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George Thomson engaged at one time or other the services of
Beethoven, Pleyel, Weber, Hummel, Bishop and Kozeluch. But Haydn
was his first love. A genius of the kind, he writes in 1811
"never before existed and probably never will be surpassed." He
is "the inimitable Haydn," the "delectable," the "father of us
all," and so on. On the other hand, Haydn was proud of what he
did for Thomson. "I boast of this work," he said, "and by it I
flatter myself my name will live in Scotland many years after my
death." Nay, if we may trust an authority cited by Thomson, so
highly did he think of "the symphonies and accompaniments which
he composed for my melodies as to have the original score of each
framed and hung all over the walls of his bedroom." Little wonder
that Thomson "loved the dear old man" and regretted that his
worldly circumstances did not allow him to erect a statue to the
composer at his own expense!
We have called this writing of symphonies and accompaniments for
George Thomson a novel undertaking. It was, however, only novel
in the sense of being rather out of Haydn's special "line." He
had already been employed on work of the kind for the collection
of William Napier, to which he contributed the accompaniments of
150 songs. Later on, too (in 1802-1803), he harmonized and wrote
accompaniments for sixty-five airs, for which he received 500
florins from Whyte of Edinburgh. The extent of his labours for
George Thomson we shall now proceed to show.
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