soloist without seriously
interfering with his duties as teacher. But
this work alone did not satisfy him. In his
heart of hearts he had always cherished a
desire to form his own string quartette, and
lead it according to his own understanding
and taste. There were two quartettes already
in Leipzig which seemed more than sufficient
for the size of the town. The quartette
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concerts were but poorly attended. All
these and other considerations could not
dishearten Brodsky; he determined to carry
out his plan. For a time he was delayed by
a very serious difficulty; that of finding a
'cellist. There were two excellent 'cellists
in Leipzig, but these were already engaged
for the existing quartettes. He was obliged
to get one from outside, and Leopold
Griitzmacher, a very experienced quartette
player, expressed his willingness to come
from Weimar for all rehearsals and concerts.
The other two members of the first Brodsky
quartette were, as second violin, Ottokar
Nova^ek, and Hans Sitt, a fine viola player.
A. B. put great enthusiasm and love into
the forming of his quartette. The rehearsals
never seemed long enough for him. I really
RUSSIAN HOME 147
think that if he had been wakened up at
midnight for a quartette rehearsal he would
have been delighted to begin. Real enthu-
siasm is contagious. The other members of
the quartette became full of it and were soon
as one man. It was only natural that under
such circumstances the work should go well.
At the end of the first winter in Leipzig,
February 6th, 1884, the Brodsky Quartette
announced its first concert to be held in the
old Gewandhaus Hall.
Brodsky had met Brahms in Vienna and,
hearing that he was about to come to Leipzig
to conduct his symphony, wrote to him and
asked if he would do him the favour of
taking part in the first concert and playing
some of his Chamber music with him. He
received the following brief answer scribbled
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by Brahms on a postcard : ' Yes, with
pleasure. J. Brahms."
A. B.'s joy was very great. I can see him
now as he stood by the window, his face
beaming with happiness, waving the card in
his hand to me, as a sign that the message
was a favourable one. It was under these
fortunate auspices that he began as a quar-
tette player in Leipzig.
The programme of the first concert was :
Haydn Quartette.
Brahms' Violin-Piano Sonata in G
major.
Beethoven's String Quartette, in C sharp
minor.
Brahms was by no means perfectly skilled
as a pianist; his technique was not faultless,
and his touch sometimes lacked sweetness,
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but it was impossible to realise this during
his performance. As he sat at the piano
playing his compositions, he put so much
of his own greatness into the performance
as to make it unforgettable and inimitable.
To see him on the platform was at once a
pleasure and a lesson; he was so composed
and his manners were so simple and natural.
On this occasion he played as if with great
delight. Several times during the Sonata I
saw him looking and smiling at Nova^ek,
who turned the pages for him; once he
whispered something, and Novagek told me
later what it was : " Spielt der Kerl aber
schon ! " (" Doesn't he play beautifully ").
The concert was a great success, the hall
being crammed, and afterwards we enter-
tained at supper Brahms, a few of his intimate
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friends who lived in Leipzig, and the mem-
bers of the quartette. It was the first
occasion on which I had fulfilled the duties
of hostess since my marriage. We were
still living in furnished rooms, but they were
very comfortable, and my landlady had
placed a large dining-room at my disposal,
and also helped me to arrange supper. A. B.
had managed to procure a small barrel of
Vienna beer which was placed in a corner of
the room, and greatly provoked the mirth of
the party. It was, indeed, one of his happy
thoughts. No sooner had Brahms entered
the dining-room than he perceived the barrel
and was amused and delighted. This
incident added to his already good spirits,
and there were endless jokes and laughter.
Brahms had taken an immediate fancy to
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Nova^ek, and declared he would not drink
a drop of the beer unless the latter filled and
handed to him each glass. Novacek was
pleased with the joke, threw his napkin over
his shoulder to look like a waiter, and entered
upon his new office.
We spent a delightful evening, full of
laughter and merriment, and parted late in
the night, having seen how full of child-like
fun the great and stern-looking Brahms
could be.
After two years' existence the Brodsky
quartette underwent some changes, but all
to its advantage. The famous 'cellist, Julius
Klengel, took the place of Griitzmacher ;
Novacek passed to the viola part; and Hans
Becker replaced him as second violinist.
The concerts were no longer A. B.'s own
152 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
enterprise. The Quartette was engaged by
the Gewandhaus Committee to give a series
every year, and the engagement became
permanent. Brodsky retained the exclusive
right of arranging the programme ; no
vocalist ever took part, and pianists were only
" on sufferance," as A. B. said for fun, though
it must be admitted they were sometimes the
main attraction.
The weekly Gewandhaus Concerts and
a great many others made life in Leipzig
extremely busy. Distinguished musicians
were always visiting the town, and the circle
of our acquaintances widened from year to
year. We were already comfortably settled
in one of the best parts of Leipzig, and,
though we never eave large entertainments,
our house was always open to our old and
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new friends, and this added a great charm to
our life.
To this period we owed our acquaintance
with Hans von Billow, Edvard and Nina
Grieg, Sinding, Busoni, and many more.
Some of these acquaintances developed into
the most intimate friends.
Among the most precious memories of this
time is our acquaintance with Hans von
Biilow. From their first meeting he seemed
to have special sympathy with my husband,
and soon gave an eloquent proof of it by
offering to come from Meiningen to Leipzig
for one of the quartette evenings without any
remuneration.
The concert took place on December lyth,
1884, when Biilow chose to play a Quintette,
by Raff, and a piano Suite by the same
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composer. My husband never forgot this
service so generously rendered, and some
years later had an opportunity to repay him
by a similar service.
In 1888 Billow wished to organise a series
of concerts in Hamburg, and hoped to be
able to utilise the orchestra already existing
there, but the musicians were forbidden by
their conductor to play for him. This
greatly distressed him and necessitated his
forming a new orchestra, which was no easy
task. A. B. wrote a sympathetic letter,
begging Biilow to make use of him for his
orchestra, and offering to play first or second
violin or viola, whatever was needed most :
he said it would be a pleasure to come to
Hamburg for all necessary rehearsals.
Biilow was delighted, and wrote an enthu-
RUSSIAN HOME 155
siastic letter in reply; he said Brodsky was
acting like a true artist, he considered it a
splendid example for others and gladly
accepted the offer. He engaged him as
second violinist. During a whole winter
A. B. travelled to Hamburg to take part in
Billow's orchestra.
On one occasion he performed three
different functions : i.e., second violinist, solo
player, and conductor; it was when Billow
gave the Brahms Piano Concerto.
At the end of the season Adolph Brodsky
was surprised to receive from the members
of the orchestra an artistically-worked case,
filled with fine cigars, and bearing in gold
letters the following inscription : " To their
honoured guest Professor Adolph Brodsky,
as a kind remembrance of the season 1888-9,
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from the members of the Hamburg New
Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Dr.
Hans von Billow. April, 1889."
A. B. was delighted with this gift, and,
though he was a great smoker, kept it
untouched for a long time.
On several other occasions A. B. had the
pleasure of appearing before the public in
the company of Billow and Brahms. At one
of the popular concerts in Berlin, Brahms
conducted two of his Overtures, Billow
played Brahms' Piano Concerto, and Brodsky
Brahms' Violin Concerto. The price of
admission was only one mark. The audience
were not seated in rows but round little tables
with glasses of beer, though on such a special
occasion the beer certainly was untouched.
As Brahms and Brodsky stepped on the
RUSSIAN HOME 15?
platform and were about to begin, Brahms
remarked, looking at the tables : " Shall we
not go down first and have a glass of beer? "
In the winter of 1887 the Gewandhaus
Committee invited Tschaikovsky to conduct
some of his own compositions, and as he had
received similar invitations from other towns
in Germany, he decided to accept them and
so, for the first time, came abroad to conduct
his own works. He arrived in Leipzig on
Christmas Eve : it was a cold frosty evening,
and the snow lay thick on the ground. My
husband went to the station to meet Tschai-
kovsky, and my sister Olga and her little son
who were our guests at that time helped me
to prepare our Christmas tree. We wished
it to be quite ready before Tschaikovsky
arrived, and to look as bright as possible as
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a welcome for him. As we were lighting
the candles we heard the sound of a sledge,
and soon after Tschaikovsky entered the
room followed by Siloti and my husband.
I had never seen him before. Either the
sight of the Christmas tree or our Russian
welcome pleased him greatly, for his face
was illuminated by a delightful smile, and
he greeted us as if he had known us for
years. There was nothing striking or artistic
in his appearance, but everything about him
the expression of his blue eyes, his voice,
especially his smile, spoke of great kindliness
of nature. I never knew a man who brought
with him such a warm atmosphere as
Tschaikovsky. He had not been an hour
in our house before we quite forgot that he
was a great composer. We spoke to him of
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very intimate matters without any reserve,
and felt that he enjoyed our confidence.
The supper passed in animated conversa-
tion, and, notwithstanding the fatigues of
his journey, Tschaikovsky remained very
late before returning to his hotel. He
promised to come to us whenever he felt
inclined, and kept his word.
Among his many visits one remains
especially memorable. It was on New
Year's Day. We invited Tschaikovsky to
dinner, but, knowing his shyness with
strangers, did not tell him there would be
other guests. Brahms was having a rehearsal
of his trio in our house that morning with
Klengel and A. B. a concert being fixed
for the next day. Brahms was staying after
the rehearsal for early dinner. In the midst
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of the rehearsal I heard a ring at the bell,
and expecting it would be Tschaikovsky,
rushed to open the door. He was quite
perplexed by the sound of music, asked who
was there, and what they were playing. I
took him into the room adjoining and tried
to break, gently, the news of Brahms'
presence. As we spoke there was a pause
in the music; I begged him to enter, but he
felt too nervous, so I opened the door softly
and called my husband. He took Tschai-
kovsky with him and I followed.
Tschaikovsky and Brahms had never met
before. It would be difficult to find two men
more unlike. Tschaikovsky, a nobleman by
birth, had something elegant and refined in
his whole bearing and the greatest courtesy
of manner. Brahms with his short, rather
RUSSIAN HOME 161
square figure and powerful head, was an
image of strength and energy; he was an
avowed foe to all so-called " good manners."
His expression was often slightly sarcastic.
When A. B. introduced them, Tschaikovsky
said, in his soft melodious voice : " Do I not
disturb you ? "
" Not in the least," was Brahms' reply,
with his peculiar hoarseness. " But why are
you going to hear this? It is not at all
interesting."
Tschaikovsky sat down and listened
attentively. The personality of Brahms,
as he told us later, impressed him very
favourably, but he was not pleased with the
music. When the trio was over I noticed
that Tschaikovsky seemed uneasy. It would
have been natural that he should say some-
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thing, but he was not at all the man to pay
unmeaning compliments. The situation
might have become difficult, but at that
moment the door was flung open, and in came
our dear friends Grieg and his wife, bring-
ing, as they always did, a kind of sunshine
with them. They knew Brahms, but had
never met Tschaikovsky before. The latter
loved Grieg's music, and was instantly
attracted by these two charming people, full
as they were of liveliness, enthusiasm, and
unconventionality, and yet with a simplicity
about them that made everyone feel at home.
Tschaikovsky with his sensitive nervous
nature understood them at once. After the
introductions and greetings were over we
passed to the dining-room. Nina Grieg was
seated between Brahms and Tschaikovsky,
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but we had only been a few moments at the
table when she started from her seat exclaim-
ing : " I cannot sit between these two. It
makes me feel so nervous."
Grieg sprang up, saying, " But I have the
courage " ; and exchanged places with her.
So the three composers sat together, all in
good spirits. I can see Brahms now taking
hold of a dish of strawberry jam, and saying
he would have it all for himself and no one
else should get any. It was more like a
children's party than a gathering of great
composers. My husband had this feeling so
strongly that, when dinner was over and our
guests still remained around the table smok-
ing cigars and drinking coffee, he brought a
conjurer's chest a Christmas present to my
little nephew and began to perform tricks.
1 64 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
All our guests were amused, and Brahms
especially, who demanded from A. B. the
explanation of each trick as soon as it was
performed.
After dinner Brahms beckoned my little
nephew to his side and putting his arm
around him made all kinds of fun. I
remember hearing him ask : "Are you col-
lecting autographs ? "
" No," the boy said, " I collect stamps."
The answer pleased Brahms immensely^
he said again and again, " What a wise boy
you are/'
Brahms was a great lover of children,
though he was sometimes fond of teasing
them.
Once when he was walking with Brodsky
in the streets of Leipzig they met a boy
RUSSIAN HOME 165
whom Brahms stopped with the question,
' Where did you lose your green feather? "
The boy caught anxiously at the feather
and looked at Brahms in astonishment. It
did not occur to him that Brahms could not
have known of the green feather had it not
been still there.
We were sorry when our guests had to go.
Tschaikovsky remained till the last. As
we accompanied him part of the way home
A. B. asked how he liked Brahms' trio.
" Don't be angry with me, my dear friend,"
was Tschaikovsky's reply, " But I did not
like it."
A. B. was disappointed, for he had
cherished a hope that a performance of the
trio in which Brahms himself took part,
might have had a very different effect and
1 66 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
have opened Tschaikovsky's eyes to the
excellence of Brahms' music as a whole.
Tschaikovsky had had very few opportunities
of hearing it, and that was perhaps one reason
why it affected him so little.
During Tschaikovsky's frequent visits to
Leipzig we saw him in every possible mood,
in all his ups and downs, and alwavs loved
him more as we knew him better.
Being of an exceedingly nervous tempera-
ment, he passed from one mood to another
very rapidly. One night I remember well.
It was the evening before his debut in
Leipzig. A. B. was absent, playing at
Cologne. My sister Olga and I had finished
our supper some time before when Tschai-
kovsky suddenly called on us, apologising
for being so late. We were struck by the
RUSSIAN HOME 167
sadness of his expression and thought he
must have heard some bad news. We gave
him a warm welcome without asking any
questions, and did our utmost to cheer him.
We soon succeeded, and he told us it was
the thought of to-morrow's concert which had
depressed him so greatly, and that, if he
could, he would have been glad to give up
all his engagements and return to Russia
immediately.
Such excitements were often more than
he could bear; they brought on moods of
terrible depression in which he seemed to
see death in the form of an old woman
standing behind his chair and waiting for
him. Tschaikovsky often spoke of death
and still more often thought of it.
He was greatly attached to life and loved
168 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
many things passionately : people he knew,
natural beauty, and works of art. He had
no firm belief in a future life and could never
be reconciled to the thought of parting with
all that was beautiful and dear to him.
On another occasion his extreme sensitive-
ness revealed itself in a different way. A
telephone wire had just been laid between
Berlin and Leipzig. Tschaikovsky and
Brodsky arranged to speak through the
telephone, the former from Berlin and the
latter from Leipzig. At the appointed time
Brodsky went to the telephone office hoping
to have a chat with his friend, but he had
only uttered a few words when he heard
Tschaikovsky say in a trembling voice,
" Dear friend ! Please let me go. I feel so
nervous."
RUSSIAN HOME 169
: ' I have not got you by the buttonhole,"
said A. B., " You can go when you please."
Later on Tschaikovsky explained to us
that as soon as he heard his friend's voice and
realised the distance between them his heart
began to beat so violently that he could not
endure it.
Sometimes Tschaikovsky would send us
a telegram from Berlin, or any other town
where he happened to be, to this effect : " I
am coming to see you. Please keep it
secret." We knew well what this meant :
that he was tired and homesick and in need
of friends. Once after such a telegram
Tschaikovsky just arrived in time for dinner;
at first we had him quite to ourselves, but
after dinner, as he was sitting in the music
room with his head leaning on his hand as
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was his custom, the members of the Brodsky
Quartette quietly entered the room bringing
their instruments with them as had been
previously arranged. They sat down in
silence and played Tschaikovsky's own
String Quartette No. 3, which they had just
carefully prepared for a concert. Great was
Tschaikovsky's delight ! I saw the tears
roll down his cheek as he listened, and then,
passing from one performer to the other, he
expressed again and again his gratitude for
the happy hour they had given him. Then
turning to Brodsky he said in his naive way :
" I did not know I had composed such a fine
quartette. I never liked the finale, but now
I see it is really good."
This time he did not reproach us for
having disobeyed his wish about the incognito.
RUSSIAN HOME 171
He was very fond of meeting the Griegs
at our house and, knowing this, we arranged
it as often as possible. The dinners were
usually followed by music. Madame Grieg
would sing her husband's beautiful songs
and he himself would accompany her at the
piano. She always put great enthusiasm in
her singing and stirred us deeply. It was a
treat to hear her, and Tschaikovsky never
failed to express his delight.
The composers soon became intimate
friends and, as a token of his great esteem,
Tschaikovsky dedicated to Grieg his Over-
ture to " Hamlet," a tribute which the latter
highly esteemed.
Having been a student of the Leipzig
Conservatoire, Grieg was very fond of the
place and was in the habit of visiting it
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every winter. Once he came to us with a
manuscript; it was his Violin-Piano Sonata
No. 3 ; he told us he was not quite pleased
with it, but would like to try it with Brodsky.
To enter with heart and soul into a new
composition, to throw his whole energy into
it, and then to introduce it to the public all
this was a special pleasure to Brodsky, he
felt it like a vocation. He liked Grieg's
Sonata from the first, and seized on the
opportunity thus offered with great enthu-
siasm. This enthusiasm soon affected Grieg,
and, after carefully studying it together, they
gave a magnificent rendering in one of the
Quartette Concerts in Leipzig, 1890, Grieg
taking the piano part. He confessed to us
afterwards that he had nearly destroyed the
Sonata, he liked it so little at first.
RUSSIAN HOME 173
Brodsky had about this time a somewhat
similar paternal feeling for another new
composition the piano quintette of Sinding,
also a Norwegian composer. He first intro-
duced it to the Leipzig public, with Busoni
taking the piano part. It was very well
received by the general public : the "Signale"
gave a ruthless critique upon it, but another
paper defended it. A bitter controversy
arose, and in consequence, Brodsky was
asked to repeat the quintette that very season,
when its success was still greater; Sinding,
who was present, received a magnificent
ovation.
After this, Brodsky played the quintette
in many towns, until it became a repertoire
piece for Chamber Concerts.
On account of the services which he had
174 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
repeatedly rendered to Norwegian musicians
and composers, Brodsky received in 1891
the St. Olaf's Order, as a grant from the
Norwegian Parliament. This distinction
gave him great pleasure, since it did not
come from any single person, but from the
Norwegian people as a whole, being decreed
by their representatives.
From the artistic point of view nothing
better could have been desired than
Brodsky's life in Leipzig. It was full of
the best kind of stimulus for him. The
intercourse with really great artists, the
possibility of exchanging ideas and working
with them, had an invaluable influence upon
the growth of a talent such as his. He had
also at his disposal an ideal Quartette Hall,
and a public well-trained in appreciation of
RUSSIAN HOME 175
music. The majority of his audience already
knew well every classical piece which he
performed.
Our life was not quite as favourable with
regard to society. The people whom we
knew in Leipzig, and with whom we had
intercourse, were very kind to us; yet we
felt ourselves as foreigners, and foreigners
we remained to the end. We never got
quite used to their strong local patriotism,
or to the strongly-marked divisions between
the different classes of society. It was the
custom of the rich houses in Leipzig to give
a large dinner party once a year. These
endless dinners, with eight or nine courses,
each course followed by a different kind of
wine, and by interminable speeches, were
trying, just as little enjoyable as the "Kaffee
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Gesellschaften " ; these latter were gatherings
exclusively of ladies. They brought their
work, and would sit for hours, drinking one
cup of coffee after another, and indulging in
conversation which at times took a most
private character.
Besides all this we felt we were exposed
to everyone's criticism. In Leipzig I had
the feeling as if I were in a small town where
everybody was interested in other people's
business. I was one day in a glove shop
choosing a pair of gloves when the assistant
suddenly asked me : ' How was your husband
received yesterday in Dresden ? '
I had never seen the man before. The
concert he mentioned was one of the court
concerts given by the King of Saxony, who
was a great lover of music. Not being
RUSSIAN HOME 177
content to hear the evening concert only the
king attended the rehearsal, which took place
the morning of the same day in his palace.
He came in unofficial dress, smoking a cigar
and followed by his little dog; he sat down
and listened attentively to the whole Grieg
Sonata, played by Brodsky and Schuch, and
to all Brodsky's solos; his remarks showed a
real understanding of music.
After this concert the king presented
A. B. with a beautiful ring a large ruby
surrounded by diamonds. As my husband
never wore rings he gave it to me, and I
had the stones arranged as a pendant. All
Leipzig talked of this royal gift. Even our
butcher and greengrocer seemed proud of it
and gave us their congratulations. It was no
wonder if we often experienced the desire to
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leave Leipzig for some larger place where
we could breathe more freely.
Just at this time there began a pilgrimage
of artists from Germany to America. Arthur
Nikisch was one of the first to go; he left
Leipzig for Boston, and was followed by
many others.
In the summer of 1890, Brodsky received
an invitation to New York as leader of the
X Orchestra, and as soloist in all concerts
the Orchestra gave in its yearly tour through
the United States and Canada.
The prospect of seeing America tempted
us greatly, but we did not like the idea of
parting with A. B.'s quartette and his pupils
and friends. In all probability my husband
would have declined the offer, but some bad
news reached us just at this time : we received
RUSSIAN HOME 179
a letter announcing the sudden death of his
father. It was a heavy blow to us both. He
lost a father and I a great friend. Only a
few weeks before he had been our dear guest
in Leipzig; he was the picture of health, not
more than 59 years old and looking like
A. 'B.'s brother. It had never entered our
minds that we should lose him so soon. In
appearance he and A. B. were so much alike
that they might have been taken for each
other. He had been born and brought up in
rather limited circumstances, but, thanks to
his skill and energy, had acquired a very
competent knowledge of all that concerned
the construction and management of steam
flour mills, and had earned his living as
manager. In speaking to him one never
remembered that he was a man without
i8o RECOLLECTIONS OF A
university education. He had great natural
generosity of feeling, and his admirable tact
always dictated to him rightly what he should
say or do. After he lost his wife, he did his
utmost to replace her to his four children, to
whom he was always a tender, loving friend,
full of devotion and self-denial. It was
hard to lose such a father, and seeing how
deeply my husband was affected by this
event, I grew more and more in favour of a
complete change of surroundings. We
decided to accept the proffered engagement,
and go to New York. A. B. resigned his
post, and we began preparations for our long
journey. We had been told by people that
prices were very high in America for every
article except sugar, but we were not affected
by these warnings.
RUSSIAN HOME 181
We would not part with the boy, Fide-
man, whom we had brought up, and whose
musical education remained incomplete, so
we took him with us. We took also our old
German servant, our little poodle, all our
furniture, books, and mineral collections
everything went with us. I tried very hard
to persuade our cook to leave some old
crockery behind, but without success.
When we arrived at New York we found
our luggage boxes filled with all kinds of
rubbish which she had smuggled in old hat
boxes, broken umbrellas, etc. So with all
our movables, like Noah and his ark, we
reached America.
Tschaikovsky had encouraged us in our
decision. He had paid a short visit to New
York and, having very pleasant memories
1 82 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
of it, intended to go again. Brahms and
Biilow had done their best to dissuade us
and told A. B. plainly they did not think he
could be happy in America.
Just as we were leaving Leipzig, Brahms
sent us his photograph bearing the following
inscription in his own handwriting : " With
best wishes for a happy journey, hoping to
see you again. Your devoted, J. Brahms."
Brodsky had a touching farewell from
Biilow at Hamburg, and from there, in one
of the great Hamburg steamers, we sailed
for New York in September, 1891. Except
for two days we had a pleasant voyage.
Those days, however, I shall not forget.
Everyone on board was ill, and only
four people came down to their meals : the
captain, one of his officers, the doctor, and
RUSSIAN HOME 183
A. B. The orchestra declined to play at
meal times, as is the custom on German
steamers, for the reason that the double-bass
player could not stand on his feet, but the
captain would not hear of any excuse and
ordered the orchestra to play as well as they
could : the double-bass player had to balance
himself with his instrument in the most
comical postures.
As I lav in my berth I had to hold myself
in with both hands. All the stewardesses
were engaged in other cabins with suffering
passengers and I was left alone, so my
husband asked a steward to come to our
cabin while he went to take his dinner. The
steward came in, took a seat on my trunk,
which was moving rapidly from one corner
of the cabin to the other, and began to talk
to me.
1 84 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
'It is nothing now," he said, " compared
to what it may be. Just imagine all the
windows and doors screwed up, the waves
dashing into the illuminators, and filling the
cabins with water. You lie in your berth,
and watch it mount higher and higher, until
you find yourself lying in a pool. It may
get like that."
I thought this did not sound very encourag-
ing, and the creaking of the masts and the
raging of the storm became still more terrible
in my ears. Fortunately none of the
steward's prophecies came true, and the fury
of the storm gradually abated.
On the morning of the ninth day our
steamer entered the majestic harbour of
New York. The first sight which greeted
us was the statue of Liberty, presented to
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the United States by the French Republic.
I have rarely seen anything more imposing
than this beautiful figure, standing on a little
island, all by itself, the image of grace and
freedom, her hand holding a torch stretched
as far as possible as if to give light to the
world. At night this torch is lit with elec-
tricity.
I knew little then of life as it really was
in America, being only acquainted with that
country from the Russian books I had read,
and I thought this statue was a literal repre-
sentation of the truth America, the land of
freedom, justice, and equality, enlightening
the world by her example. I soon, however,
found that this was not wholly true.
When we arrived, though it was in October,
the weather was still hot and bright. A
1 86 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
bewildering noise, and gaily-coloured streets
full of bustling crowds, were our first impres-
sions of New York.
A former pupil of A. 'B.'s had come with
his family to meet us. After a few days in
a hotel, they helped us to find a pretty flat
in the western part of New York, only a few
minutes' walk from the picturesque Hudson
River.
Our flat faced the Central Park, and some
tall larches, with their lower branches touch-
ing the ground, were growing just in front of
our windows. As I sat and looked out, I
could see the squirrels springing from bough
to bough, and could hardly realise that I was
in the centre of one of the largest cities in
the world.
I may say at the outset that it would take
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a volume to describe all my impressions of
America. Mentally, I divide my experiences
into two classes, those connected with music
and those not so connected. The latter
group are among the most delightful and
valuable of my life; especially was I most
pleased with the position accorded to women
in America, and I met several eminent women
who were engaged in earnest social work and
whose influence was very great. I was also
impressed by the great hospitality of the
Americans and their entire freedom from
national prejudice; people of every country
were generously received and appreciated.
Even in musical matters there were some
things to be enjoyed; American audiences
were, as a whole, very enthusiastic, but I was
struck by the fact that the general attitude
M
1 88 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
towards art was curiously primitive and
materialistic, and many of my husband's
experiences were of a nature to confirm this
first impression.
After the very first rehearsal with the
X Orchestra he came home disappointed
and out of spirits. He daily met with
musicians of a type quite new to him, a type
which could only have been developed in a
country where there was no tradition of
serving art for art's sake.
He soon saw that money was everything
in America, the universal centre of gravity.
Even the talent of musicians was measured
by the money they earned, and the true love
of art seemed very rare.
He received an equally unfavourable
impression of the music in which he took
RUSSIAN HOME 189
part : there was always more quantity than
quality. Two alternatives remained for
him : either to return to Europe immediately
and break his contract, a very difficult and
unpleasant thing to do, or else to stay and
try to create a new position for himself more
suitable to his artistic tastes. He chose the
second way.
First of all he made the necessary sacri-
fices and freed himself from his engagements
to play at popular concerts where the pro-
grammes were of very doubtful value. By
this change he felt more at home in the
concerts in which he did take part; the
symphony concerts, for example, were of a
much higher standard. The time saved
from popular concerts he devoted to forming
a string quartette ; he chose his partners
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from the X Orchestra, and as usual gave his
whole heart and energy to the work. Even
during his first winter in New York he gave
a series of concerts whose programmes
consisted exclusively of classical chamber
music. This was something quite new to
New York, and our acquaintances predicted
that it would be a complete failure. Such,
however, was not the case. Though his
audience comprised only some three or four
hundred people, a very small audience for
a city the size of New York, it was most
appreciative and enthusiastic; it was made
up partly of musicians and partly of people
who had been trained to appreciate music
elsewhere, the latter were mostly Germans.
After the first concert many people came
to the performers' room to shake hands with
RUSSIAN HOME 191
A.B. though they did not know him per-
sonally' and thank him warmly for the treat
he had given them. Among them was the
famous pianist, William Mason, and our
close friendship with him and his daughter
dates from that time. These lovers of
quartette music never missed a single one of
the Brodsky Quartette Concerts. From
these concerts A. B. gathered strength and
courage for the rest of his work.
The annual tour of the X Orchestra,
which lasted four or five weeks, he found
very fatiguing and very unsatisfactory. He
played solo at each concert and they always
gave at least one, and sometimes two concerts
a day besides travelling. The area traversed
included all the large towns between Mon-
treal in the north and Atlanta in the south,
192 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
New York in the east and Omaha in the west.
This was a real tour de force, thoroughly
American, and sufficient to ruin the strongest
nerves and spoil the greatest enthusiasm.
During our stay in America A. B. twice
made this tour, and even his strong constitu-
tion broke down once, when he had to stay
behind till he recovered and was able to
rejoin the Orchestra.
I cannot describe what I suffered when I
saw him start on these journeys. A person
who comforted me greatly in my troubles
was my Irish cook, Mary O'Dowd, who
proved a real friend to me. I should explain
that my German cook suffered so from home
sickness that I had to send her back soon
after our arrival.
Mary O'Dowd was really a remarkable
RUSSIAN HOME 193
person. She was a tall strong girl who
performed the work of housemaid, cook, and
laundress all by herself, and yet managed
to be quite free in the evenings. She would
then dress very neatly and, if I happened to
be alone, come into the drawing-room to me.
She would sit by my side and read to me
from her Bible. When she spoke to me she
often addressed me as ' my child,' though I
was old enough to be her mother.
In consequence of its success in New
York, the Brodsky Quartette received en-
gagements to play elsewhere in the city and
outside.
On one occasion A. B. received a letter
from a millionaire who was in the habit of
giving yearly a large dinner party and
concert at his own house. He lived some
194 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
distance from New York. Engaging the
quartette by letter, he asked Brodsky to play
something by Mascagni. This puzzled him
a good deal, and he felt inclined to refuse
the engagement, but he did not wish to
deprive his colleagues of the additional fee,
and so accepted, explaining to Mr. N. that
he could not play Mascagni, for the simple
reason that Mascagni had not composed any
chamber music.
After several hours' journey, the quartette
reached their destination. Carriages were
waiting at the station, and took them to the
house of the American ' Maecenas/ An
elderly lady, who proved to be the house-
keeper, showed them to a beautifully-
furnished library, and disappeared. After
having waited for some time, and seeing that
RUSSIAN HOME 195
no notice was taken of them, A. B. rang the
bell. The housekeeper entered again, and
he asked if Mr. N. had been informed of
their arrival.
" Yes," was her reply. " Please make
yourselves comfortable here, and when the
guests are seated at dinner, we will open the
doors so that they can hear your playing
whilst they take their meal."
A. B. heard her in utter amazement, and
insisted on seeing his host, but this was
impossible, as Mr. N. was engaged in
welcoming his guests, who had already
begun to arrive.
It was a dreadful situation, and there was
no possibility of reaching the station on foot,
with all their instruments. A. B.'s 'cellist
a fine artist, and a man of very nervous
196 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
temperament ran about the room in a state
of wild excitement, repeating again and
again to the housekeeper that he was
Hekking (a well-known artist), and he was
not going to play ' Tafel Musik.'
All A. B.'s self-control and presence of
mind were necessary to escape from the
situation with dignity. He attempted some-
how to make it clear to the housekeeper
that Mr. N. evidently did not know what a
quartette was, and probably took them for a
small band playing at dinner parties. He
explained that they would not play on any
account and she must order carriages for
them at once. At last she saw that it was
necessary and obeyed. Annoyed, dispirited,
and tired out A. B. returned home, having
had an experience without precedent in all
his lifelong career as an artist.
RUSSIAN HOME 197
But this was not our most unpleasant
experience in America, for worse was still to
come. A few preliminary explanations are
necessary to make the matter clear.
Just as the working men in America have
unions, so the musicians, great and small,
have a union with its own rules. Only after
half a year's residence in America had any
musician a right to join it. When once a
member of the union he was forbidden to
play with anyone outside it; if he broke the
rule he was fined ten dollars for the first,
offence, twenty dollars for the second, and
on a third offence was expelled from the
union. It was a necessity that every
musician should belong to it. As Brodsky
was a musician of repute the union made
an exception with regard to him, and as soon
198 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
as he came to New York he was made an
honorary member. One of the conditions
of the agreement between X and the members
of his orchestra was that any contract or
agreement made by its members must lose its
force in case of war, fire, or a strike.
X was married to the daughter of an
extremely influential man, and this helped
him to get guarantors for his enterprise, but
when his father-in-law died the guarantors
seemed to lose interest, some of them with-
drew and the Orchestra became a personal
concern of X's. In order to make it more
lucrative he wished to alter his contract with
the members of the Orchestra. Only six
weeks of the new concert-season had elapsed.
X could not plead fire or war to annul his
contract with the Orchestra and a strike alone
RUSSIAN HOME 199
remained. So he arranged an artificial
strike in a most ingenious way, and one very
fatal to the Orchestra. X dismissed his first
'cellist, whose contract was just concluded,
and engaged in his place Mr. D. who was
not a member of the union. A.B. saw and
understood all these manipulations. Once
when he came to a concert to lead the violins
as usual, he heard that Mr. D. was sitting in
the Orchestra, and he refused to go on the
platform. When X asked his reason, he
looked meaningly in his eyes and told him
that he was engaged to play music but not
to play comedy. X could find no reply and
had to appear before the public without the
leader of his Orchestra. As he was about
to conduct, a member of the Orchestra rose
and said they had no right to play with Mr.
200 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
D. who did not belong to the Union. In
fact the members of this Orchestra had
already played with D. twice and had been
fined for it; if they had played a third time
they would have been excluded altogether
from the union, a very serious matter for
them. X in answer lifted his baton, but no
one played. X laid his baton down, turned
to the public who were filling the concert hall,
said a few words of apology, and disap-
peared. A member of the Orchestra rose to
speak but the light was turned out and he
remained silent. The public left the hall in
perfect ignorance of what had passed before
their very eyes. The artificial strike they
had witnessed freed X from all his contracts :
he renewed them again, but under conditions
more favourable to himself.
RUSSIAN HOME 201
With Brodsky, however, X felt it would
not be an easy matter to deal. He wrote a
very polite and cordial letter, begging him
to renew his contract under the former condi-
tions. It would be hard to express A. B.'s
indignation. He declined X's offer.
My husband suffered greatly on the
Orchestra's account; they were for the most
part poor fellows who were so dependent on
X that they could not throw any light on this
transaction. They could not help renewing
their contracts with X under any conditions
he chose to impose, and they had to swallow
their indignation and be silent.
Seeing that nobody took the orchestra's
part, and that the public were unsympathetic,
and even sympathised with " poor X, whose
orchestra had engaged in a strike against
202 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
him," A. B. felt that it was his duty to reveal
the truth. Though he hated publicity of
this kind, he wrote to the editor of the
" Tribune " a letter, in which he told the true
history of the strike, and explained why he
had not renewed his contract with X. His
letter was reprinted in all the principal
American papers, and the members of the X
orchestra appreciated his defence, and
expressed their gratitude to him.
And so at last A. B. was free.
After these latest experiences, we decided
to stay in America no longer than was
necessary to fulfil the concert engagements
already entered into, and after that to return
to Europe.
What kind and devoted friends we
possessed in New York we only realised
RUSSIAN HOME 203
then, when we were in distress. The endless
kindness of our friends, William Mason and
his daughter, Dr. Adler and his wife, the
Dunhams, and others, helped us through this
difficult time. No words can express the
gratitude we always feel to them when we
remember that period.
In consequence of the unusual strain,
Brodsky was taken ill, and it was long before
he could shake himself free from depression.
Several offers of permanent posts in America
were at that time made to him ; among others,
a brilliant one from Philadelphia, but he
declined everything. So after three years'
stay in America, we sailed back in 1895,
leaving behind us all our furniture and
everything else we could.
We took a flat in Berlin, and settled down.
204 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
A. B. had intended not to bind himself
again with any permanent engagement, but
to travel about and play solo.
He appeared as soloist in different parts
of Germany that winter, and towards spring
received engagements to play in both Russian
capitals and in several towns in South Russia.
It was curious that after A. B. had resolved
to decline any permanent post he received
offers of this kind one after another : one
from Berlin, a second from St. Petersburg,
and a third from Cologne, but he declined
them all.
One morning on the breakfast table I saw
a letter waiting for my husband addressed
in a handwriting quite strange to me. When
he entered I showed it to him with the remark
that it looked like a business letter and was
RUSSIAN HOME 205
probably not interesting. He began reading
it, and as he did so interrupted himself to
tell me that I was mistaken, and that the
letter was anything but tedious.
It was from Sir Charles Halle and began
with the following words : "I do not know
if you have heard of me, but I know you
very well by name and had the pleasure of
hearing you play Brahms' Concerto in
London in 1883." The letter was a delight-
ful one and revealed its writer to be a man
of high culture and great tact, a man with
whom it would probably be a pleasure to
deal. He offered Brodsky the post of first
teacher in the Royal Manchester College of
Music and leader of his orchestra. Before
A. B. had time to give a definite reply, a
second letter arrived from Sir Charles, and
206 RECOLLECTIONS OF A
then a third. A. B. was so pleased with
them, that he felt more and more inclined to
go to Manchester.
I was not impressed in the same way. In
fact we had never disagreed so strongly
about anything as we did in this matter. I
knew very little of Manchester, hardly more
than what I had learnt from my geography.
In my imagination it figured as a large smoky
place where cotton was very cheap, and
where people could not possibly care for
music, or have any idea what really serious
music meant. I dreaded fresh disappoint-
ments like those we had experienced in
America, and was sure that A. B. would
never get an audience for the music he loved
best his string quartettes.
But Sir Charles was waiting for an answer
RUSSIAN HOME 207
and it was necessary to come to some decision.
At last my husband persuaded me that there
was no risk in going to Manchester for a
year's trial, which would show us how we
liked the life there. He reminded me of the
special feelings of friendship I had always
entertained for the English lady students at
Leipzig. At last I consented and we went
to Manchester.
Here, I think, I must bring my recollec-
tions to a close. My friends in Manchester
know well how mistaken my anticipations
were. They know, also, that this one year of
experiment was followed by a succession of
years years of most interesting and gratify-
ing work for A. B., which have made us love
the old smoky city.
There are many excellent people all over
208 RECOLLECTIONS
the world, but to find, as in Manchester, so
many, attractive and kind and good, residing
in one and the same place, was a unique
experience for us. Our Manchester friends
have helped to strengthen my belief in the
essential goodness of humanity, and for that
alone I shall always feel deeply indebted to
them.
A Visit to
Edward Grieg
A Visit to Edward Grieg
' You must come soon to Troldhaugen if
you wish to find me there. Don't forget I'm
over sixty " these were Grieg's words to us
when we parted from him in London in May
1906. For more than ten years he had been
repeating the same kind invitation, and we
had been always intending to go to Norway
but had never yet succeeded in doing so;
this last invitation, however, was specially
emphatic and impressive.
' The newly-made Doctor honoris causa"
he wrote from London on May 29th, 1906,
" cannot leave England without your assur-
ance that you will come to Troldhaugen."
We promised that we would, but as always
I
212 A VISIT TO
seems to happen in such cases, everything
turned contrary.
We already had living with us a gifted
pupil of my husband's, Alfred Barker; and
now our family was further increased by the
arrival of another very gifted boy from New
York, Anton Maaskoff, who came to study
under my husband. Both boys were most
eager to accompany us to Grieg's home and
we could not deprive them of such a unique
experience. Directly after, a niece arrived
from Russia quite unexpectedly. We were
now a really large party and we felt we could
not accept Grieg's invitation to stay at his
house. We wrote to him explaining every-
thing and said that we would take rooms at
an hotel in Bergen. Our letter was de-
spatched but crossed a card from him
EDWARD GRIEG 213
" Dear Friends ! Every day we long
to have news from you. Are we to have
the great pleasure of seeing you here?
No ! that is not the way to put it. You
must come and the only question is when?
We are saving the best weather for you.
Everything must be well orchestrated.
And what diet does the violin take?
Answer ! Presto !
Yours,
Edward Grieg."
A few days later we received another post-
card.
" Dear Friends ! You are coming late,
but you are coming; and you come with
children. Bravo ! Bravo ! And your
niece, Bravo ! Bravo ! How sorry we
are that we are not able to accommodate
214 A VISIT TO
all five. At night we must leave you
your freedom (I can recommend the
Hotel Norge where I always stay), but in
the daytime you must be our prey. Thank
you again and again for giving us such
great pleasure.
Yours,
Edward Grieg."
At the last moment a new difficulty arose,
causing a fresh postponement ; but at last we
found ourselves in the deep well-sheltered
harbour of Bergen. Mountains surrounded
it on every side; the town itself was old and
picturesque, with quaint bright-coloured
buildings very characteristic in architecture,
which covered the mountain slopes. The
abundance of rich vegetation, the contrast
this formed with the smooth surface of the
sea and the brilliant sun adding a deep
EDWARD GRIEG 215
lustre to everything how can I convey the
unique impression it all produced? How it
stirred our hearts to think that Grieg and his
wife had been born there, and that they loved
it all so dearly. Two comfortable carriages
took us through the old town; we passed by
the fish market, by the old fishermen's huts
and those curious buildings which were
actually supported on wooden piles in the
water. We crossed large squares with stately
monuments, and stopped at last before the
Hotel Norge before it the statue of the
celebrated violinist, Ole Bull, playing on his
violin. No sooner had we crossed the
threshold than a telegram was handed to my
husband : " Please wait for me in the hotel.
I shall be with you directly. Sorry I could
not come to the steamer. Grieg."
216 A VISIT TO
We went to the beautiful rooms prepared,
but before we had time to remove our out-
door things we heard footsteps and saw Grieg
approach, smiling as he came. He embraced
my husband in his hearty way and then
myself repeating again and again " Will-
kommen." Then turning to my niece, who
stood shyly at my side, he asked, " Is this
your niece ? " And hearing it was, embraced
her with the same warmth he had shown to
his old friends. This was Grieg all over.
My niece had been feeling very shy, and I
myself had been wondering if we were not too
many, for I knew how delicate and nervous
Grieg was; but the affectionate welcome
given to her was most encouraging ; it put us
all at our ease and made us feel happy at
once. Soon after our boys entered the room,
EDWARD GRIEG 217
and were received just as warmly. As soon
as the first greetings and enquiries were over
Grieg told us that we must make ready to
start, for he had ordered carriages to take us
all to his house. Half-an-hour later a large
four-seated landau and a special two-seated
Norwegian carriol appeared at the door of
the hotel.
The weather was the finest imaginable,
with a blue sky and brilliant sunshine, which
showed the wonderful scenery at its best.
We soon left the town and drove along a
country road, through fields and green
meadows; the hills and mountains were
covered with beautiful villas, and Grieg was
never tired of explaining to us all we saw.
" See how the peasants dry their hay and
corn on the hedges and on sticks they put up
218 A VISIT TO
for that purpose; they have a hard struggle
with the climate, which does not favour
agriculture, and they are very poor our
peasants have a hard life " he said sympa-
thetically. Then again : "Look at that house
on the hill ! I spent my childhood there,
and the houses where Nina and I were born
are still standing in the town." He spoke
of the present politics of Norway, of the last
visit of the German Emperor, and how he
and his wife had been to meet him at the
house of a wealthy Norwegian who was a
patron of music. He told us how kind the
Emperor had been to the Norwegian peasants
after their recent disaster and how generously
he had helped them.
We left the road and turned into a narrow
thoroughfare, and soon saw a notice to this
EDWARD GRIEG 219
effect : " Edward Grieg wishes not to be
disturbed until four o'clock in the afternoon."
As we looked at it Grieg remarked " There
was a time when that notice was necessary."
I did not quite understand him, but I imagine
that it was an allusion to the fact that he writes
very much less now and therefore it is less
important for him to be undisturbed. Our
carriage entered the gate and then stopped,
and we saw before us Grieg's house sur-
rounded with trees.
In a moment Nina Grieg stood by the
carriage; she was dressed very simply and
enveloped in a large Norwegian apron, white
and embroidered; her curly hair was un-
covered, and she had a most kind and sunny
smile on her delightful face. She was still
welcoming us when a lady, who very closely
220 A VISIT TO
resembled her, appeared at the house door.
This lady was Madame Grieg's sister. We
knew her well and had often heard news of
her, so we greeted her warmly.
We left our outdoor garments in the hall,
which was very simple and contained but
little furniture. Grieg and his wife took us
into the drawing-room a large square
room with walls, floor and ceiling all made
of light wood beautifully polished; it was a
background which showed up finely the many
pictures exquisite pictures by well-known
artists, handsomely framed. The most con-
spicuous object in the room was a fine marble
bust of Bjornson, Grieg's intimate friend.
By the wall stood an open piano with a long
music-seat in front. How it pleased us to
think that it was here Grieg so often sat and
played.
EDWARD GRIEG 221
There was a large glass door wide open
which led to the verandah. Sunlight flooded
the room and I was charmed by its brightness
and interest. My attention was specially
attracted by a portrait in oils, which repre-
sented Grieg sitting at the piano playing his
own compositions, and his wife standing
beside him singing. Their attitudes were
very natural and their expressions wonder-
fully portrayed; they seemed as if inspired
and far from the world, and we could scarcely
tear our eyes from the picture. Grieg
explained that it was the work of a celebrated
Danish artist, P. G. Kroyer, who had painted
it without their knowledge. While we were
still contemplating it we were summoned to
dinner and we heard Nina Grieg say plain-
tively, " Edward ! just think, I could not get
222 A VISIT TO
any fish ! " " What ! " he cried, "A Norwe-
gian dinner without fish ! " and amid merry
laughter we entered the adjoining dining-
room.
Grieg took his place at one end of the
table and asked my husband and myself to
sit next to him on either side. His hospi-
tality was hearty and unaffected; his wife
smiled kindly as she rose from her place and
went round the table serving us and helping
her maid; it all reminded us of Russian
simplicity and made us feel happy and at
home. No one could be further removed
than Grieg from any kind of affectation; he
and his wife were both perfectly natural and
candid, and all who entered their presence
felt compelled to become the same.
When the meal was over the children went
EDWARD GRIEG 223
into the garden and the rest of us on the
verandah, where we enjoyed the delicious
coffee which had been prepared by Madame
Grieg and which she handed round amid
delightful conversation. Among other things
my husband reminded Grieg of his promise
to write another string quartette. Grieg in
reply, told us of his poor health and how
sleepless he became as soon as he began to
compose. We told him that he appeared
younger than ever and full of life and
enthusiasm and we thought that his compos-
ing might help him to be better in health and
still happier. He listened to us with a smile
and a kindly expression in his beautiful blue
eyes. Then he retired to his room for a rest
and Madame Grieg took us round the garden.
She showed us a little solitary summer-house
224 A VISIT TO
where Grieg used to write when he was
stronger; it was furnished with shelves for
manuscripts, a large table by the window, and
an upright piano; the quiet was delightful,
and broken only by the singing of birds.
She took us next to the shore of the deep
fjord, where we could see the many small
islands scattered over its surface. There was
a boat moored at the edge and our boys took
the oars and had a row.
When Grieg returned to us he took his
place at the piano, and Madame Grieg asked
if we might have Schumann's violin Sonata,
saying how much she and Grieg both loved
Schumann's music; my husband responded
with enthusiasm, but said he would prefer to
play Grieg's own Sonata, and so it was
arranged. My husband piled up some books
EDWARD GRIEG 225
on the piano to serve as a music stand and
they played Grieg's Sonata in C Minor, the
two boys turning the pages, Alfred for Grieg,
and Anton for my husband; they were both
pale with excitement and delight, and when
they glanced at me in the corner where I sat,
their eyes were burning with admiration. To
hear Grieg's beautiful Sonata, in Norway,
under his own roof, near the beautiful fjords
with their picturesque islands covered with
birch trees, was indeed a wonderful experi-
ence. After each movement of the Sonata
Grieg and Nina gave expression to their
delight, and at the end she shook my hus-
band's hand, Grieg embraced him and we
were all happy. So with music our first
unforgettable day at Troldhaugen came to a
close.
226 A VISIT TO
Grieg had planned that we should all
spend the next day together in the beautiful
country near Bergen, and the arrangements
for this picnic he took wholly upon himself.
Next morning after breakfast two large
landaus stood at the hotel door. Grieg's
party came by train and we started out before
eleven, favoured by the same gloriously fine
weather.
We paused at several shops, where
Madame Grieg bought fruit and other things
for our picnic; then we left the town and
began to ascend a wide, winding road
bordered on both sides by beautiful villas
and gardens; we looked back and saw the
view of the town and neighbourhood open
out before our eyes, the panorama became
ever wider and grander, and we reached the
EDWARD GRIEG 227
well-known restaurant of Floistuen, pictur-
esquely perched on a hill. Here we left the
carriages, and slowly mounted another steep
road. There were no villas now, and no
habitations of any kind or gay gardens.
Nature became more and more stern, more
and more wild and barren. Watching Grieg
as he walked on, brisk and active, talking all
the time in his liveliest way, I could not but
rejoice in his renewed health. Only once he
was out of breath and sat on a stone for rest.
We climbed for more than an hour, and then
reached a high plateau composed almost
entirely of huge bare rocks with hardly any
vegetation. The view opened out in all
directions, the wide sea behind the harbour,
with its variously shaped islands and deeply
indented fjords; the mountains had strange
228 A VISIT TO
fantastic forms; on some of them the snow
gleamed white, and far below us we saw the
town of Bergen, at our feet were stony slopes
and deep ravines. We halted on this terrace ;
Madame Grieg unpacked her refreshments
and made us take our seats on the stones a
huge one serving as a table. The bottles
were uncorked and glasses produced from
our pockets, a white napkin was spread, and
amid jokes and laughter, the clinking of
glasses, and the crying of " Skol," our health
was drunk. Grieg and my husband remained
sitting, admiring the beautiful panorama, but
the rest of us dispersed in different directions.
We gathered the cotton-grass and strange
mosses, stopping now and again to look at
the view. In this way the morning passed.
Grieg insisted that we must leave no signs
EDWARD GRIEG 229
of our picnic to spoil the beautiful spot, and
before we started back all the papers and
empty bottles were pocketed amid much
merriment.
As we returned we sat down several times
to rest ; Grieg often spoke of his love for this
beautiful country, and repeated again and
again that this place was his real home.
When we reached Floistuen we were shown
into a separate room. Grieg had ordered a
dinner for us by telephone. The table was
prettily decorated with flowers and an excel-
lent dinner served.
We took the coffee in a large adjoining hall
ornamented with nice photographs, and
Norwegian peasant work of different kinds.
Later on, when the carriages came, we
drove back by another route and passed the
230 A VISIT TO
cemetery where Ole Bull, the great Norwe-
gian violinist was buried. Grieg spoke of
Ole Bull as one whom he had greatly
admired, both as a man and an artist; he
spoke of his great popularity in Norway, and
said he had never witnessed anything more
touching than his funeral, attended by a
multitude of people who seemed to feel his
death as a personal loss.
When we reached our hotel Grieg was
tired, so we persuaded him to have supper
with us before he returned home. He con-
sented and we improvised a light supper in
our room, our boys acting as waiters. We
had to promise to come to the Griegs on the
following day in Troldhaugen.
The weather was again fine from morning
till night. Grieg met us at the station and
EDWARD GRIEG 231
we all walked together, the boys carrying
their violins as it had been arranged that they
should play to Grieg. It was such a peaceful
day. We already felt at home in Trold-
haugen and walked about the house looking
at pictures and photographs, visiting the
rooms upstairs with their beautiful view over
the fjords. In this way time passed until
dinner and we assembled round the hospit-
able table with its snow-white cloth and pretty
roses ; everyone present seemed so bright and
happy; our conversation turned on all kinds
of topics music, people, nature, bygone days
and mutual experiences; we spoke, among
other things, of the Leipsig period of our life.
I had such a strong feeling that we were
experiencing something quite unique, some-
thing unforgettable, that I rose to my feet
232 A VISIT TO
and begged them to listen to what was in my
heart, and I spoke in German as follows :
" I feel, dear friends, that I must thank
you, not for your hospitality, but for some-
thing much more precious.
' You both possess, Grieg as well as
Nina, a most wonderful gift of kindling
love in others. I know so many people
who feel for you this strong, warm love.
Tschaikovsky loved you dearly; he could
never speak of you save in the most warm
and affectionate terms. We feel just the
same. There is nothing in the world which
can be compared to such pure love; we
know of nothing higher ! When we hear
really beautiful music or when we feel such
a love as this we are assured that something
really perfect exists, something higher than
EDWARD GRIEG 233
this life of ours, for which it is worth while
living. It is for this strong feeling of love
which you kindle in us that I thank you so
much."
When I had finished speaking Nina Grieg's
eyes were fixed on me, and I saw them filled
with tears. My husband rose from his seat,
he was at my side in a moment, and I heard
him say, " You have spoken as if you read
my heart." Grieg said to him, " You have a
good interpreter," and then to me, " Next
time I write my music I will think of you ! "
Our last meal concluded most harmoni-
ously. Soon after a photographer, ordered
by Grieg, arrived from Bergen. It was
touching to see how anxious Grieg was that
the man should be well received. Before
he had time to arrive he repeatedly asked
234 A VISIT TO
Madame Grieg whether she had prepared
some refreshment. The photographer ap-
peared in the garden accompanied by his wife
and a boy, who came to help. Grieg went to
meet them, and shook hands, with a kind
word for each. Obviously touched by this
reception the photographer and his party did
their very best, and the results were three
successful groups of the Griegs and ourselves.
The rest of the afternoon was spent in
music. First our boys played to Grieg,
Alfred Barker played the ist movement of
the Mendelssohn Concerto, Grieg accom-
panying him, and Anton Maaskoff two move-
ments of a Bach Sonata for solo violin.
Grieg was delighted, he praised them very
warmly and enraptured them by writing a
piece of music for each in their albums. This
EDWARD GRIEG 235
was a source of great encouragement to them
and joy to us, for we loved the boys as if they
were our own children.
Then Grieg and my husband played
Grieg's first and second Sonatas and we
listened breathlessly. How the time flew !
The parting now had arrived, and since we
wished to make it memorable with something
especially beautiful we asked Nina Grieg to
sing us one of her husband's songs one of
those she liked the very best. After some
reflection she stood erect, her head a little
thrown back, her hands lightly clasped
together. She sang and Grieg sat at the
piano and played the accompaniment; at that
moment they were indeed one; only real
inspiration could have produced what they
gave us, and we listeners were also at one with
p
236 A VISIT TO
them. She sang Grieg's " The Hope," and
how can I put in words all that we felt during
that wonderful performance? Music begins
where words end, and therefore no words can
express what we felt. A wonderful pulse
seemed to beat through it a pulse of life
strong enough to arouse hope in the dreariest
pessimist. We sat entranced as the last
chord sounded, and then afterwards gave
expression to our feelings of delight. Grieg
shared our opinion that his wife sang mar-
vellously well.
" You have inspired her," he said.
" Nothing is so inspiring as truly sympathetic
listeners, and when she is inspired she can
still sing." We had not much time to express
our feelings, since, if we intended to catch
the train to Bergen, we must start for the
EDWARD GRIEG 237
station. We were already in the hall when
my husband asked Grieg if he might go to
the kitchen to say " Good-bye " to the
servants. Grieg was delighted and took us
both to the beautifully clean and lofty
kitchen where we found the cook and the
housemaid at their supper. We shook hands
with each, my husband gave them a parting
present; as for myself I longed to say some-
thing they could understand and since I knew
no other Norwegian but the words with which
one of Grieg's most popular songs begins I
told them " Ei elskode " which means " I
love you." They understood and smiled.
So we took leave of the house, our dear hosts
accompanying us; we had intended to say
" Good-bye " at the station itself, but they
insisted on coming to Bergen.
238 EDWARD GRIEG
Next morning when preparations for our
journey were complete, the Grieg party came
to the hotel. Grieg took us to a restaurant to
lunch, and then we all walked to the station,
where a touching parting took place. There
was no end of farewell greetings and expres-
sions of gratitude to our dear friends for the
happy time they had given us. It was hard
to part, but it had to be, and unfortunately it
was for ever we never saw Edward Grieg
again. He died just a year afterwards in
Bergen.
Grieg's ashes, according to his wish, were
buried deep in a rock carved for the purpose,
a rock that stands out in the fjord opposite
his house. Sea-birds visit the spot and the
sea-waves dash around it.
