Personal reminiscences of Henry IrvingStoker, Bram
General
Personal reminiscences of Henry Irving
Stoker, Bram
Actors -- Great Britain -- Biography; Irving, Henry, Sir, 1838-1905
On 14th April 1886 Abbé Liszt came to the Lyceum to see _Faust_ and to
stay to supper in the Beefsteak Room. He was then the guest of Mr.
Littleton, staying at his house at Sydenham. At that time musical London
made such a rush for the old man that it was absolutely necessary to
guard him when he came to the theatre. All the real music lovers of the
younger generation wanted to see him, for they had not had opportunity
before and were not likely to have it again. He was then seventy-five
years of age and had practically given up playing inasmuch as he only
played to please himself or his friends. That night he was accompanied
by Mr. and Mrs. Littleton together with the sons and daughters-in-law of
the latter, and by Stavenhagen his pupil, and Madame Muncacksy. As it
was necessary to keep away all who might intrude upon him—enthusiasts,
interviewers, cranks, autograph-fiends, notoriety seekers who would like
to be seen in his box—we arranged a sort of fortress for him. Next to
the royal box on the grand tier O.P. was another box separated only by a
partition, part of which could be taken down. This box was on the
outside from the proscenium. We had the door of this box screwed up so
that entrance to it could only be had through the royal box. Liszt sat
here with some of the others unassailable, as one of the Mr. Littletons
kept the key of the other box and none could obtain entrance without
permission.
There was an interesting party at supper in the Beefsteak Room, amongst
them, in addition to the party at the play, the following: Ellen Terry,
Professor Max Müller, Lord and Lady Wharncliffe, Sir Alexander and Lady
Mackenzie, Sir Alfred Cooper, Walter Bach and Miss Bach, Sir Morell
Mackenzie, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Littleton, Mr. and Mrs. Augustus
Littleton, Mr. and Mrs. William Beatty Kingston, and the Misses Casella.
Liszt sat on the right hand of Ellen Terry who faced Irving. From where
I sat at the end of the table I could not but notice the quite
extraordinary resemblance in the profiles of the two men. After supper
Irving went round and sat next him, and the likeness became a theme of
comment from all present. Irving was then forty-eight years of age; but
he looked still a young man, with raven-black hair and face without a
line. His neck was then without a line or mark of age. Liszt, on the
other hand, looked older than his age. His stooping shoulders and long
white hair made him seem of patriarchal age. Nevertheless the likeness
of the two men was remarkable.
Stavenhagen played, but as it was thought by all that Liszt must be too
tired after a long day no opening was made for him, much as all longed
to hear him. The party did not break up till four o’clock in the
morning. The note in my diary runs:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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