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Volume 1. Part 1. The Smyth family Robinson -- To 1867. Origins ; Paper Smyth ; His works and friends ; My grandfather ; His speeches to the Yeomanry during the riots ; My sisters and eldest brother ; Sidcup place described ; Childish memories and adventures ; Crimes and punishments ; Amusements ; My 'passions' ; Relations ; Hugo J., the family artist ; The redoubtable Colonel O'H. ; Old Indians ; Household Hindustani ; Bonnemaman ; The 'legend' ; Her second husband ; Her difficulties ; Her men friends ; The Agra bank fails -- My father. My father's Indian beginnings ; His popularity ; His country work ; His politics ; His dislike of the artistic temperament ; His reading of the lessons ; His characteristics and verbal slips ; His leniency and rigidity ; His death ; A valedictory notice -- My mother. My mother's education in France ; She marries and goes to India ; Her foreign ways and unconventionality ; Her appearance ; Her love of society ; Her gifts for languages and music ; Her difficult character and loveableness ; Her great sorrow ; Is bored by having visitors to stay ; The monotony of her life ; Her ill health and death -- A retrospect. We leave sidcup for Frimhurst ; Our social framework ; Neighbourliness, with limitations ; Parties and balls ; Relations with the village ; Outdoor relief ; Moral conditions and drunkenness in Frimley -- 1867 to 1872. My early musical tendencies ; Arrival at Frimhurst ; Our new home described ; Birth of Bob ; Johnny goes to Westminster ; Dr. Charles Scott (Uncle Charles) and his wife (Aunt Susan) ; A tragedy on Fox Hills ; Our governesses ; Miss Hammond's Chignon ; The Franco-Prussian war ; Catalogues of 'Passions' and 'Things to be avoided' ; Education ; Frimley Green and the fair ; Skating and donkeys ; A churchyard episode ; A fight in the 'Three-decker' ; Mary and I perform at village entertainments ; A religious impression ; We perform at Aldershot ; My father's speech ; The conjuror ; Alice's proposal scene ; Our boy-admirers ; 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith' ; Musical tortures ; An imaginary tragedy ; Lying ; I determine to study music at Leipzig ; My father retires and buys Frimhurst ; 'Larking' the horses ; Farmyard episodes ; My father as country gentleman -- 1872-1873. Our diaries ; Mary and I go to school ; Our life there ; I hear Patti ; Inward conflicts ; Confirmation ; A distressing conversion ; Early 'poems' ; The priest's love affair and Mr. Longman -- 1873-1875. The children and Miss Gobell ; Their theatricals ; Queer neighbours ; A dance at the longmans ; The drain adventure ; Colonel McIvor and Madame de S. I leave school, learn Italian, and fail for the Cambridge local examination ; Alice's and Mary's marriages ; Johnny's death -- 1875-1876. Music and religion ; Social ambition phase ; The Ewings ; 'Aunt Judy' ; Mr. Ewing gives me harmony lessons ; My father's aversion to him ; The lessons are stopped ; I visit the O'H.'s in Ireland ; My engagement to Mr. Willie Wilde ; I come out ; Balls ; A sentimental illusion -- 1876-1877. A Wagner concert ; I break the Filly ; Country house visiting ; 'Schon Rothraut' ; Reels and a hunt ; Introduction to Madame Schumann ; First Acquaintance with Brahms's music ; My Leipzig project announced ; My father's fury ; George Eliot at St. James's hall ; Visit to two artists ; Friends who backed my up ; Militant methods at home ; Capitulation of my father ; Departure for Leipzig -- Appendix I. Letter from Mrs. Opie, March 1848 ; Letters from S.D., a schoolboy admirer, aged thirteen ; Letters from my mother, 1873-1875 ; Letters from Alexander Ewing, Esq., 1876-1877 -- Part II. Germany and two winters in Italy. Summer 1877. Germany in 1877 ; Arrival at Leipzig ; Description on the town ; My landlady, Frau Professor Heimbach ; My fellow lodger ; Strange croquet ; A fortnight in Thuringia ; George Henschel and others ; Musical encouragement ; Part-singing in the woods ; Old Leipzig ; I go disguised to a concert ; The Rontgen family ; A blend of art and courtship ; Anecdote about Kreisler, as contrast -- Winter 1877-1878. THe conservatorium ; My masters ; The Gewandhaus concerts ; The old concert hall ; Acoustics ; Chamber music ; B. turns over for Frau Schumann ; The libel suit and an admirer's chivalry ; His subsequent career ; The Brockhaus family ; New Year's Eve at the Rontgens ; The drama ; The Geistinger episode ; The Tauchintz family ; End of the Geistinger episode -- Early 1878. Brahms conducts his D major symphony ; My introduction to him ; His irony ; A critic's remark on the symphony ; I hear bout the Herzogenbergs ; I move to Salomonstrasse 19 ; Life there described ; I plunge into the world ; Leipzig society ; The Gewandhaus Gesellschaft, the professional set, and the artist world ; Particularism ; Dialect ; Frau Livia Frege ; Frau Lili Wach (daughter of Mendelssohn) and her husband ; Orthodox piety in Germany ; Elisabeth von Herzogenberg ('Lisl') ; Her beauty ; Her talents ; Her musical genius ; Other characteristics ; Her husband and his compositions ; The Limburger family ; Two Leipzig characters, Frau von B and Frau Dr. E. anecdotes about the latter -- Spring 1878. Herzogenberg becomes my master ; I join the Bach Verein ; An anti-English stationer ; I stay at 'the Berg' with Frau Doctor Brockhaus ; I fall ill and am nursed by Lisl ; Beginning of our friendship ; A glance into the future -- Appendix II. Letters from myself to my mother and other members of the family 1877-1878 ; Letters from Elisabeth von Herzogenberg (Lisl), May 27 to June 9, 1878 -- Summer 1878. Return to Enlgand ; All exertion forbidden ; A sentimental aftermath ; I work badly ; We perform the 'Liebeslieder-Walzer' ; Home finances ; Return to Leipzig via Holland -- Autumn and winter 1878. Visit to Utrecht ; Music there ; The Zuyder Zee ; Arrival at Leipzig ; My 'Variations' approved ; The Merseburger household (salomonstrasse 19) ; I become 'the child' at the Herzogenbergs ; Lisl's character and charm ; Frau Schumann's jubilee and a fantastic hung -- Brahms. Brahms conducts the violin concerto ; His personality ; His common sense in the Lenbach dispute ; His views on women ; His worhsip of Lisl ; Herzogenberg's music bores him ; His relations with Frau Schumann ; His manners with women ; His horror of being lionized ; His taste in jokes ; His views on Wagner ; Brahms at the piano ; His modesty ; His kindness to me ; Contempt for women composers notwithstanding ; Anecdote about Levi ; My Brahms-poem and its results ; He sends a wreath to Wagner's funeral ; His illness and death -- Spring 1879. Grieg ; The Wachs and Herzogenbergs become friends ; Routs ; The opera ; Defects and advantages of my training ; Rural expeditions of the Bach Verein ; A passion performance in the Thomas Kirche ; Lisl's parents appear: they both hate me, especially her mother, Frau von Stockhausen -- Summer 1979 to Summer 1880. A vague marriage scheme ; Pan-Germanism ; Speeches and a disaster ; Leipzig fairs ; Christmas at Berlin with teh Fiedlers ; Their personalities ; A new year's festivity at the Joachims ; Rubinstein and the young lady ; Spitta ; Chrysander on old English music ; Fiedler's collection of pictures ; First impressions of Manet's art ; A victim of the Kaiser ; Two English friends (one 'musical') come to Leipzig ; A String Quartet of mine is played at the Wachs ; Crostewitz and its inhabitants ; A cropper on the race course ; 'Miss Hop-in-die Welt' ; I go home via Hamburg and Ragatz ; Financial crisis at home. |
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Volume 2. Part II. Summer 1880 to summer 1881. 'Chopsticks' ; Adela Wodehouse ; 'Papa's surprise' ; A mis-read symptom ; Friendships between women ; Rhoda Garrett ; Return to Leipzig ; The Reuss-Kostritz family and Prince Heinrich XXI V ; German fury about the S. African war ; I ride a steeplechase ; Home via some old N. German towns ; A 'Novelty' in Rose Trees ; The Garretts and their friends at Rustington ; A strange love episode ; 'Aunt Judy' as chaperone ; Miss H.'s dramatic arrival at Frimhurst ; 'Aunt Judy's' fatal mistake -- Appendix III. Letters from Elisabeth von Herzogenberg (Lisl), June 12, 1878 to September 22, 1880 ; Letters from myself to my mother and father (1878-1879) ; Letters from Juliana Horatia Ewing ('Aunt Judy') to my mother, 1879-1883 ; Letter from Edward Greig, 1879 -- Autumn 1881 to autumn 1882. Return to Leipzig ; I distress Lisl ; Visit of Captain H. Foster ; Flight to England for Christmas ; Decision to go to Italy in the autumn ; Music at Sydenham ; Brahms's compliment ; The Garretts at Frimhurst ; I go to Switzerland via Rouen ; A first climb with Wach ; Disastrous first view of Venice with the Herzogenbergs -- Autumn 1882 to Christmas 1882. Arrival at Florence ; Amey's and my establishment ; The Hildebrand family ; His art and character ; His musical gifts and literary limitations ; The Brewsters ; Their unusual views and ways of life ; First impressions of Harry Brewster ('H.B.') ; Julia Brewster's appearance ; Their criticism of Lisl ; H.B. goes to Algeria ; Rhoda's death -- Christmas 1882 to Summer 1883. Amey and I cook our Christmas dinner ; Grief for Rhoda ; I become crippled ; Prince Reuss appears ; We make music ; H.B. returns ; The Brewster's chateau is burnt down ; I meet the Herzogenbergs at Berchtesgaden and make friends with Frau Schumann ; Anecdotes about her -- Summer 1883 to December 1883. Aibling ; Its primitive charm ; I am cured ; A glimpse of old Greece ; Journey home via Rothenburg an der Taube ; Rustington without Rhoda ; Financial situation at Frimhurst ; A typical carriage accident ; First meeting with the Empress Eugenie ; Her beauty ; Muirhouse ; Mr. and Mrs. Davidson ; Scotch vowels ; Lisl's irritation at my love of sport ; I begin to distrust Joachim -- December 1883 to spring 1884. A visit to Frau Schumann ; Severe illness at Munich ; My String Quintett as performed at Leipzig ; An English widow ; My Florentine landlady ; Wanderings in Italy ; Anecdotes about the Italians ; An adventure by the Arno ; Lisl falls ill ; Salvini and H.B. ; The Fiedlers come to Florence ; Professor Gregorovius ; Hildebrand takes a cast of my face -- Spring 1884. A excursion in the Apennines ; The prior ; Enter the Barone ; Our expedition together and its musical Finale ; Return to civilisation ; Astonishment of Lady Ribblesdale ; Biography of the Barone -- Spring 1884 to Spring 1885. A contemporary description of H.B. ; Frau von Stockhausen ; A bogus mortal illness ; Home via Berchtesgaden ; Financial situation again ; I learn the organ ; Sir Frederick Ouseley at Bramshill ; Back to Leipzig ; Herzogenberg is offered a post at Berlin ; Scene with a German general ; My mother comes to Leipzig ; Her German conversations ; The great dinner party ; I part from Lisl, never to see her again -- Appendix IV. Letters from Elisabeth von Herzogenberg (Lisl) November 5, 1882 to October 5, 1884 ; Letters from my mother, November 1882 and April 1885 ; Letter from Frau Livia Frege, February 1884 -- Part III. In the desert. A retrospect of 1884-85 to summer 1885. The story of the Brewsters and myself in 1884 ; Lisl's attitude during our winter at Leipzig, 1884-85 ; Our separation foreshadowed ; Mischief-makers ; The breach ; I decide to stay in England for the present ; Frau von Stockhausen's campaign ; Lisl refuses to clear me ; A reflection on cruel letters -- Summer 1885 to autumn 1886. Violet marries Dick Hippisley ; My friendships with Edith Davidson and Mrs. Benson begin ; Nina marries Herbert Hollings ; Major Templer ; His trial for treason and collapse of the case ; Walking tour in Cornwall ; A yachting episode ; A political meeting ; Tin mines ; The piper's hold ; A 'Wreckers' decoration -- Autumn 1886 to autumn 1887. Return to Leipzig via Engelberg ; Conrad Fiedler constitutes himself my champion ; Excellent reception at Leipzig ; Lisl captivates Mary Fiedler in Berlin ; Lisl's effectiveness in controversy ; Flying visit to Frimhurst for marriage of Nelly to Hugh Eastwood ; Marco ; Anecdotes about him ; Kindness of Leipzig friends ; Frau Livia Frege's dilemma ; Marco in England ; Bob and I explore the Wye ; Climb in a tower ; Mr. Lowell ; Lisl's last letter ; Hatred a sterile passion -- Autumn 1887 to spring 1888. Bob accompanies me to Leipzig ; Johanna Rontgen as teacher ; 'Verboten' ; Kreisler and the two Germans ; Sarasate on 'Carmen' ; Germans on Gounod's 'Faust' ; Irving's production of 'Faust' (the play) ; My Violin Sonata is produced in Leipzig ; A skating adventure ; Joachim's judgment of my music ; The von Webers and Gustav Mahler ; Anecdotes of Greig ; Tschaikowsky ; Morell Mackenzie controversy ; Wach's extraordinary outburst -- Appendix V. Letter from Dr. Conrad Fiedler, January 1887 ; Letter from Joseph Joachim, Spring 1888 ; Letters from my mother, 1886-1888 -- Summer 1888 to summer 1889. I determine to winter in England ; The genealogical study ; Celibacy of the priesthood ; Irish relations ; Lili pleads for Lisl ; An incident of Herzogenberg's illness ; Hunting in the Sologne ; A 'Hallali' ; A traitor's remark ; Family gathering at Christmas ; The gorilla ; Muirhouse ; Unbelief ; Dr. MacGregor ; His style as preacher ; Our discussions and a misunderstanding -- Summer 1889. The Benson family ; Characterisation of Mrs. Benson ; Fred, Arthur, and Maggie Benson ; My friendship with Nelly Benson begins ; Hugh Benson ; My dread of the archbishop and its effects ; The White Heather cricket club ; A match at Lambeth ; Home life incompatible with work ; My mother's depression ; Her bigness of soul ; Financial crisis ; The Paris exhibition ; Marco's excavations ; The Roumanian band ; An immemorial situation -- Autumn and winter 1889. Journey to Munich ; Cosima Wagner ; Visit to Fiedlers ; Mary condemns Lisl ; I begin to hate Lisl ; Munich described ; Marco in the Isar ; The witch ; Religious discussions ; A Lutheran protest in Rome ; The mad king's castles ; Levi tries over my Serenade and the Overture ; Financial worries at home ; A living desk ; The Trevelyans appear ; The Missa Solemnis and Levi ; Marco at Rehearsal ; Worishofen and the Kneipp cure ; Two deaths ; Effect on the peasants -- Winter 1889 to spring 1890. My friendship with Pauline Trevelyan ; Portraits of her and her mother ; Difficulties about the lodgings ; Letter to Nelly Benson ; A crisis ; The 'Imitation' ; A Christmas service ; I return to England ; Marco's dreadful journey ; Bob goes to India ; My Serenade is performed at the crystal palace ; I meet H.B. again ; Religious belief endures ; Economy at home ; Invention of ladies' bicycles ; I buy one ; Slow subsidence of prejudice against them -- Spring and summer 1890. Sir Arthur Sullivan ; Differences between Mrs. Benson and myself ; Evangelicism ; Admiration for Newman ; Dean Lake and Uncle Charles Scott ; The true origin of my Mus. Doc. ; A 'pink' wedding ; Pauline at Addington ; My anglican enthusiasm ; The Assyrian church ; Trial of the bishop of Lincoln ; The archbishop's antipathy grows ; He and Mr. Spurgeon ; Glimpse into the future ; The empress Eugenie and her household ; Injustices of the history ; Lord Rosebery's tribute to H.I.M. -- Autumn 1890 to January 1891. Visit to the Trevelyans ; A fantastic dream ; A dull family of genius ; Nelly Benson's death ; My mother's unhappiness ; Her visit to Lambeth ; Mrs. Benson's resignation ; Other orchestral works of mine are performed ; I meet Lady Ponsonby ; H.B. and I resume our friendship ; His books, &c. Christmas and the Henschel's ; The story of Jim Pattle ; My mother's moral effort ; She wishes to leave Frimhurst ; Her illness and death ; A personal incident connected with her last moment -- Epilogue. My father's last years and death ; Death of Pauline, Consul Limburger and Frau Livia Frege ; The Empress Eugenie at the Ried ; Lili Wach visits Lambeth ; Her death ; Wach and the girls in London ; Conrad Fiedler's death ; The passing of Papa Rontgen ; My angle towards Lisl since 1889 ; Frau von Stockhausen's illness and death ; Lisl's death ; Herzogenberg and I agree to meet ; His death before that meeting comes off ; Review of Lisl's action ; My present view of it and inward reconciliation with her -- Appendix VI. Letter from Tschaikowsky, Spring 1889 ; Letters from my mother, 1889-1890 ; Letters from Sir Arthur Sullivan, 1890-1891 ; Letters from Frau Lili Wach, 1891-1892 ; Letters from Henry Brewster (H.B.), 1891-1892. |
