Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-05-26
QDbio SStatesu1arl.
VIOLIN PLAYING.
Ole Bull. his Predecessors. and a
History of the Art.

In view of the rumor that Ole Bull is
soon to begin new series of violin con-
certs in New York city, very graceful
writer in the Tribune gives critiqae on
that renowned master, in connection
with historical account of violin play
ing, and some of its most successful
devotees. We quote: .a,5.
HISTORY OF THE VIOLIN.
1t is curious circumstance that since
the invention of the present form of vio-
lin, about two hundred and fifty years
ago, the instrument has undergone no
Improvement. None of the changes
which successive makers have attempt
ed to introduce have proved of the least
value. The old are still the best, and
for once the general law of progress
seems to have been set aside. When
violins were first brought into
the concert room as substitutes
for the, old viol with frets, they
were ridiculed as mere toys,
incapable of ever producing effects equal
to those of the instruments they were
intended to supersede; yet in the course
of single generation the violin had not
only been recognized as the first and
most important of the components of the
orchestra, but had attained its fullest de-
velopment of form and tone. The in
struments manufactured during the first
half of the seventeenth century by the
Amati family at Cremona, and some
what later by their celebrated pupil An
thony Stradivarius, have never been ex-
celled, and there is no reason to suppose
that they ever will be.
But if the instrument has apparently
reached the limit of its perfectability,
violin playing has undergone continual
change and Improvement. When the
use of frets was discarded-a change
which it was predicted would prove IA
tai to accuracy, and render brilliant and
rapid performance impossible-the in
strument acquired new soul. 1t was
found that correctness ofintonation could
be insured as readily as before, while
execution became less mechanical, and
delicacy of touch and niceness of ear
acquired an Importance which they had
not previously possessed.
SOMETHING OF EMINENT vIoLINIsTs.
Corelli, who hourished at Rome about
the year 100, attained such repute by
his playing, and still more, perhaps, by
his compositions for the violin, that he
was recognized as the founder of a
school, now generally known as the an
cient, or sometimes as the Roman school.
His works have formed the basis Of
nearly all subsequent systems; yet he
was neither very profound musician
nor very brilliant executant. Melody
before his time had little spontaneity OF
grace, and it was because he gave il
delicacy and refinement, and approached
somewhat to the pure and simple beauty
of nature, that he had never become
wholly antiquated. Tartini of Padua
who came few years later, added tt
violin music the discovery of the curl
Gus phenomenon, since so much employed
in harmonic playing, of the resonance o
a third note when the two uppe
notes of a chord are sounded exactly
in tune. His system, in teaching whicl
he made great use of the writings o
Corelli, was famous throughout Europe
and as performer he was rivalled onl,
by Veracini. This latter artist was dis
tinguished for the energy of his toucl
and the power of his tones-qualities il
which Ole Bull is likewise eminent-bu
he received no pupils, and was rather
phenomenal player than the founder of
school. Forty years after Tartini cam
the Piedmontese Viotti, whose original
ity, freedom, rich Imagination. and re
fined taste marked long advance. III
taught for some years in Paris, and al
terward lived in London and variou
cities of the Continent, leaving mum
Der of excellent works which have al
ways retained popularity. The late
violinists, and, to some extent, perhap
Viotti also, indirectly owe great dea
to Haydn, who by the general rev
olution which he effected in Instruments
music, by the development of the strini
quartet, and the infusion of the inspira
tion of nature into the dry technicalitie
of the art, opened to the violin capabil
ties of which it had not been suspected
Under the instruction of Ballot at tn
| Paris Conservatoire, number of cele
brated players soon appeared, the mos
famous of whom is De Beroit, founde
of the Brussels school and professor a
the Conservatoire in that city. Hi
method was less constrained than tina
of his masters, and he played with grea
breadth of expression and purity c
tone; but he sometimes sacrificed goo
taste for the sake of sensational effects
His fame has been eclipsed by that
his pupil, Vieuxtemps, the only arti:
now living who rivals Ole Bull. ~
Spohr meanwhile had founded tt
German school, larger and more vigo
Gus than that of his predecessors, an
still earlier Italy had given birth to tt
wonderful and erratic Paganini. who
not the finest artist was the most r
markable performer on the violin that tt
world has yet seen. What Paganil
was to the violinists of the last gener
tion Ole Bull is to those of the presen
Neither can be classed as a follower
any particular school; for the characte
istic of each is bold sacrifice of tecl
nical restrictions for the purpose
broad effects, wonderful power
moving the listener, with little care no
that power is obtained. And is not tn
independence, after all, mark of genius
As the human voice is the noblest of a
instruments of sound, so that is tt
truest and most elevated mus
which most closely copies the EXPIRE
sion of human feeling. 1t was whe
the violin was emancipated from mechal
ical restrictions and made capable of r
ceiving the freest impression of tt
players taste and sentiment that it w;
raised from it's former low rank to i
present Importance; and so it was whe
:, musicians plucked up heart to dare IL