as "The Storm," a setting
of Peter Pindar's "Hark, the wild uproar of the waves." An opera, "Orfeo
ed Euridice," to which we have already referred, was almost completed,
but its production had necessarily to be abandoned, a circumstance which
must have occasioned him considerable regret in view of the store he set
upon his dramatic work.

Benefit and Other Concerts

On the 16th of May he had a benefit concert, when the receipts exceeded
by 150 pounds the 200 pounds which had been guaranteed. A second benefit
was given on May 30, when "La Passione Instrumentale" (the "Seven Words"
written for Cadiz) was performed. This work was given again on June 10,
at the benefit concert of the "little" Clement, a boy violinist who grew
into the famous artist for whom Beethoven wrote his Violin Concerto.
On this occasion Haydn conducted for Clement, and it is interesting to
observe that Clement took the first violin at the last concert Haydn
ever attended, in March 1808.

Haydn on Handel

In the note-book he kept while in London, one of the entries reads:
"Anno 1791, the last great concert, with 885 persons, was held in
Westminster, Anno 1792, it was transferred to St Margaret's Chapel, with
200 performers. This evoked criticism." Haydn here refers to the Handel
Commemoration Festival, the sixth and last of the century. He
attended that of 1791, and was much impressed with the grandeur of the
performances. A place had been reserved for him near the King's box, and
when the "Hallelujah Chorus" was sung, and the whole audience rose to
their feet, he wept like a child. "Handel is the master of us all," he
sobbed. No one knew the value of Handel's choral work better than Haydn.
After listening at the Concert of Antient Music to the chorus, "The
Nations tremble," from "Joshua," he told Shield that "he had long been
acquainted with music, but never knew half its powers before he heard
it, as he was perfectly certain that only one inspired author ever
did, or ever would, pen so sublime a composition." [See the Appendix to
Shield's Introduction to Harmony.]

Oxford Doctor of Music

Haydn was no Handel, either as man or artist. Handel declined the Doctor
of Music degree with the characteristic remark: "What the devil I throw
my money away for that the blockhead wish?" Haydn did not decline it,
though probably enough he rated the distinction no higher than Handel
did. In the month of July he went down to the Oxford Commemoration, and
w