Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1849-07-26


land. She remembered the day when Mr.
Strakosch gave her place in his concerts, n
Copenhagen, and Sc gave SIakosch a fa
chance in London.
OF his career in this country-ofthc furo'
he created in his great concerts in New York,
Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and this
city-wc need not speak, as they are sufi-
ciently k own TO our musical commurty.
The foregoing are yearly all the facts oi
his public life which w can gather. Of his
private life we know nothing. We suppose
1t is made up OF The ordinary c7mplcatlon OF
love scrapes, duels and extrava-' anres to be
expected from one so young, SD handsome, OF
su h ardent temp 'rament, who has leaped so
suddenly to the pinnacle of artistic eminencc,
and ul on which money flows in such an IN
failing stream. His person is athletic. His
move ments are rapid. Ard he is above mid
die height. His brain is of considerable vol
ume and OF much greater altitude than dame
ter His temperament is calculated for i'm
mense exertions. His arms like those Of all
great performers on the piano or violin, are
large and exceedingly muscular.
In his manners he is gentleman and
there he has the advantage Of most great ar
lists we have CHARGED TO meet 1t is general
ly the case that these men have had to work
their way up from the very depths of Euro
pean poverty. Hence they seldom possess
that polished amenity and repose which is
given by childhood and youth among educated
and polished people. He speaks with much
correctness no less than eght modern lam
guages ; and is extensively read in the liter.
ature Of France, Germany and England.
Asa pianist, there are but two other per-
sons in tn, world who are at all ranked with
Sirakosch One is Listz, the other Thai
berg. We have heard neither of these ;;
therefore we can institute no comparison be-
tween him and Il en- The only very grea
piansts besides Strakosch whom we have
heard, are De Meyer and Herr. lie is inn
measurably above the last in everything g-ev
en- in bril- fancy OF touch the peculiar merit Of
Herr. Regarding De Meyer, we have only
to say, that in force precision and mastery of
difficulties, Strakosch Is, at the very least his
equal ;--while De Never exhibited in the
pieces we heard him play, moi a particle of
his varied faculty, his imagination, or his
grace.
The peculiari:ies of Strakosch, the idiosyn-
cracies which distinguish hm from all other
musicians, aIe to he looked for in the magin.
alive, the poetic, the ideal portion of his per
formance. There is richness, a luxurious
glory, a rejoiceful power in his composition
which is more like Ro'sini than any body
else but which is still distinct from him too. !
1t is matter Of common remark, that great
music recalls TO us the diverse prospects of
nature. Some musicians recall the terrible, !
the grand objects, most frequently, the storm
the cataract the fire Others bring more fre
quen.ly. and with more gus,o, the beautiful
others the gorgeous and the splendid. In
these we are TO look for the Characteristic |
ido'yncracy of the musicians. While listen
ing 10 :trakosch, the nunsct glories which
burn upon homcward path at evening, and |
The organ notes Of the pine-forest through |
which it passes, are the phantoms mos, fre
luently copjured from momory's cavern.
1t is the combination of harmcnes on a pi \
lno, and in the Instrumentation of an orchcs II
TIA, that the musician exhibits his learning
md his intellectual ingenuity ; but it is in the
creation ofmeodes, that the unde6nable fac
lty which men agree to call genius, is TO be
ooked for. This we believe to be the true
doctrine of musical metaphysics. And tried Il
'y ii, Strakosch is immea:urably beyond ev.
cry other man we ever heard on any ins,Iu
nent whatever. The full. rich melody bursts
orth everywhere. The creative Imagination
inges all. Through the most Intricate har
monies it pouro clear and distinct, like bars of
nshlne through the shutters of close
oom, turning every note to gold, and filling
he heart with good cheer. Il