Gossip

Wednesday, May 6th., Victoria Grove, London.

Eugene d'Albert

Eugene d'Albert played tonight at the Philharmonic concert. A little, round-shouldered, man with diminutive legs and a shrewd face, who looks as if nature had intended him to wear a large white apron and be a chemist or a druggist. He was coldly received, but when Liszt's notoriously difficult E flat concerto was finished, the audience aroused itself, and an encore was inevitable.

It appears that when Sullivan heard that the Philharmonic had engaged d'Albert, he threatened not only to remove his own name from the membership, but to do all he could to induce the Queen and the Prince of Wales to withdraw their patronage. However he was persuaded to alter his plans. Sullivan helped d'Albert in every possible way when he was a student; obtained engagements for him at the Popular Concerts, the Crystal Palace etc.; and when d'Albert went to the Continent gave him introductions to all the courts. Yet on his return, a year afterwards, d'Albert refused not only to call on Sullivan but threw contempt on him and all Englishmen. In the meantime Liszt had heard him play and spoke enthusiastically of him, dubbing him 'the young Tausig'. D'Albert by the way, once (seriously?) claimed to be a (natural) son of Tausig, though there cannot be a shadow of justification for such a claim.

All this gossip came my way before, and after, the concert. Amazing what people will accept without any substantiation. I said to the person who told me about the Tausig business: "What is your source?" He said: "Well everybody knows it", and gave me an old-fashioned look. We didn't speak again. I have often noticed how ready people are to believe ill of others, and to spread what they have heard, with elaboration.