New-York daily tribune., 1843-11-25
Ole Bull.

The following account of the great Violinist
recently arrived IN this country originated, we be
lleve, in Boston journal. There Is no doubt
that Its subject is, since the death OF Paganini,
the greatest living performer on his instrument.
As the public are very properly anxious to
know all about the past career Of such success
1ul candidate for their favor We present the fol-
lowing biographical sketch, compiled from au-
thentic sources. Ole Bull is native of Norway,
and was intended by his parents for the service
Of the church. a passionate love of music had,
however. possessed him from his infancy, and
the violin engrossed all the study and thought
which the paternal wish desired to be directed to
ecclesiastical lore. 1t was his friend, his constant
companion, the central object Of hls attachment.
At SIX years old he would repeat on little COM
mon fiddle bought at fair, all the airs which he
had heard sung around him. or played IN the street,
and two years afterwards, he had astonlshed
society Of professional men, by playing at sight
the first violin part in a quartette OF Pleyel's,
though he had never taken lesson IN music, but
had found out his way entirely alone.
In his twentieth year Ole Bull, with very
slender purse left his home and set out for Paris,
which he reached at the period when the cholera
was raging in all its fury. Frendless and patron
less ne comes W Ue ucdTi AT dllV Ot!icI
moment his talents must have forced public at
tention in his behalf but in those days of desola-
ton there was indeed every reason to despair.
One day, in returning to the miserable apartment
he occupied in an obscure lodging house, he found
that the trunk in which his last slender means
were contained, had disappeared. He turned his
eyes to the spot where he had placed his violin
it was gone This climax of disaster was too
IA aptb ct u-b0
about for three days in the streets Of Paris, prey
to want and despair, and then threw himself into
the Seine The hand of some humane person
rescued him from his situation. His next en-
counter seemed like another special interpostion
of Providence for he became the object of be-
nevolent attention to mother who had Just lost
her son through the cholera, and who found IN
the young stranger SO remarkable resemblance
to him, that she received him into her house, and
though possessed but of moderate means herself,
furnished relief to his necessities. The cholera iii
the meantime ceased its ravages, and Paris as
sumed its habitual aspect. Supplied with bread
and an asylum, and soon afterwards with the
loan of violin, Ole Bull was again enabled to
gratify his devotion for music. BY degrees ms
fame BEGAN to be heard and he arrived at some
small reputation Thus encouraged, he ventured
the experiment of Concert; and fortune smiled
on him for the first time, for he gained l2UU
francs-a large sum, considering the position IN
which he then was With the means thus &C
ouired he set out for Switzerland, and from thence
travelled into Italy. At Bologna, where his first
great manifestation appears to have been made,
accident accomplished his Introduction to the
public Full of painful emotion he sat down
with the resolution to compose something; and 1t
was partly amidst flow Of obtrusive tears that
his purpose was fulfilled. Taking up his instru-
ment. he then proceeded to try the effect of the
ideas he had Just called into life. At.that mo-
ment, 1t chanced that Madame Rossinl was pass
ing by the house in which his humble apartment
was situated. The impression made on her was
such that she spoke in emphatic terms upon 1t to
the director of Philharmonic Society, who was
in critical prcdcament, owing to some failure
in a promise which had been made him bv
De Beriot and the syrcn Mallbran. Madame
Rossini's piece ofintegcnce was burst OF hight
to the " Manager in Distress !" he had found his
man. The artist was induced to play before the
dettanti Of Bologna and his success was COM
plcte At Lucea, Florence, Milan, Rome and
Venice the impression he made was yet greater
and more decisive. On each occasion he was
recalled several times by the audience, and al
ways hailed with the utmost enthusiasm. AT
N
summoned back by the public no less than nine
times-thrice after the performance OF his first
piece, and six times at the end OF the second. 1t
was perfect fuuore Our Norwegian artist now
revisited Paris, under happier auspices We'll
coined and introduced with eager kindness to the
COMPOSER of {" Robert lie Diable, he was several
times listened to with delight on the stage OF the
Opera, and obtained the greatest success that had
been known since the display made by Pagannl.
The first impulse given to the genius OF this
artist was the result of hearing his great prede-
cessor, having effected his admission to the So
loon of the French Opera, by selling his last
shirt, so low at that time were his finances.
Every one was exclaiming that nothing could
transcend the efforts of the great Italian. Ole
Bull retired in thoughtful mood, and this Idea
never forsook him until at Trieste he threw hum
self boldly on the resources OF his own genus
and thus completely freed himself from the risk
of servile imitation.
The style of this performer Is bold, lmpassloned,
and impulsve Ole Bull, incredible as 1t may
appear, practices but little, very limited apPh-
cation of the hands being required to carry out
his conceptions. He possesses much OF tnat
modesty which always characteristics true genus
and has no knowledge of any of those tricks on
which SO many of his professional brethren de-
pend in their struggle for popularity and d!s-
tinction There can be no doubt that III ms
country he will add greatly to his laurels.
WONDERS OF TBE HEAVENS.
WONDERS OF THE HEAVENS.-Belns
w popular Of Astronomy, including full liiuE&e
non of the mechanism of the Heavens embracing TIE ~ ~
MOON and STARS, with descriptions ol ti,e
CnurTs EtyrD ST,Rs DoCBLE STARS, The toNsIE