Gratitude …

… About Last Night | TT: Lucky man. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

In a piece I wrote about Haydn for Commentary back in 2005, I quoted the following statement that has been attributed to the composer:

Often when contending with obstacles of every sort that interfered with my work… a secret feeling within me whispered: “There are but few contented and happy men here below; grief and care prevail everywhere; perhaps your labors may one day be the source from which the weary and worn, or the man burdened with affairs, may derive a few moments’ rest and refreshment.” What a powerful motive for pressing onward! 

And what an equally powerful motive for seeking to make optimistic art.