ian, Johannes Kreisler,
"chapelmaster and cracked _musicus_ par excellence," as he signs his
letters, the artist of incomplete genius, of broken career, of poetic
dreams and crazy fancies, who used to go about dressed in a coat the
colour of C sharp minor, with an E major coloured collar. And of all
the glimpses Hoffmann has given us of Chapelmaster Kreisler, none is so
weirdly suggestive as that in which we see him improvising on the piano
at his club of friends. The friends had met one evening expressly to
hear Kreisler's extemporary performance, and he was just on the point of
sitting down to the instrument, when one of the company recollected that
a lever had on a previous occasion refused to do its duty. He took up a
light, and began his search for the refractory lever; when suddenly, as
he leaned over the interior of the piano a heavy pair of brass snuffers
crashed down from the candlestick on to the strings, of which half a
dozen instantly snapped. The company began to exclaim at this unlucky
accident, which would deprive them of the promised performance; but
Chapelmaster Kreisler bade them be of good cheer, for they should still
hear what was in his mind, as the bass strings remained intact.

Kreisler put on his little red skull cap and his Chinese
dressing-gown, and sat down to the piano, while a trusty friend
extinguished all the lights, so that the room remained in utter
darkness. Then, with the muffling pedal down, Kreisler struck the
full chord of A flat major, and spoke:

"What is it that murmurs so strangely, so sweetly, around me?
Invisible wings seem to be heaving up and down. I am swimming
in perfume laden air. But the perfume shines forth in flaming,
mysteriously linked circles. Lovely spirits are moving their golden
pinions in ineffably splendid sounds and harmonies."

_Chord of A flat minor (mezzo forte)._ "Ah, they are bearing me off
into the land of eternal desire, but even as they carry me, pain
awakes in my heart, and tries to escape, tearing my bosom with
violence."

_Chord of E major (third), forte._ "They have given me a splendid
crown, but that which sparkles and lightens in its diamonds are the
thousand tears which I shed; and in the gold shine the flames which
are devouring me. Valour and power, strength and faith, for him who
is called on to reign in the kingdom of spirits."

* * * * *

_B major (accentuato)._ "