The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-01-14
OLE BULL IN ROCK ISLAND.


The concert given by this King among
violinists, and noble true-hearted gentleman,
and the other artists connected with him, at
Darts Hal, last evening drew out a large and
highly select audience, including many of
the first people of Moline. 1t is now twenty,
five years since Ole Bull made his first bow
to an American public, at the old Park
theatre, in New York, and eleven years since
he delighted large audience at the baptist
church in this city. 1t seems unnecessary
to say that he has grown old since he last
appeared here, and people would very
naturally say that with age must come a
lack of ability for difficult execution yet, to
our Impractical eye, his form is as erect, his
style as fresh, his manners as graceful, his
melodies as beautiful and his combinations
as grand as ever. Time seems to have dealt
kindly with him, maturing his rare genius
and ripening his powers to their fullest per-
lection.
Many people suppose that Ole Bull died
some years ago,and several asked US, before his
arrival here, if we believed it was really Ole
Bull who was coming, or some pretender-
This idea comes from q rumor current in
this country, few years ago, land several
prominent papers gave authenticity to the
reportl that he had mysteriously arrived in
this country and died soon after his landing,
at Quebec. The press, everywhere, gave
him generous obituaries, and the public
mourned his loss with sincere regret:
''But on the very day of his supposed DEATH 4"
(says Watson's Journal of Health,) "he was per
forming one of those noble deeds of charity which
have endeared him to the hearts of all who knew
him. He had been giving concerts in Moscow
when it came to his ears that the poor students
had placed themselves under the ban of the Rus
sian government, in consequence of one of their
number having made an attempt upon the life of
the Emperor; they had also revolted but were
anxious to seek forgiveness. Ole Bull, in the
largeness of his heart, rendered the students a
concert for the benefit of their poorer brethern-
But in order to do so, it necessary to obtain
the consent of the general director of all the In
perlal theatres, who was at St. Petersburg Ole
Bull telegraphed, and obtained his consent. He
composed a national piece rminating with the
national hymn in which over two hundred of the
students and large orchestra assisted Ole BuIl
playing the variations.
before commencing the HYMN the committee
OF students stepped forward the front of the or
chestra and presented him with a music stand of
solid silver, upon which they placed the score of
the music composed in their honor.
after the concert over, the students some
i've hundred in number, with Ole Bull at their
head, marched through the streets to the govern
ors residence, singing the hymn composed for
the occasion, and also the Russian national melo-
dies. upon arriving at the governors residence,
who, upon being presented with the petition of
the students, asking TO be restored to the good
Will OF the Emperor, and promising to be true
and loyal, shed tears of sympathy and stated
that he had no doubt when he presented it to the
Emperor. and informed him of the occasion. that
he would be alike affected, and would grant a
ukase giving back all the privileges that thew
had been deprived of. The Emperor did all that
the governor promised, and, in addition gave
the students the privilege during the season of
Lent OF giving concerts for their own especial
benefit"
No one who does not remember Paganini
or has not heard Ole Bull can for moment
imagine the witchery of sweet sounds which
he can produce on the violin. He is a wiz
ard, and holds his audience at his will
thrills them with feelings too deep for utter
ance,and gives to mere vibrations of the air a
soul and a meaning. And while he bewitches
US with the splendid imagery, impassioned
tenderness, or majestic fervor and beauty of
his strains, he attracts no less by the child
like simplicity of great and noble soul, and
personal magnetism that charms all alike.
A correspondent of Chicago paper writes
of him as follows:
"My last recollection of Farwel Hall is con-
nected with a tall, graceful, sweet-faced old man
his head lovingly bending a violin that old
Stradivarius made centuries ago, his ewes closed
TRANSPORTED in vision of music, until he seemed
to me to wear the face that Beethoven the Mas
ter, might have worn. In his hands the dull
WOOD was again in life. 1t part of an or
ganlsm, and it told the old Of the rustic of
leaves In the summer gales of the songs of the
IN the branches of the brawlng waters of tho
tnat molstened the roots of the rude winds
.na sote the tree on Italian hills of the star that
looked ooWn upon it in delicious Italian nights
Oh tne vernai thrill, the summer glow the autumn
nal decay, and the wintry death in I;fa~the
great miracle which Nature perform. fo- me- $50,
year; and the old man interpreted II in ha;.h'
ing strains to some who gave themselves nm 10 th
spell and were drawn nearer together bv the sym
pathy which music produces, to some who hoara
the sound and not the soul, and to somo -
heard neither, in the sound of their own small
gabble." snaii
Those people among the audience at
Darts Hall, last evening, who have nerves.
viii appreciate the beauty and truthfulness
of the picture.
There was less enthusiasm in the audi.