Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

l82 MV MUSICAL EXPERIENCES
preparing to play to Henselt, my self-constituted
mentor has come more than once in the course of a
morning, 'just to offer me suggestions,' as he chose
to term them. The result of all this well-meant but
unsound advice was, that I tried to turn the Concerto
into a sensational piece, something in the style of the
Liszt Rhapsodies Hongroises ; and when I went to
play it to Henselt, I had not the slightest doubt that
he would be much pleased at what my self-constituted
master called ' a very spirited and genial interpreta-
tion of the composition.' Hardly, however, had I
begun playing the piece, when Henselt moved away
quietly into the next room, saying as he did so, ' You
may play on, for I can hear you just as well in the
next room as here.' I accordingly did play on, and
reached the end of the piece, having, as I imagined,
accomplished something for which I should have
some cordial words of approval ! But
little did I
dream of what was in store for me—little did I anti-
cipate what would happen when the piece had come
to an end ! It was a scene I never shall—never can
forget. Henselt rather rushed than walked into the
room, and addressed me in loud and angry tones.
'What sort of playing is this? And whatever can
you mean by all these changes in the tempo V I was
beginning to answer him, I believe, by saying something
about 'tempo rubato;' but he motioned me
imperiously from the piano, and, sitting down to it
himself, played the Concerto in a manner which.