o be
part of himself as no other of his works ever did. Technically, it was
never hard for him, whereas he found the "Eroica" exhausting,
physically and mentally.

Of the smaller works he preferred the "Sea Pieces," as a whole, above
all the others; yet there were single things in each of the other sets
for which he cared perhaps as much. Of the "Sea Pieces" those he liked
best were: "To the Sea," "From the Depths," "In Mid-Ocean"; of the
"Fireside Tales": the "Haunted House," "Salamander," "'Brer Rabbit";
and he had a tender feeling for "In a German Forest," which always
seemed to bring back the Frankfort days to his memory. Of the "New
England Idyls," his favorites were: "In Deep Woods," "Mid-Winter,"
"From a Log Cabin."

In his composition he was growing away from piano work,--he felt that
the future must mean larger, probably orchestral, forms, for him, and
his dream of an ultimate leisure was a dream for which his friends can
be thankful. He did not end with despair at his heart that the
distracting work, the yearly drudgery, were to go on forever.

His preferences in music were governed by the independence which
characterised his intellectual judgments. Of the moderns, Wagner was
his god; for Liszt he had an unbounded admiration, though he detected
the showman, the mere juggler, in him; Tchaikovsky stirred
him mightily; Brahms did not as a rule give him pleasure, though
certain of that master's more fertile moments compelled his
appreciation. Grieg he delighted in. To him he dedicated both his
"Norse" and "Keltic" sonatas. In response to his request for
permission to inscribe the first of these to his eminent contemporary,
he received from Grieg the following delectable letter--one of the
Norwegian's very few attempts at English composition (I quote it
verbatim; the spelling is Grieg's):--

COPENHAGEN, 26/10/99.
Hotel King of Denmark.

MY DEAR SIR!

Will you remit me in bad English to express my best thanks for
your kind letter and for the sympathi you feel for my music. Of
course it will be a great honor and pleasure for me to accept your
dedication.

Some years ago I thought it possible to shake hands with you in
your own country. But unfortunately my delicat health does not
seem to agree. At all events, if we are not to meet, I am glad to
read in the papers of your artistical success in Amerika.

With my best wishes,

I am, dear Sir,

Yours