he writes in his diary:  “Young Erard took me to-day to his piano-forte factory to try the new invention of his uncle Sebastian.  This quicker action of the hammer seems to me so important that I prophesy a new era in the manufacture of piano-fortes.  I still complain of some heaviness in the touch, and, therefore, prefer to play on Pape’s and Petzold’s instruments (Viennese pianos).  I admired the Erards, but am not thoroughly satisfied, and urged him to make new improvements.”

From 1815, when Moscheles began his career as a virtuoso in the production of his “Variationen fiber den Alexandermarsch,” to 1826, he established a great reputation as a virtuoso and composer for the piano-forte.  Though he played his own works at concerts with marked approbation, he also became distinguished as an interpreter of Mozart and Beethoven, for whom he had a reverential admiration.  Moscheles often records his own sense of insignificance by the side of these Titans of music.  A delightful characteristic of the man was his modesty about himself, and his genial appreciation of other musicians.  Nowhere do those performers who, for example, came in active rivalry with himself, receive more cordial and unalloyed praise.  Moscheles was entirely devoid of that littleness which finds vent in envy and jealousy, and was as frank and sympathetic in his estimate of others as he was ambitious and industrious in the development of his own great talents.  In 1824 he gave piano-forte lessons to Felix Mendelssohn, then a youth of fifteen, at Berlin.  He wrote of the Mendelssohn family:  “This is a family the like of which I have never known.  Felix, a boy of fifteen, is a phenomenon.  What are all prodigies as compared with him?  Gifted children, but nothing else.  This Felix Mendelssohn is already a mature artist, and yet but fifteen years old!  We at once settled down together for several hours, for I was obliged to play a great deal, when really I wanted to hear him and see his compositions, for Felix had to show me a concerto in C minor, a double concerto, and several motets; and all so full of genius, and at the same time so correct and thorough!  His elder sister Fanny, also extraordinarily gifted, played by heart, and with admirable precision, fugues and passacailles by Bach.  I think one may well call her a thorough ‘Mus.  Doc’ (guter Musiker).  Both parents give one the impression of being people of the highest refinement.  They are far from overrating their children’s talents; in fact, they are anxious about Felix’s future, and to know whether his gift will prove sufficient to lead to a noble and truly great career.  Will he not, like so many other brilliant children, suddenly collapse?  I asserted my conscientious conviction that Felix would ultimately become a great master, that I had not the slightest doubt of his genius; but again and again I had to insist on my opinion before they believed me.  These two are not specimens of the genus prodigy-parents (Wunderkinds Eltern), such as I most frequently endure.”  Moscheles soon came to the conclusion that to give Felix regular lessons was useless.  Only a little hint from time to time was necessary for the marvelous youth, who had already begun to compose works which excited Moscheles’s deepest admiration.