The Magnolia gazette., 1872-12-21
ole null and Irls r,lddle.


Ole Bulls passion for violns manifested
itself at a very early age. When only five
years old his uncle, a yi0linist, bought him
very small fiddle. To the surprise of the
family he Immediately played well upon it,
though he had never received any instruc-
tions. He played quartette Of Pleyel's to
the assembled club and they inquired, with
astonishment, who had taught the child, for
they knew not that God had taught him, by
process as simple as that of the mocking-
bird.
Ole Bull never learned to read music by
the usual method. From infancy he had
been accustomed to hear music, and he
knew the sound of each written note long
before he was able to pronounce it by name.
| AT ten years of age foreign music master
urged upon his father the necessity of hav-
| ing him taught scientifically, The attempt
was accordingly made, but nothing would
come to him by mechanical process. His
genius positively refused to go into the
straight Jacket, and when father and teach.
er coaxed and scolded, the nervous child
actually screamed with agony. h'aFl
/ Ole Bull plays the four distinct parts. on
the violin at once. No person who has not
4 tried il. can conceive the extreme difficulty
of playing at once the distinct parts on
each ofthe strings. 1t requires muscle as
strong as iron, and elastic as India rubber.
| Paganini has sufficient elasticity, but not
l enough strength. Ole Bull Is the only man
who ever did it. When the ParisiDns first
heard him produce this wonderful effect, of
4 four yiolins with only one, it seemed so in
credible that they could not at first believe
it, but thought that three other musicians
were concealed behind the scenes, playing
1.-THE other three parts. g5ats stlss9;q
Il The romantic history Of his violin is no
4 fiction. This remarkable instrument ls over
three hundred years old, 1t was made by
Casper da SaIo, 10 Crescia, one OF the old
est Yiolin-makers on record, and il was con
4 sidered the best one he ever made. Its ORR
I ginal cost was over six thousand dollars
1 now no amount could buy 1t. When ms
pruck was taken by Napoleon in 1909, it
was carried to Vienna and was sold to
Riheazhek, wealthy connoisseur OF string
h ed instruments. He was offered immense
sums for it by English, Russian and Polish
!. noblemen, but TO all such offers he invariably
answered BY demanding the price OF halt OF
Vienna. About thirty years ago Ole Bull
gave fifteen concerts in Nienna-R]heaz
/, was enthused by his performance, and Ole
! Bull, Of course, looked with longing eye on
1 the Oldest and best violin 10 the world
/, Butthe musical antiquarian could not bring
himself to sell it, but promised that If he
= ever did part with it the Minstrel OF Nor
! way should have IT, He died two years
after, and his son sent to 0leBuli, then
/ at Leipsic. al e4s!r ~ 80
! The wood of this violin was SO old, and
i vibrated so thoroughly, that Ole Bull Tor .
!. long time was unable to obtain q sounding
post adapted to it. This post is small
piece Of wood, not as large as mans little
finger. When Ole i'nll first performed II
Philadelphia, his drlicately sensitive ear al
! once detected that the double bass in the
orchestra was very old instrument. Some
! time after, the horse and rider that repre-
sented " General Pntnam's Leap Down the
! Precipice,nn, plunged into the orchestra ant
crushed the old bass viol, to splinters. A.
!, soon as Ole Bull heard Of the accident he
e fastened to buy the fragments, with a smal
: niece of which be was enabled to remedy
! the slight Libut to his sensitive ear, great
: : defect Of his own famous instrument 1T
. upper covering is of an exceedingly rar
I, species Of Swiss pine, celebrated in the ma
|. nufacture OF violins Itgrows on the lta
q :, Ian side of the Alps, for sunshine and som
- seem inseparably connected, and the balm.
= atmosphere which makes Italy so rich il
\ music, and imparts to her language such Il
= quid melody. seems breathed to her YER
e trees. Il "
. The diamonds in his bow--forty five i
|. uumber-were presented to Ole Bull by tn
= Queen Of his own native land.
80