Anecdote with Goethe

[chopithoven]

I read the following anecdote in a site but it doesn't seem to be believable, so please somebody verify it (if it is true, what a sense of humor the Master had!):

During a walk with Beethoven at Carlsbad, Goethe was bored by the repeated salutations of the people he met, and he mentioned his annoyance to Beethoven, who said: "Do not trouble yourself - I expect they are for me!"

(This is extraordinary)

[Peter]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
I read the following anecdote in a site but it doesn't seem to be believable, so please somebody verify it (if it is true, what a sense of humor the Master had!):

During a walk with Beethoven at Carlsbad, Goethe was bored by the repeated salutations of the people he met, and he mentioned his annoyance to Beethoven, who said: "Do not trouble yourself - I expect they are for me!"

(This is extraordinary)

Sounds very Beethovian - there is another anecdote of the two men strolling and Beethoven being incensed at Goethe's deference to the nobility - there is a sketch of this event with Beethoven walking proudly on as Goethe reverently bows to some aristocrat.

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'Man know thyself'

[chopithoven]

Originally posted by Peter:
Sounds very Beethovian - there is another anecdote of the two men strolling and Beethoven being incensed at Goethe's deference to the nobility - there is a sketch of this event with Beethoven walking proudly on as Goethe reverently bows to some aristocrat.

Anyway, Beethoven used to give these extraordinary answers, right?

[Peter]

Originally posted by chopithoven:
Anyway, Beethoven used to give these extraordinary answers, right?

Well perhaps the most famous is his rebuff to Lichnowsky - "Prince! what you are,you are by circumstance and by birth. What I am, I am through myself. Of Princes there have been and will be thousands. Of Beethovens there is only one.." - see the Anecdotes page on this site for more examples of Beethoven's character.

www.kingsbarn.freeserve.co.uk/anecdotes.htm

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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Joy[QUOTE]Originally posted by Peter:
[B] Well perhaps the most famous is his rebuff to Lichnowsky - "Prince! what you are,you are by circumstance and by birth. What I am, I am through myself. Of Princes there have been and will be thousands. Of Beethovens there is only one.."

That is a great quote! One of my favourites of his.