The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-09-20


"Criticism as is a Criticism"
The Staff was always pro-eminent in
its musical criticisms. It's notice of the
advent Of Leopold De Meyer, the pian-
ist "Thunderer," " under the nom dc pltute
of "Herr Smash" was a very striking
piece of strong writing. He gave a con
cert in Bunkum, where his "Grand Pia-
no" was secured to the floor by traverse
timbers, and a sidelong piece Of iron:
"Herr Smash soon entered with a
bust of unanimous applause, His APP
pearance was eccentric. A bushy head
like a bushel, and a smear of nous
taches on his upper lip, otherwise a frock
coat and sundrios He also carried a
cumbric handkerchief perfumed with
musk. We smelt it, He took his po-
sition, planting himself firm, while two
upholsterers tackled his coat tails with
little brass studs, also secured his body
with ropes His audience were by this
time at the highest point of the hee UceUe,
and time they was. He took off his
gloves, hurled his eyes all around the
theater, looked grim, held his wrists
about three feet above the key board,
letting the ends of his fingers hang
down, his hair stood right up, and VIC
knew that eminent jeopardy was a COM
ing. SO he held them, for three min
utes, while all the whole audience was
nigh out of breath, and while they was
SO, down he came with his ten finger
nails. After this he looked round with
a smile, and the enthusiasm of the au-
dience, unable to hold out any longer,
broke through all bounds. Before this
was over he lifted up his fingers and
down he came again, insomuch that the
brass plate Of the piano was wrenched
off, and one leg thrown pretty much
across the room, Unmindful of this,
he now began galloping with his fingers
from end to end of the instrument,
turning head over heels between a quiv-
er and a semi-quiver, and all right again
and on, before anybody could know that
there was any time lost. lie first play
cd Yankee Doodle, out of compliment
smothering it UP with the blanket of or.
nament, and so tucking it in, that when
the poor Yankee did peep out with his
face we hardly knowed it. Says we to
ourselves, "Can this be Yankee Doodle
come to town, Yankee Doodle dandy?
After this, however, unloosing his mu.
sical bark from the wharf of patriotism
he began to play the Battle of Prague
the Battle Of the Nile, Battle of tho
Pyramids, Battle Of Wagram, Battle of
Austerlitz, and Battle of Bunker Hill
all concentrated into, one grand june.
ton caunonade, which after the thirC
volley ripped off his coat tails, tore W
the brass nails, and threw the lid of the
piano clean across the room, while the
sensation of the audience was unmiti
gated in the extreme. Ladies waved
their handkerohiefs. and children at the
breast bawled aloud, while some of ou,
/ friends were so foolish as to bOo-hot
out Of mere enthusiasm. Just as you
think it all done, horns, fddles, Gym
balls, gong and kettle-drum, with a bang
bang, fiddle de fiddle de iddle, bang
bang, bang, fiddle de dun de iddle
bang, bang, bang, bang; then a slow
measured bang, BANG, BANG then a
it again with a fiddle de iddle de idol
de crashl crashl smashl and with that
legs, keys, iron, wire, sank down on tn.
floor in one mass of Heterogeneous
chaos, and Herr Smash. his hair on end
his coat tails ripped of, his eyes fash
ing FIRE, his mustaches looking thunder
his fsts olenched, his mouth fOamiag
ran right off the stage"