Anecdotes of Great Musicians/Anecdote 148
148.—VON BÜLOW AS A POLITICAL SPEAKER.
Von Bülow was an inveterate speech maker. At his recitals and orchestral concerts he frequently took opportunity to express his sentiments on various affairs, and he did not always confine himself to things musical, but occasionally ventured into a political harangue, but not always with credit or safety to himself.
On one occasion he could not forbear to slur the Emperor and to express his disgust at the dismissal that royal personage had given to Prince Bismarck, whom Bülow heartily admired. Two years before Bülow's death he made his final appearance as leader of the Philharmonic concerts in Berlin. The programme closed with Beethoven's "Heroic" symphony. The eccentric leader could not resist this opportunity for making a speech.
After reproaching the Germans for lacking the necessary spirit to move in the matter of erecting a monument to Beethoven and making it necessary for Liszt, a Hungarian, to do so, he then said that all knew of the dedication of the Heroic symphony to Napoleon, and then after that general had disappointed Beethoven, how he changed his dedication to an Austrian prince.
"We musicians," he continued, "know well what hero would receive the dedication if the composer were living to-day—namely the man that has done the greatest things for us Germans, that Beethoven of politics, Prince Bismarck!"
Then, after eulogizing Bismarck, he took his handkerchief from his pocket and, dusting his shoes with it, left the stage. This peculiar action was a slur at the Emperor, who had recently dismissed Bismarck from the chancellorship and had publicly declared that any one who did not like his policy could shake the dust of Germany from his shoes and take his departure.
Even the Emperor of Germany had no terrors for Bülow.