* * * * *
The relative positions of teacher and pupil were soon to be exchanged
for friendship of a lasting character,--Moscheles, on the one hand,
greeting with the most cordial sympathy the great promises of the
youthful genius; Mendelssohn, on the other, appreciating with all the
warmth of his artistic nature what had been achieved by the maturer
artist, his senior by sixteen years.
In the autumn of 1826 Moscheles, then again on a concert tour through
Germany, made a short stay in Berlin, and spent many happy hours with
his friends the Mendelssohns. Felix had just completed his Overture to
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and played it, arranged for two performers,
with his sister Fanny. Amongst other compositions that mark these early
days of his musical career, were the Sonata in E major and an Overture
in C. Moscheles in his diary expresses his warm appreciation of those
works, and comments at the same time on the fact that “this young genius
is so far scarcely recognized beyond the small circle of his teachers
and personal friends. One more prophet,” he adds, “who will have to lay
the foundation of fame in another country.”
On the eve of Moscheles’s departure from Berlin, Mendelssohn sent him
his E major Sonata with the following lines:--
* * * * *
BERLIN, Nov. 28, 1826.
You kindly expressed a wish, dear Mr. Moscheles, to have my Sonata, and
I therefore take the liberty of presenting it to you. Should you
occasionally come across it, let it remind you of one who will always
esteem and respect you.
Once more a thousand heartfelt thanks for the happy hours I owe to your
“Studies;” they will long find an echo in my mind. I am sure they are
the most valuable of your works,--that is, until you write another.
My best wishes accompany you on what I trust will be a happy and
pleasant journey.