And what about Hastings?
He announced his retirement from public performance at the peak of his career. His retreat was not out of cowardice, but out of moderation. He wished to leave the applause to others and keep the silence for himself.
Mr. Talberg once confessed in a private conversation: "If it weren't for substituting Sir Arthur Hastings at the London Philharmonic Association back then, and if I hadn't witnessed him stepping down gracefully, I would never have understood what true grace is."
This remark might sound excessively flattering, but I am willing to believe in Talberg's sincerity.
Because Hastings was not only a mentor in music but a model in character.
I want to end this article with a good story.
I heard that Mr. Sindler, who serves as the music director in Cologne, was very angry because I criticized his white tie harshly in a quarterly report and claimed that his business card bore the words "Friend of Beethoven."
