first tempo of the opera (which is also an alla-breve but a slower one)—­and the pace must be slackened accordingly.  But our conductors, in their customary crude way, generally miss this point in the overture.  We need not, however, now be lead into premature reflections.  Let us merely consider it established that the character of the older classical or, as I call it, naive Allegro differs greatly from the new emotional sentimental Allegro, peculiar to Beethoven.  Mozart became acquainted with the orchestral crescendo and diminuendo at Mannheim, (in 1777) when the orchestra there had acquired it as a novelty:  up to that time the instrumentation of the old masters shows that, as a rule, nothing was inserted between the forte and piano sections of the allegro movements which can have been intended to be played with emotional expression.  Now, how does the true Beethovenian Allegro appear with regard to this?  To take the boldest and most inspired example of Beethoven’s unheard-of innovation in this direction, the first movement of his Sinfonia eroica:  how does this movement appear if played in the strict tempo of one of the Allegros of Mozart’s overtures?  But do our conductors ever dream of taking it otherwise?  Do they not always proceed monotonously from the first bar to the last?  With the members of the “elegant” tribe of Capellmeisters the “conception” of the tempo consists of an application of the Mendelssohnian maxim “chi va presto va sano.”

Let the players who happen to have any regard for proper execution make the best of it in passages like:—­

[Musical Score]

or the plaintive:—­

[Musical Score]

the conductors do not trouble their minds about such details; they are on “classic ground,” and will not stop for trifles; they prefer to progress rapidly “grande vitesse,” “time is money.”

We have now reached the point in our discussion from which we can judge the music of the day.  It will have been noticed that I have approached this point with some circumspection.  I was anxious to expose the dilemma, and to make everyone see and feel that since Beethoven there has been a very considerable change in the treatment and the execution of instrumental music.  Things which formerly existed in separate and opposite forms, each complete in itself, are now placed in juxtaposition, and further developed, one from the other, so as to form a whole.  It is essential that the style of execution shall agree with the matter set forth—­ that the tempo shall be imbued with life as delicate as the life of the thematic tissue.  We may consider it established that in classical music written in the later style modification of Tempo is a sine qua non.  No doubt very great difficulties will have to be overcome.  Summing up my experiences I do not hesitate to assert that, as far as public performances go, Beethoven is still a pure chimera with us. [Footnote:  i.e.. in 1869.]