The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-10-17
For The AEgis and Mtelligencer.
Blind Tom.
ELKToN, Oct. l

ELKToN, Oct 10th, 1873.
Mr.. EDITOR: We have heard Blind Tom
He is musical phenomenon and psychologist
cal study. Judged by the laws of musical sci
ence and the canons of the art-critic, he is be-
meath criticism. Judged by his own superlatiyc
merit, he is really above criticism.
Claiming, as we do, neither scientific knowl.
edge of ''the Divine Art, nor the nfallibility of
your art-critic, we may venture modestly to
give our impression of Toms performance, with,
II word about his personnel
AS he passed through the Hall to the stage
with his attendant, ii was difficult to believe
that the burly thick necked, dusky youth, with
his head thrust forward, and his poor, sightless
eyes rolling without expression or fire, could be
the celebrated pianist.
On the stage, and his features in the full glare
of the lights at first sight he suggested Caliban
deprived OF sight and ferocity, or great Gorilla
domesticated and clothed a notion strength.
cned by the close-ftting round about and pant
aloons which displayed to the best advantage
his well developed physique.
AT a second glance, this Impression gave place
to pity, as the idotic expression of his features
was more fully revealed; and even when he
| seated himself to strike the grand Introductory
| chords and execute the brilliant "runs" of the
| splendid marche with which he began, our won
| der at his performance was lost for time in
| the profound sympathy excited in us by this
| poor caricature of humanity. 1t was hard to
| keep back the tears which came unbidden
1t was only when the final cadence died into
an echo, that VIC became conscious of his power.
| He had played like master, and the very large
audience testified by breathless attention first,
and hearty applause at its close, to the might OF
| the spell which he wove about them. With
| brief intervals of explanation, and of mmcry or
| song and caricature from Tom himself, his ex.
| hbitor adroitly led him up from the simply
| brilliant and elaborate to more classic music
1t was our privilege last winter to hear Ru.
bernstein, reputed the greatest of living pianists
Among other compositions Of former masters he
played the famous Moonlight Sonata" of Beet.
hovcn. Without meaning to compare the poor
elftutored child OF nature with the great living
master, we are free to confess that, in our hum,
| BILE judgment, Toms rendering of the Sonata
was fully equal in delicacy and accuracy to that
of the great Russian-it seemed perfect
| His Thunder and Rain Storms" and his
well-known Battle of Manassas" are highly i'm.
| aginative and powerfully descriptive. Ii is a
| pity that his attendant allows him rather to
! mar the effect of the latter by shouting out the
different parts, as he enters upon them.
This kindly meant censure, however, does not
apply to the locomotive whistler and the sip-
mails for "down breaks, as the train of 0rc-in-
| forcements" near the scene of battle. A more
| admirable vocal imitation of sound is surely i'm
| possible, and the 'effect' could not be omitted
without injury to the composition as q whole
1t may not be artistic,-but it is unique. sur.
| prising and successful.
Both these original pieces of Blind Toms
| cvince wonderful memory; and contrary to the
| opinion OF some to whom we usually defer we
are convinced that they give proof of imapina
| ton. In our belief memory alone could not
depict the war of the elements, or the sounds
and shocks of contending armies, with such r. .
deity and such vivid coloring. Or, granting
that it could, yet it could not use them as
'themcs" for the most airy, poetic and bsauti
| fully elaborated variations, such as he inter.
| sperses through these compositions.
| Toms execution is almost faultless His
touch has the strength and accuracy. the briIli.
| ance and distinctness of oarticulation, WE
had supposed simply impossible to one born
blind. With closed eyes, it would have been
easy to imagine that we listened TO A Tbalberg n
List, ora Rubinsten.
| Whether the Blind Master las we must call
him. equally at home on ali KEYS of 'sharps. !;
| fats and 'naturals' VIC know not. bnt there
was considerable variety in the selections given
him by his exhibitor and there was SCOPE in
the more elaborate pieces for great display of
skill and of knowledge of the instrument. We
do know that he appeared fully equal to the
most difficult passages, and that he glided as
easily from one change of key to another, as IL
he had been drilled by note and by sight through
every exercise of the ''scales." Our conclusion
was, that without any instruction in the scienc g
of music, and without capacity for such instruc.
ton, Blind Tom is yet scientific pianist Sci
entitic musicians, startled by his ecccntricities.
may decide that this is splendid but that IL ia
not music as In the Crimean War the French
man Pelsser declared of the English charge AZ
Balaclava, "C'est mngnifque, mails ce nest pas
| Ia guerre" But we must think that this il
Music nevertheless; andmusic both splendid and
magnificent.