Their sensational relationship lasted ten years and produced three children,including Wagner's second wife, Cosima. In 1835 she left her husband and followed Liszt to Switzerland. She was six years his senior and married to General Charlesd' Agoult. Liszt spent several months during the summer of 1837 atGeorge Sand's Chateau Nohant with the Comtesse Marie d' Agoult, whom he hadfirst met in 1833. 'This event in my life has remained my greatest pride - the palladium of mywhole career as an artist I tell it but very seldom and - only to goodfriends!' For a brief space he was silent and then said. "Go! Youare one of the fortunate ones! For you will give joy and happiness to manyother people! There is nothing better or finer!".' Liszt told the precedingin a tone of deepest emotion, with tears in his eyes, and a warm note ofhappiness sounded in the simple tale. When I had concluded Beethoven caught hold ofme with both hands, kissed me on the forehead and said gently. I played the firstmovement of the C major Concerto. "May I play something of yoursnow?" I boldly asked. Yetsuddenly a gentle smile passed over the gloomy features, and Beethoven came quiteclose to me, stooped down, put his hand on my head, and stroked my hair severaltimes." A devil of a fellow," he whispered, "a regular youngTurk!" Suddenly I felt quite brave. The great Master's darkly glowing gaze lay piercingly upon me. "And could you also transpose the Fugue at once into anotherkey?" Beethoven asked me.įortunately I was able to do so. I chose the C minor Fugue from the Well TemperedClavier. When I had finished Beethoven asked me whether Icould play a Bach fugue. He looked gloomily at us for a time, said a few brief words to Czernyand remained silent when my kind teacher beckoned me to the piano. Beethoven was working at a long, narrow table by thewindow. "In God's name, then, bring me the young Turk!" It wasten o'clock in the morning when we entered the two small rooms in the Schwarzspanierhaus which Beethoven occupied I somewhat shyly, Czernyamiably encouraging me. Finally, however, he allowedhimself to be persuaded by the indefatigable Czerny, and in the end criedimpatiently. Yet Beethoven had such a repugnance to infant prodigiesthat he had always violently objected to receiving me. Hehad told the latter about me a long time before, and had begged him to listento me play some time. Barnay, of his only meeting with Beethoven: 'I was abouteleven years of age when my venerated teacher Czerny took me to Beethoven.
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