1905.] oil Personal Recollections of Johannes Brahms. 14:-^ 



angelic mood, and went from one charming, interesting story to 

 another, in which the gentler sex played a not unimportant part. 



That angelic mood, however, he was very near losing when I 

 asked him if he thought he'd ever go to England on a visit. He 

 said, " No, I shall not easily be persuaded to go to England. I have 

 a great aversion, anyhow, to concerts and similar disquietudes. It 

 has nothing whatever to do with the question whether I like English 

 pontics and English globe-trotters or not (the latter, by the way, 

 being nearly outdone now by the North Germans, from Berlin 

 especially). The rumour that I have a special dislike for English 

 concert-rooms is very silly. Into no concert-room I ever go with 

 pleasure ; but people must see how it is easier for me, being caught 

 once in a while in the trap of an invitation from Germany or Hol- 

 land, than undertaking the long journey to England, followed, pro- 

 bably, by a restless and fatiguing stay. No, you really would do 

 me a favour by explaining the matter from time to time as it is." 



A little later that afternoon we resolved to go on an expedition to 

 find his bull-frog pond, of which he had spoken to me for some days. 

 His sense of locality not being very great, we walked on and on 

 across long stretches of waste moorland. Often we heard the weird 

 call of bull-frogs in the distance, but he would say, " No, that's not 

 my pond yet," and on we walked. At last we found it, a tiny little 

 pool in the midst of a wide plain grown with heather. We had not 

 met a human being the whole way, and this solitary spot seemed out 

 of the world altogether. 



"Can you imagine," Brahms began, "anything more sad and 

 melancholy than this music, the undefinable sounds of which for ever 

 and ever move within the pitiable compass of a diminished third ? 



^=^ 



" Here we can realise how fairy tales of enchanted princes and 

 princesses have originated. Listen ! There he is again, the poor 

 king's son with his mournful C flat." 



(It is interesting to note that in Brahms' songs dating from this 

 period this interval frequently occurs.) 



We stretched ourselves out in the low grass — it was a very warm 

 evening — lighted cigarettes, and lay listening in deepest silence, not 

 a breath of wind stirring, for fully half an hour. Then we leaned 

 over the pond, caught tiny little baby frogs, and let them jump into 

 the water again from a stone, which greatly amused Brahms, especi- 

 ally when the sweet httle things, happy to be in their element again, 

 hurriedly swam away, using their nimble little legs most gracefully 

 and according to all rules of the natatory art. When they thought 

 themselves quite safe, Brahms would tenderly catch one up again in 



