Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-09-12
'rxdANiNi.,

y
The disposition of the critics on the fine arts |
to deal in vague and extrayagant descriptions
has never been more abundantly manifested,
than In the marvellous accounts of the perform
ances of Paganini Oh the violin. According to
these wonder-making gentlemen, the whole al.
fair Of his fiddle playing is very supernatural
sort of business. They say that he sets his au-
ditors laughing or crying, Just as he pleases;
that he initiates, at will, hall dozen other in
struments that he draws forth tones, wholly un-
like all other sounds, and most wonderfully con-
founding all known laws Of acoustics; that he
sometimes produces on one string more acute
tones by moving the hand towards the nut, and
graver ones, by shifting il towards the bridge;
that is, ON the same string, remaining al the
same degree of tension, that he makes more
acute sounds by lengtliening, and grdver ones
by shortening the vibratingportion of the string.
Certainly his playing is most admirable; but
the only wonderful things about it are the facts
that thousands Of gaping listeners have been
persuaded to believe in the ridiculous nonsense
which has been published Of him; and that he
has thus made vast deal more money out OF
the English aristocracy, than it they had posses
sed knowledge and taste in music, SUFFICIENT TO
appreciate those excellences which make nm
perhaps the finest vioinst in the world.
He comes out in front Of every object on the
stage to face the audience, without music, or
music stand about him; two things not in the
least needed by man who always plays his
own compositions which have generally been
studied for years. | was very much struck with
his manner Of holding the instrument, and with
his attitude, both OF which were singularly good,
instead of being at all grotesque or awkward,
according to the critics. The left elbow was
thrown well forward upon his chest, the neck OF
the violin inclining far to the left as to allow
the most unrestrained motion Of the bow arm,
which he threw about as freely as if riding
switch had been in his hand, in place OF vo-
lin bow.
AS to his playing, it is really so delightful,
that after hearing him, one can readily believe
him to be the first performer that has ever touch
ed the instrument, But there is not the slight
est mystery as to- the manner in which he pro
duces his effects He does not use one single
power of the instrument which has not been
heard in every civilized country. The differ
ence between other violinsts and himself lies
i'm the fact, that they have various degrees OF
command over some of the powers Of the in.
strumcnt, and BICYCLING execution in others;
whereas he has perfect command Ofall. What
ever can be done on the violin, he can do, and
do with the easiest and most finished execution,
guided in him by cultivated and extremely re-
fined taste.
His lingering is rapid and easy to the great.
est possible degree and always with surety and
perfectly true intonation; especially towards
the bridge, which he sometimes appears almost
TO touch There is, apparently, no difference
i'm the facility with which he fingers the chroma
tic and diotonic scales, whether in SUGGESTIONS
Of single or double notes. For example, he
played run Of chromatic thirds with great ra-
pdity, and swelled the passage. This was exc
cuted, beyond doubt, by fixing the position Of
two fingers for the chord, and then moving the
hand through the half tone intervals by nerv-
Gus skips, passages are often played in the
KEY of G, on the piano.
One Of the things which seemed to excite the
liveIiest admiration, in the fashionable portion
of the audience, was pretty long passage, in
which were heard alternately, one tone produc-
ed by the bow, and another by plucking the
spring with finger of the left hand. Many fd.
d!ers in Italy and Spain do this sort ofimitation
Of the dry guitar and violin answering each
other; but doubtless they do not execute 1t with
so much rapdity and elegance rs Paganni. Ii
is, to my taste, very little better than a trick;
and | am sure that even as it is performed by
him, one would soon becOm" tired of it.
or his brwing cHn say with an admirng
Musician that it is glorious. And by the way,
cannot help adding that | like the glory of a
fiddle bow great deal better than the swords
glory; which has not only covered The world
with human blood, and filled it with misery in
all ages but il has entaed upon man nearly
all the political and social evils under " hch he
now suffers. But to Signora Paganini. No
thing can exceed the clearness and liquid
smoOthness of the tones OF his violin from the
flowing bow; The volume Of sound erpetuay
swelling and diminishing. This flowing bow,
as il is called, or the drawing of the bow down
or up whrl, the fingers change upon the string,
is the simplest action in the art of playing; but
it is by it that the greatest performers produce
the very highest and tie most delightful effects
Of the violin. 1t is through the management
by the bow of the different degrees of intensity
and volume of tone, to use the language of mu
scans, that the soul of passage is expressed.
And il is in this more than in any thing else,
that Paganini's true excellence lies.
In the staccato passages, no grating is heard;
they are almost as clear and smooth as his sur-
red ones. There is very slight staccato, not
produced by detaching the bow from the
strings, but by kind of nervous jelting or
succession of distinct impulses, which is at
tempted by fddlers generally, in manner that
excites a very lively torment. Paganini makes
it definite, smooth and really beautiful. But he
employs every degree Of staccato from this to
that produced by almost throwing the bow at
the strings. He seldom resorts however, to
A, C,l,o etr,,