Von Bülow as a Political Speaker

Hans von Bülow couldn’t resist a microphone—even in an era without microphones. At recitals and orchestral concerts he loved to make speeches, and he didn’t always keep them strictly musical. Sometimes he ventured into politics, not always safely.

On one occasion he openly slighted the Emperor and voiced his disgust over the dismissal of Prince Bismarck, whom he deeply admired. Two years before his death Bülow made his final appearance as leader of the Philharmonic concerts in Berlin. The program ended with Beethoven’s “Heroic” Symphony.

After the performance, the eccentric conductor launched into a speech. He scolded Germans for lacking the spirit to raise a monument to Beethoven—so that Liszt, a Hungarian, had to take it on. He reminded everyone that the “Eroica” had originally been dedicated to Napoleon, and that Beethoven changed the dedication to an Austrian prince after Napoleon disappointed him.

Then came the punchline: if Beethoven were alive today, Bülow said, the dedication would go to the man who had done the greatest things for Germans—the “Beethoven of politics,” Prince Bismarck.

After praising Bismarck, Bülow pulled out his handkerchief, dusted his shoes with it, and walked off the stage—a pointed jab at the Emperor, who had recently dismissed Bismarck and publicly said that anyone who disliked his policy could shake the dust of Germany from his shoes and depart.