THE BOYHOOD OF HANDEL

About two hundred and thirty-five years ago George Frederick Handel was born in a city named Halle. Strangely enough, another baby boy named Johann Bach, who was to become as famous as George Frederick, was born in the very same year.

Handel showed his love for music when only a baby. He would listen with delight when the church bells rang, and he crowed with joy when he heard songs called "chorales" sung in the church towers on festival days. He tried to play tunes on toy trumpets and whistles, and when just a little boy organized his playmates into an orchestra. George's father disapproved of this, because he wanted his son to be a lawyer, so he took the toy instruments away. He wouldn't even allow any music in his house, and he took George out of school so that he would not be taught music.

Now, George had a kind aunt who sympathized with his love for music. So she helped him smuggle an old

harpsichord into the attic. Late at night, after everyone had gone to bed, little George would slip out of bed, climb to the attic, and play softly on his beloved harpsichord. One night the family discovered his secret, and many years later an artist painted the beautiful picture, which tells how the little white-clad boy was surprised as he played beautiful music late in the night.

One day George's father had to go to the Court of the Duke, and the little fellow begged to be allowed to go, too. But his father wouldn't take him. So George ran after the carriage, and when his father discovered him running along all covered with dust, he felt sorry for him, and took him into the carriage.

When they reached the court, George wandered into the chapel, where he saw a fine, big organ. He coaxed the organ-blower to let him play. The Duke happened to hear the music as he was strolling in the garden. He was delighted; so he gave George some money, and advised his father to have him trained to be a great musician.

After Handel returned home, he took lessons from the cathedral organist. The boy progressed so very fast that soon his teacher said that his pupil knew more than he did.

Soon George's father died. George then went to the big city of Hamburg, where he played in a theatre orchestra. By this time he was a young man, tall, stout, and dignified, with a pleasant smile when in good humor. But Handel, like some little boys to-day, sometimes had a very bad temper.

Later Handel, who was now recognized as one of the world's greatest musicians, went to England, where he delighted the King by composing some very beautiful music, which, because the King first heard it as he was riding in a boat on the river, was called "The Water Music."

THE BOYHOOD OF MOZART

Over a hundred and fifty

years ago a boy was born who, even while he was yet only a very little lad, was to become one of the world's very greatest musicians. The boy's name was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. His father was himself a musician, one of the kindest and most loving of fathers, and he was very good to little Wolfgang and his sister, Anna, whom her brother affectionately called "Nannerl." Never were two children happier.

While Wolfgang was still a very little boy, a dear friend

of his father's, named Schachtner, used to come often to visit the happy family, bringing with him his trumpet, which made little Mozart dance for joy, because the big man played the most delightful games to music. How Wolfgang loved the big, jolly playmate! He would say to him again and again, "Dost thou love me, Herr Schachtner?" And he, with a roguish twinkle in his eye, would tease the little boy by answering, "No, I love thee not."

When Mozart was three years old, his father began to teach Nannerl to play the piano. (The word piano is substituted for harpsichord.) Then his great delight was to stand by the piano and pick out "thirds" for himself.

Father Mozart was amazed and delighted; so he soon began to give Wolfgang lessons, too. He learned so fast that very soon he was able to play a minuet after practicing it only half an hour; and when he was five years old, he began to compose music himself.

One day Father Mozart found his little son writing away very busily indeed. Noticing that he was making some big blots on the paper, the elder Mozart asked the boy what he was writing. "I am writing a concerto; it is nearly finished," said the wonderful boy.

When Wolfgang was six, his father decided to take Nannerl and her brother to the great city of Munich and have them play together before the king. The king and all who heard the children play were astonished and delighted, and good Father Mozart was so pleased at the success of his children, especially the little boy, that he decided to take them to Vienna, where the Emperor and Empress lived. The kindly Empress Maria Theresa ordered that the children should come to the palace and play for her.

Now, most boys and girls would be frightened if asked to play for a great empress in a wonderful palace. But little Wolfgang didn't know what shyness meant. When he saw the Empress, he went to her and put up his sweet face to be kissed, and then sat on her knee as if he were her own little boy. Then he asked for Mr. Wagenseil, who was a famous composer of music, and when he came, the little Mozart said to him, "Sir, I am going to play one of your concertos. You must turn over the pages for me." And the wonderful boy played the difficult music perfectly! Then an amusing thing happened. When Wolfgang went to receive the thanks of the Empress, he slipped and fell on the glassy floor. The little Princess Marie Antoi

nette, a pretty little girl just his own age, very kindly helped him to his feet, and the little boy said to her, "You are good; I will marry you."

When Mozart went home from Vienna, he carried with him as a present a violin, of which he was very proud indeed. Soon a famous violin player came to make the family a visit, and, to the amazement of all, the wonderful boy asked permission to play his violin with his father and the famous violinist. Father Mozart never supposed for a minute that little Wolfgang could play the difficult music on the violin. Imagine his surprise and delight when the marvelous boy played his part without a single mistake!

Such a sunny-tempered, happy boy he was! And what jolly times the boy and his ever-kind father had together! They had such fun playing games, always to music. Every night before Wolfgang went to bed, he and his father sang a little duet of nonsense rhymes. And that was only one of the amusing things they did to music.

When Mozart was still but a little boy, he learned to play a great church organ, and the good organist was so amazed at the boy's playing that he wrote on the organ Mozart's name as a remembrance of this "wonder god."

Wolfgang and Nannerl visited many other great cities where they played so wonderfully in public that people couldn't do enough to honor them. But they weren't spoiled a bit, which shows what very good children they were.

By the time Mozart was ten years old, people considered him the greatest musician in the world. Before he died, while still only a young man, he composed some of the most beautiful music that man ever made, music which boy and girls love to hear again and again as long as they live.

NOTE-For boyhood of Stradivarius, see Pan and His Pipes: "The Violin Makers of Cremona," pages 49 to 53.