on the subject of his compositions.  At times, however, this reserve gave way to Schindler’s persistency.  When he asked him about the opening bars of the C minor Symphony (the Fifth) it brought out the well-known remark, “thus fate knocks at the door.”  At another time, he asked him for an elucidation of the Sonatas in F minor (opus 57) and D minor (opus 29), and received the answer “read Shakespeare’s Tempest,” which was only half an answer.  More definite is his meaning in the two Sonatas (opus 14), which represents the entreating and resisting principle in the conversation of a pair of lovers.

[Musical notation.]

Men of genius seldom care to explain their utterances.  “The spirit gives it to me and I write it down” is a remark attributed to Beethoven, and this stated the case sufficiently from his point of view.

Zelter, director of the Singakademie of Berlin wrote Beethoven on completion of the Mass, asking him to arrange it for voices only, as nothing but a capella music was permitted by the institution.  To this Beethoven gave a favorable reply, saying that with some modifications the project was feasible.  It, however, was not carried out.

It is significant that Beethoven gives the German direction throughout in this Mass.  At the Kyrie the direction is Mit Andacht.  At the soli of the Agnus Dei he writes Aengstlich, denoting great agitation or anxiety.  It may have been done as a kind of protest to the Italian cult in music, which had at this period taken complete possession of the Vienna public.  The more solid German music was neglected in favor of Rossini, and Beethoven felt this change of front keenly, making it the subject of remark to Rochlitz and to others.

It can readily be supposed that works like the Mass in D are not easily produced.  To get his materials for it Beethoven penetrated deeply the mystery surrounding life.  The ideas which he voices seem always to have existed, like other great forces in the universe; he impresses one as being the discoverer, rather than the creator of them.

Schindler, who saw much of him during these years, says of his absorption in this work:  “He actually seemed possessed, especially during the composition of the Credo.”  It was while he was at work on this portion of the Mass, notably the great fugue, et vitam venturi (the life everlasting), that Schindler called on him one afternoon, but could not gain admission.  He knew the master was at home as he could hear him stamping and shouting, singing the different parts as if mad.  Finally the door was opened and Beethoven appeared.  He was faint from hunger and overwork, having eaten nothing since the previous noon.  His servants had, indeed, prepared some food for him the previous day, but he was too much interested in his work to think of it, and they were afraid to urge it on him, or indeed, go near him, while in the stress of composition.  He had worked the previous night until overtaken by exhaustion and on awaking in the morning had at once resumed his work, continuing it until interrupted by Schindler’s arrival.