andreas hofer-第13节

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receipt　with　me　alone；　we　will　try　it　right　away。　But　hold　on；　I
must　first　tell　you　some　grave　news。　We　shall　declare　war。　I　have
already　told　the　French　ambassador　to　leave　Vienna　to…day；　and
Metternich　can　come　home　too。　I　will　hold　a　council　of　the　ministers
and　generals　to…day。　Tell　the　functionaries　at　the　chancery　to
inform　the　ministers；　archdukes；　and　generals　that　I　wish　to　see
them　in　the　conference…room　at　four。　Make　haste；　and　then　come　to　my
laboratory。　We　will　try　the　Spanish　receipt。〃




CHAPTER　V。

THE　PERFORMANCE　OF　〃THE　CREATION。〃


A　brilliant　festival　was　to　take　place　to…night　in　the　large　aula　of
the　Vienna　University。　All　the　composers；　musicians；　dilettanti；　and
amateurs　of　Vienna；　had　joyously　consented　to　participate　in　it。　The
most　distinguished　names　of　the　aristocracy　and　the　artistic　circles
of　Vienna　were　at　the　head　of　the　committee　of　arrangements。　Among
those　names　were　those　of　the　Princes　Lichnowsky　and　Lichtenstein；
the　Countesses　Kaunitz　and　Spielmann；　of　Beethoven　and　Salieri；
Kreutzer　and　Clementi；　and　finally；　those　of　the　poets　Collin　and
Carpani。

Every　one　wished　to　participate　in　this　festival；　which　was　to
render　homage　to　the　veteran　German　composer；　the　great　Joseph
Haydn；　on　the　occasion　of　the　twenty…fifth　performance　of　the
maestro's　great　work；　〃The　Creation。〃　Ten　years　had　elapsed　since
the　first　performance　of　〃The　Creation〃　at　Vienna；　and　already　the
sublime　composition　had　made　the　tour　of　Europe；　and　had　been
performed　amid　the　most　enthusiastic　applause　in　London　and　Paris；
in　Amsterdam　and　St。　Petersburg；　in　Berlin；　and　all　the　large　and
small　cities　of　Germany。　Everywhere　it　had　excited　transports　of
admiration；　everywhere　delighted　audiences　had　greeted　with
rapturous　enthusiasm　this　beautiful　music；　so　full　of　holy　ardor　and
childlike　piety；　this　great　work　of　the　German　composer；　Joseph
Haydn。

To…day　the　twenty…fifth　performance　of　〃The　Creation〃　was　to　take
place　at　Vienna；　and　Joseph　Haydn　himself　was　to　be　present　at　the
concert。　The　committee　of　arrangements　had　invited　him；　and　he　had
accepted　the　invitation。　Although　his　seventy…seven　years　were
resting　heavily　on　his　head；　and　had　paralyzed　his　strength；　be
could　not　withstand　the　honorable　request　of　his　friends　and
admirers；　and　he　had　replied　with　a　touching　smile　to　the　committee
of　arrangements；　whose　delegates　had　conveyed　the　invitation　to　him
〃I　shall　come　to　take　leave　of　the　world　with　my　'Creation；'　and　bid
a　last　farewell　to　my　dear　Viennese。　YOU　will　often　yet　sing　my
'Creation；'　but　I　shall　hear　it　for　the　last　time！〃

〃For　the　last　time！〃　These　were　the　words　which　had　thrilled　all　the
friends　and　admirers　of　the　maestro；　and　filled　them　with　the　ardent
desire　to　greet　him　once　more；　and　render　him　homage　for　the　last
time。　For　all　felt　and　knew　that　Haydn　had　spoken　the　truth；　and
that　his　end　was　drawing　near。　All；　therefore；　longed　to　take　part
in　this　last　triumph　of　the　composer　of　〃The　Creation；〃　whom　death
had　already　touched　with　its　inexorable　finger。

Hence；　there　was　a　perfect　jam　in　front　of　the　university　building；
the　equipages　of　the　high　nobility　formed　two　immense　lines　down　the
long　street；　like　a　black；　surging　stream；　rising　from　moment　to
moment；　the　part　of　the　audience　arriving　on　foot　moved　along　the
houses　and　between　the　double　line　of　carriages　toward　the　entrance
of　the　building。　Thousands　had　vainly　applied　for　admission　at　the
ticket…office；　there　was　room　only　for　fifteen　hundred　persons　in
the　aula　and　the　adjoining　rooms；　and　perhaps　as　many　thousands　had
come　to　hear　the　concert。　As　they　could　not　be　admitted　into　the
hall；　they　remained　in　the　street　in　front　of　the　building；　as　they
could　not　hear　Haydn's　music；　they　wished　at　least　to　see　his　face
and　cheer　him　on　his　arrival　at　the　door。

But　there　was　a　surging　crowd　also　in　the　festively…decorated
university　hall。　All　had　come　in　their　holiday　attire；　and　joy　and
profound　emotion　beamed　from　all　faces。　Friends　shook　hands　and
greeted　each　other　with　radiant　eyes；　and　even　those　who　did　not
know　each　other　exchanged　kindly　greetings　and　pleasant　smiles　on
seating　themselves　side　by　side；　and　looked　at　each　other　as　though
they　were　friends　and　acquaintances；　and　not　entire　strangers。

For　all　felt　the　great　importance　of　this　hour；　all　felt　themselves
Germans；　owing　to　the　homage　which　they　were　to　render　to　the　German
maestro　and　to　German　music；　and　all　knew　that　this　festival　would
be　looked　upon　beyond　the　Rhine　as　a　hostile　demonstration　of　the
Germans　against　French　pride　and　arrogance。　They　wished　to　show　to
France　that；　although　Germany　was　dismembered；　the　heart　of　the
Germans　throbbed　for　Germany　and　German　art；　and　that　they　did　not
feel　at　all　alarmed　at　the　grandiloquent　threats　of　the　Emperor　of
the　French；　but　yielded　with　undisturbed　equanimity　to　the　enjoyment
of　German　art。　While　the　threatening　words　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon
were　resounding；　like　ringing　war…fanfares；　from　Paris；　the　Viennese
desired　to　respond　to　him　by　the　beautiful　notes　of　sublime　music；
and；　regardless　of　the　growls　of　the　lion　beyond　the　Rhine；　they
wished　to　delight　in　the　soul…stirring　harmonies　of　〃The　Creation。〃

All　preparations　were　now　completed。　The　hall　was　all　ablaze　with
the　wax…lights　which　were　beaming　down　from　those　gigantic　lustres；
and　whose　rays　were　reflected　in　the　large　mirrors　covering　the
walls。　The　imperial　box　was　splendidly　festooned　with　rare　flowers；
and　decorated　with　carpets　and　gilt　candelabra；　whose　enormous　wax…
lights　filled　the　interior　of　the　spacious　box　with　broad　daylight。

Opposite　the　imperial　box；　on　the　other　side　of　the　hall；　rose　the
large　tribune　destined　for　an　orchestra　of　eighty　performers　and　a
choir　of　one　hundred　singers。　All　the　latter；　too；　were　in　joyous
spirits；　all　were　animated　to…day；　not　by　the　envy　and　jealousy　so
often　to　be　found　among　artistes；　but　by　the　one　great　desire　to
contribute　their　share　to　the　homage　to　be　rendered　to　German　art。
They　did　not　wish　to…day　to　exhibit　themselves　and　their　artistic
skill；　but　desired　only　to　render　homage　to　the　music　of　the　great
maestro；　and　to　German　art。

And　now　the　hour　was　at　hand　when　the　concert　was　to　commence。　The
audience　had　taken　their　seats；　the　orchestra　ceased　tuning　their
instruments；　the　singers　were　in　readiness；　and　the　committee　of
arrangements　had　gone　down　to　the　street…door　to　await　Haydn's
arrival。

The　door　of　the　imperial　box　opened　at　this　moment；　and　the　emperor
and　empress　entered；　followed　by　the　archdukes　and　their　suites。　To…
day　for　the　first　time　the　audience　took　no　notice　of　these　august
persons；　they　did　not　rise　to　greet　the　imperial　couple　and　the
archdukes。　No　one　had　perceived　their　arrival；　for　all　eyes　were
steadfastly　fixed　on　the　large　folding…doors　by　which　Joseph　Haydn
was　to　enter　the　hall。

He　had　been　expected　already　for　some　time；　and　the　audience　began
to　whisper　anxiously：　〃Will　he；　perhaps；　not　come；　after　all？　Will
his　physician　not　permit　him　to　go　to　the　concert　because　the
excitement　might　be　injurious　to　him？〃

But　all　at　once　the　silence　was　broken　by　a　noise　in　the　street；
which　sounded　like　the　roar　of　the　stormy　ocean；　it　rent　the　air；
and　caused　the　windows　of　the　hall　to　rattle。　And　the　audience　was
joyfully　moved；　all　faces　became　radiant；　all　turned　their　eyes
toward　the　door。

Now　this　door　opened；　and　a　beautiful　though　strange　group　appeared
in　it。　In　its　midst；　on　the　shoulders　of　eight　strong　young　men；
arose　an　easy　chair；　festooned　with　flowers；　and　in　this　chair　sat
the　small；　bent　form　of　an　old　man。　His　face　was　pale　and　wan；　and
in　his　forehead　the　seventy…seven　years　of　his　life　had　drawn　deep
furrows；　but　from　his　large　blue　eyes　beamed　the　eternal　fire　of
youth；　and　there　was　something　childlike　and　touching　in　the　smile
of　his　mouth。　On　the　right　side　of　his　easy…chair　was　seen　the
imposing　form　of　a　gentleman；　plainly　dressed；　but　with　a　head　full
of　majestic　dignity；　his　face　gloomy　and　wild；　his　high　forehead；
surrounded　by　dense　dishevelled　hair；　his　eyes　now　gleaming　with
sombre　fires；　now　glancing　mildly　and　amiably。　It　was　Louis　von
Beethoven；　whom　Haydn　liked　to　call　his　pupil；　and　whose　fame　had　at
that　time　already　penetrated　far　beyond　the　frontiers　of　Austria。　On
the　left　side　of　the　easy…chair　was　seen　the　fine；　expressive　face
of　Salieri；　who　liked　to　call　himself　Gluck's　pupil；　and　side　by
side　with　these　two　walked　Kreutzer　and　Clementi；　and　the　other
members　of　the　committee　of　arrangements。

Thundering　cheers　greeted　their　appearance；　the　whole　audience　rose；
even　the　Empress　Ludovica　started　up　from　her　gilded　chair　and　bowed
smilingly；　and　the　Archduke　John　advanced　close　to　the　railing　of
the　box　to　greet　again　and　again　with　pleasant　nods　of　his　head　and
waves　of　his　hand　Joseph　Haydn；　thus　borne　along　above　the　heads　of
the　audience。　But　the　Emperor　Francis；　who　was　standing　by　the　side
of　his　consort；　looked　with　a　somewhat　sneering　expression　on　the
crowd　below；　and；　turning　to　the　empress；　he　said：　〃Perhaps　my　dear
Viennese　may　consider　Haydn　on　his