Hefte), in which, on account of the master’s deafness, questions or answers were written down by those holding conversation with him.  Beethoven read, and, of course, replied viva voce.  We have not, it is true, his words, yet it is possible, at times, to gather their purport from the context.  For instance, there is a conversation (or rather one half of it) recorded, which took place in 1823 between the composer and Schindler.  The latter says:  “Do you remember how I ventured a few years ago to play over to you the Sonata Op. 14?—­now everything is clear.”  The next entry runs thus:—­“I still feel the pain in my hand.”  A footnote explains that after Schindler had played the opening section of the first movement, Beethoven struck him somewhat roughly on the hand, pushed him from the stool, and, placing himself on it, played and explained the sonata.  Then Schindler says:  “Two principles also in the middle section of ‘Pathetique,’” as if the teacher had called upon him to give illustrations from other sonatas of what he had explained concerning Op. 14.  But there is another record of a conversation which took place between Beethoven and Schindler in the very month (March, 1827) in which the composer died.  “As you feel well to-day,” says the disciple, “we can continue our talk concerning the poetic basis ("wieder etwas poetisiren”) of the Trio in B flat.”  And after some remarks about Aristotle’s views of tragedy, and about the Medea of Euripides, we come across the following:—­“But why everywhere a superscription?  In many movements of the sonatas and symphonies, where feeling and one’s own imagination might dictate, such a heading would do harm.  Music ought not, and cannot, on all occasions give a definite direction to feeling.”  Beethoven must have been alluding to some scheme of his for indicating the nature of the contents of his works, and its boldness seems to have astonished Schindler.  It is possible that Beethoven, conscious that his end was not far distant, carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment, and desirous of giving all possible help to the right understanding of his music, went far beyond the modest lines by which he was guided when writing his “Pastoral” Symphony.[98] But let us return to the conversation.

“Good!” says Schindler, “then you will next set about writing an angry sonata?” Beethoven would seem to have declared even that possible, for Schindler continues:  “Oh!  I have no doubt you will accomplish that, and I rejoice in anticipation.”  And, then, as if remembering that his master was an invalid, and that it would not be right to excite him by prolonging the argument, he added, probably in a half-jocular manner:  “Your housekeeper must do her part, and first put you into a towering passion.”  The above extracts show pretty clearly that the poetic basis of his music was a subject which Beethoven took pleasure in discussing with his friends.  Beethoven’s back was, however, at once up if he found others pushing