Book contents
Chapter Thirteen
Summary
Hardly had I re-accustomed myself to life in the city, than the year 1822 already arrived, which found me in no better condition, for the gout in my feet seemed rather to have increased, than wanting to diminish. I thus dedicated the less painful moments to the founding of my harmony method.
At the beginning of the holidays Leopoldine Blahetka came to Prague, a nice eleven-year-old girl, who, in a private recital, and later in the theater through the performance of the A minor concerto of Hummel, the variations of Moscheles, and then of a rondo by my student Worzischek, showed that she had made significant progress in piano playing. It was thus not a surprise, that most of the listeners believed that her developed technique and aesthetic conception of the compositions belonged to a riper age, but nevertheless she received an abundant ovation, which she indeed deserved.
Gradually the spring was approaching, and with the spring soon the harvest time for health resorts. I saw myself as well, before I expected, in Karlsbad, where many guests had gathered at this time.
But in terms of notable figures, who not through birth, but rather men who were exceptional through real achievements in some science or art, there were very few to be seen. The Swede Berzelius, renowned to the whole world as leading chemist, was the most interesting appearance in Karlsbad, a personality, for whom one does not simply go out of one's way, but whom rather one seeks out. It is also in no other place so easy to make new acquaintances as in health resorts, where so many opportunities present themselves to meet whomever one would like to meet; and so it also happened, that I, through Crusell, virtuoso on the clarinet and member of the Royal Swedish Court Chapel, whom I had met in Neubrunn, managed to speak to Berzelius, for the two were living together as traveling companions, for which reason I later visited Crusell often. I found Berzelius to be not only an extremely educated man, but also a man very easygoing, and receptive to the arts in all their forms, whom one felt good to be around. I will never forget the conversations which I had with him regarding art and science.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Wenzel Johann Tomaschek (1774–1850)Autobiography, pp. 131 - 146Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2017