Excerpt from The Letters of a Leipzig Cantor, Vol. 2: Being the Letters of Moritz Hauptmann to Franz Hauser, Ludwig Spohr, and Other Musicians The local paper makes a good deal of my installation; there is a biographical sketch too, but I have not yet seen it. In strictness, I ought to have made a Latin speech; Weinlig did, so I am the first to distinguish myself by shirking the law. The Rector, however, harangued in German for nearly five quarters of an hour - very fine, I daresay, but I don't grudge him the gift I shouldn't care about anything, if I could only play the piano. Pianists are as plentiful as mushrooms. I don't know how they manage it, unless they are born to it. We had better resign ourselves once for all, as a certain person says, however hard it may be; it is better than a fit of despair every other day. But no! We all think we ought to be able to do it, because so many can do it - and that's a great mistake It is not the want of time, it is the want of concentra tion; one has too many things in one's head, to be able to attend to the mechanical exercise for a short time it's right enough, then away go the thoughts, and the fingers err and stray like lost sheep. It causes a twofold evil in my case, - di.rectly, as I can't get on; indirectly, as my pupils see that I can't get on. I am like a bad rider, who can't keep his own seat, and yet has to drive a four-in-hand. What is it to them, that the fellow may be able to do something else besides riding All they want is a good equestrian. One thing I am very sure of, and that is, that if all does not go smoothly, I shall anticipate my conge. Cemere mundum, cernere se ipsum, cernere se cerni. I believe I am quoting Spinoza; the last two phrases, in some measure, apply to me. Perhaps excess of energy as a theorist does hinder my practical effectiveness. Well, some have one gift, some another! About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.