Music and Some Highly Musical People Part 23

As may perhaps be inferred from the comments heretofore given, Mr.

Jamieson, as a pianist, is noticeable for the clearness of his touch, the brilliancy of his style, and the thoroughness of his execution,--not failing to exhibit these pleasing qualities even when playing the most rapid pa.s.sages,--while he ever shows a full and ready sympathy with the spirit and aims of the composer.

His remarkable proficiency as a pianist, and the private and public attention which the same has drawn to him, has secured him, from time to time, many pupils and as a teacher he has been quite successful.

If the doctrine of "heredity" be true, Mr. Jamieson may trace his possession of musical talent to his grandfather, who attracted much attention as a musician.

But there is no easy road to proficiency and eminence in the musical art; nor is there one in any other. Art is a right royal and exacting mistress; and he who would be numbered among the favored attendants at her court must fairly win the distinction by that devoted, undivided loyalty which is ever accompanied by the severest study, the most self-denying application. It cannot be denied, of course, that the possessor of genius or of talent may succeed far more easily than he who is without such powerful aid; but it is also true, that those who by their works present examples of great achievement in the science of music, and who cause us often to pause in utter amazement when reflecting upon the exceeding beauty, the magnitude and grandeur, of their creations, owed their brilliant success as much to indefatigable labor as to their great gifts of mind. Indeed, as has often been said, "_there is no excellence without great labor_."

So our young artist--of course I speak of him in this connection in a comparative sense--owes his present high success not more to his possession of rich natural talents than to the tireless zeal with which he has cultivated the same.

Possessing naturally a loftiness of spirit, and with a just conception of his powers; having full faith in and trusting himself; not unmindful of, nor unduly elated by, the many commendations he has received from critical judges touching his musical abilities; wearing easily all the attentions and honors he so constantly wins, and quickly noting and acting upon any suggestions of errors in his performances; at all times a conscientious, a zealous student, impelled by a deep and enthusiastic love for the art of music, and never satisfied unless working amidst its higher forms,--possessing, as Mr. Jamieson does, these rare and valuable characteristics, and being withal still quite young, it is but reasonable to believe that he will ere long attain to the highest distinction, and be ranked with the very first pianists of the time in either the New or the Old World.

XVI.

THE VIOLIN.[13]

[Footnote 13: The writer considers it proper to precede the sketch of the virtuoso, Joseph White, by a brief account of that wonderful instrument to which the latter has given his chief study, and in the playing of which he has become in at least four countries so deservedly famous.]

"Thou mystic thing, all-beautiful! What mind Conceived thee, what intelligence began, And out of chaos thy rare shape designed, Thou delicate and perfect work of man?"

_"The Violin:" Harper's Magazine._

The violin, so often called the "king of instruments," is of great antiquity. As to just when it was invented is a point as yet unsettled, despite the indefatigable researches of historians of music and of general antiquaries. The instrument certainly existed, however, as early as the sixth century; this being proven generally by the figures of violins observable on very ancient and respectable monuments still existing, and particularly by a figure cut in the portico of the venerable Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, founded by Childebert in the sixth century, which figure represents King Chilperic with a violin in his hand.

It being thus used in a representative character shows, too, that it has for many hundreds of years been a favorite instrument. Of that ancient guild of musicians, the troubadours,--so long the princ.i.p.al devotees and custodians of the divine art,--those were most esteemed by royalty and the general public who were the best violists.

In the construction of most musical instruments, improvements have been constantly made up to the present time. This is particularly true of the piano-forte; the handsome form, and the purity and beauty of tone, observable in a lately-made "Chickering" or "Steinway,"

rendering them so much superior to a piano of the olden times, as to barely admit of the latter's being called by the same name. But this is not true of the violin, inasmuch as a long time has elapsed since any change has been made in its construction that would add to its delicate, graceful form, to its nicety, sweetness, and purity of tone, or general musical capacity. To-day a Cremona, or an Amati, as well as violins of other celebrated makers of the long past, commands almost fabulous prices. A Cremona very lately sold for four thousand dollars; while such instruments as I have mentioned, when in the possession of a soloist, are scarcely to be purchased at any price.

Up to the times of the celebrated violin-virtuoso, Paganini, there had not been, it would seem, much improvement made in performance upon this instrument. He startled and electrified the musical world, and in his wonderful playing developed and amplified such resources and effects, both as to instrument and performer, as were not, previously to his coming, thought possible. After him, and to be compared with him, have come Vieuxtemps, Ole Bull, Wieniawski, and Joseph White. The latter, although not as yet so well known as the others (he is only a little over thirty years of age), is considered by competent critics to be fully ent.i.tled to rank with them.

But these are "bright particular stars," men of genius. The instrument is so difficult of mastery, that few violin-students may hope to equal such marvellous players as those mentioned; although long-continued and severe application may make them good orchestral performers or fair soloists.

The violin is said to be the "king of instruments;" but, by this, reference is made to those powers and extensive resources of expression that are made manifest when the instrument is subject to the brain and hand of the very skilful performer.

At such a time it is made to sing a song, which, readily awakening the sympathies of the soul, causes the listener to recognize and feel the effects of the intonations of pathos, of pa.s.sion, of deepest melancholy, or those of lightsomeness and wildest joy.

Indeed, this n.o.ble instrument, under the deft fingering and skilful bowing of a master-player, becomes almost sentient, and is shown to possess the superior and exclusive power of expressing nearly all the human voice can produce except the articulation of words. A music-teacher once wrote that "the art of playing on the violin requires the nicest perception and the most sense of any art in the known world;" and many there are who will agree with him.

The purity, the sweetness, of its tones,--to produce which calls into exercise the most delicate faculties of the mind,--and the power of these tones to awaken in the heart the most tender feelings, to lead the performer at times into delightful imaginations, into pleasing, restful reveries,--it is the possession of such charming qualities as these that has rendered the violin at all times the favorite companion of the leisure moments of men eminent in the walks of literature, of princes, and other persons of taste and refinement. Some among those first mentioned have excelled as violin-performers, notwithstanding their other occupations.

Girardini, when asked how long it would take to learn to play the violin, replied, "Twelve hours a day for twenty years." Another thus intimates how long and arduous must be the toil before its mastery can be acquired:--

"The difficulty of thoroughly mastering the violin--the difficulty, that is, of combining perfect execution with brilliancy of tone and perfect expression--is so vast, that nothing short of indomitable patience and perseverance, united with those indispensable faculties which all good players must possess, will succeed in overcoming them.

'Twelve years' practice,' says a musical critic, 'on the violin, will produce about as much proficiency as one year's practice on the piano.' If that is so, we may well imagine that a man, who by dint of perseverance has at length qualified himself to take his place in an orchestra, may content himself by merely maintaining his acquired skill, without attempting to rival the great heads of the profession.

"The time which some students will devote to fiddling is almost incredible. We have known a clever man to practise every waking hour in the day, rising early and sitting up late, and sparing hardly one hour in the twenty-four for meals, for two years together, in the hope of qualifying himself for the leaders.h.i.+p in a provincial orchestra; which, after all, he failed in doing. We have known men who fiddled in bed when they could not sleep, rather than waste the time; and others who have carried a dumb finger-board in their pockets, in order to practise the fingering of difficult pa.s.sages while walking abroad or travelling by coach."

It is, however, far from the purpose of the writer to discourage those who may wish to become proficient as performers on this delightful instrument, or to do otherwise than attempt to increase the number of those, who, having carefully listened to master-players, and having thus learned of the wonderful intonations and of the great refinement of musical expression of which the violin is capable, have resolved to become far more than mere "fiddlers;" and are therefore conscientiously and patiently addressing themselves to an endeavor to overcome its difficulties, and to take rank as real violinists. To many of this number a good if not a perfect degree of success must come, as it ever surely comes to the earnest, persevering student of any art.

To all such, then, the writer tenders his best wishes; while he earnestly commends the above examples to all who may have a desire to learn to develop the beautiful harmonic mysteries of this expressive, soulful instrument.

XVII.

JOSEPH WHITE,

THE EMINENT VIOLINIST AND COMPOSER.

"Across my hands thou liest mute and still: Thou wilt not breathe to me thy secret fine; Thy matchless tones the eager air shall thrill To no entreaty or command of mine.

But comes thy master: lo! thou yieldest all,-- Pa.s.sion and pathos, rapture and despair: To the soul's needs thy searching voice doth call In language exquisite beyond compare."

_"The Violin:" Harper's Magazine._

Mr. Joseph White[14] is a child of the New World. He was born in Matanzas, Cuba. His first steps in art were made in his native town.

[Footnote 14: By permission of Mr. White, I quote now, and to some extent shall do so hereafter, from his Biography, published in Paris in 1874 by Paul Dupont. For the excellent translation used I am much indebted to my friend Mr. Joseph W. Hendricks of Boston.]

His father, an amateur in music, thought he had recognized from the early infancy of the great artist a more than ordinary taste for art.

When the child heard the tones of a violin, he used to leave off play, and run in the direction where the instrument was singing, his eyes never losing sight of the virtuoso. Indeed, by his actions at such times, he seemed not to belong to this world.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOSEPH WHITE.]

As soon as his hands were large enough to hold a violin, they gave him one; and were much astonished, when, at the end of a few months, he presented himself before a large audience, striking the same with amazement by the manner, entirely magisterial, in which he so early attacked the instrument.

He continued his studies until the year 1855, when, at the suggestion of the famous Gottschalk, who had noticed the signs of genius in the young man, he started for Paris, the city of wonders, and centre of attraction for all aspirations.

He came then, this young virtuoso, and presented himself at the Conservatoire, asking to enter as a pupil. After going through a brilliant examination, and after fighting against more than sixty rivals, he was received with unanimity.

In July, 1856, one year from the time of his entering the Conservatoire, White won all the "approbations," and wreaths and laurels were given him.

But we will let the newspapers of the time speak; for our own pen will be powerless to give an account of the successes of the eminent artist. The "Gazette Musicale" of the 3d of August, 1856, speaks thus:--

... "We will say as much of the pupil who has won the first prize for violin, and who came the last in the list of concurrents. The Viotti Concerto had already been played nineteen times; and, notwithstanding the great beauties of this cla.s.sic work, the jury began to listen to it with but a dreamy ear. Mr. White appeared the twentieth. He belongs to a race whose complexion is more of a copper-color, with black and frizzled hair. He carries the head high, and his look is proud and intrepid. He approaches the eternal concerto, and it instantly becomes an entirely new creation.

"The jury listened to it with as much pleasure as if they heard it for the first time; and scarcely had Mr. White finished this piece when the jury retired to vote, proclaiming him the victor.

"Mr. White is eighteen years and a few months old. Since a year ago he has been in the Conservatoire, and studies in Alard's cla.s.s.

"But where has he taken his first lessons? How did this son of America become the equal of the greatest violinists known in Europe? That is what we do not know, and what we ask to know for the honor of the American school, of which Mr.

White is a splendid example."