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Not the full version, but it’ll have to do:

Beethoven’s Kiss

Andor Foldes wrote of his first praise as a pianist at the age of sixteen, during a “time of personal crisis” with his music teacher.

“Then the renowned pianist Emil von Sauer, Liszt’s last surviving pupil, came to Budapest and asked me to play for him. He listened intently to Bach’s toccata in C major and requested more. I put all my heart into playing Beethoven’s “Pathetique” sonata and continued with Schumann’s “Papillons.” Finally, von Sauer rose and kissed me on the forehead. “My son,” he said, “when I was your age I became a student of Liszt. He kissed me on the forehead after my first lesson, saying, ‘Take good care of this kiss — it comes from Beethoven, who gave it to me after hearing me play.’ I have waited for years to pass on this sacred heritage, but now I feel you deserve it.”


22 posted on 10/21/2011 5:45:41 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (It's never a bad time to FReep this link -- https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Beautiful. Never heard this story before. Many thanks.


26 posted on 10/21/2011 6:31:41 PM PDT by oldsicilian
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