Went to Furtwängler's concert. He is enjoying the most tremendous success here. I was interested to hear what a German would make of a piece like Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony: it was a little restrained and all the passagework played with punctilious accuracy. Although I was not acquainted with him personally, I decided to go round after the concert and shake his hand - after all, plenty of conductors I don't know have done the same to me! Furtwängler asked how I had found the Sixth Symphony. I told him: 'Very interesting, a little too classical.' In an offended tone of voice, Furtwängler asked, 'What do you mean by too classical?' I started to explain to him, but stumbled with my German. Just then various ladies came up to him and occupied his attention to such an extent that I took my leave and departed, with a sense of having gone in intending to shake his hand but having in fact said something disagreeable.