The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-04-04


4 From this time Paganini, incredible a
it may appear seldom, if ever played
except at concerts and rehearsals, anC
not always even at rehearsals. Mr.
Harris, who for - months acted as hi
secretary, and seldom left him, never
saw him take his violin from its case
At the hotels where he stopped the
sound of his instrument was never
heard He used to say that he. ha6
worked enough, and had earned his
right to repose yet, without an effort
he continued to overcome the superhu.
man difficulties which he himself had
created with the same unerring facility,
and ever watched by the eager and en-
vious eyes of critics and rivals. In
vaini No false attenuation, no note out
of tune, no failure was ever percepti-
BILE The Times critic, reviewing him
IN London, some years before his death,
says his octayes were so true that they
sounded like one note, and the most
enormous intervals with triple notes,
harmonics and guitar effects seem to
have been invariably taken with the
same precision In the words of crit
| icaI Judge, NJ. Ferris, his hand was a
geometrieal compass, which divided the
| fnger-board with mathematical precis-
ion" There is an amusing story told
of an -Englishnan, who followed him
from place to place, to hear him play
in private, in the hope of discovering
his g secret. At last, after many vain
attempts he managed to. get lodged in
the next. room to the great artist. Look
ing through the key-hole, he beheld
him seated on a sofa, about to take his
violin from its case-at lastl He raises
it to his chin-but the bowls left in
the case. The left hand merely meas
ures, with its enormous wiry fingers, a
few mechanical intervals, and the in
strument is replaced in silence not
even then was a note to be heard!
Yet every detail of rehearsal was an
anxiety to him. Although he gave a
prodigious number of concerts, he was
always unusually restless and distracted
on the morning Of the day on which he
had to perform. He would be idle for
hours on his sofa-or, at least, he seem
ed to be idIe-perhaps the works were
then being wound up before going to
rehearsal would then, before start
ing, take up his violin, examine it care
fully, especially the screws, and, having
satisfied himself, replace it in its shah
by-worn case without striking a note.
Then he would sort and arrange the
orchestral parts of his solos, and go of
TO rehearsal. He was very unpunctual,
and on one occasion kept the whole
band waiting for an hour, and was at
last found sheltering from the rain I'M
der eolonade, rather than take a cab.
This was in London At the rehearsal
there was always the most intense eager
ness on the part of the-band to see him
play, and when he came to one of his
prodigiOus cadenzas,- the musicians
would rise in their seats, and lean for
ward to watch every movement, and fol-
low. every sound. Paganini would then
just play few commonplace notes,
stop suddenly, and, turning round to
the band, wave his bow, with mali
ciOus smile, and say, 'E Et csetera, mes
sieurs!' If anything went wrong he
got into q paroxysm of fury; but when
/ things went well he freely showed his
satisfaction, and often exclaimed, ''Bra-
vissimo sieti tutti Yirtuosi!" He could
be very courteous in his manner, and
was not personally unpopular with his
| felIow-musicians, who stood greatly in
awe of him. No one ever saw the prin-
cipal parts of his solos, as he played by
heart, for fear of the music being cop
led. The rehearsal over, he carried
even the orchestral parts away with
him. He would then go straight home,
! take a light meal, throw himself on his
bed, and sleep profoundly until his ear
riage arrived to take him to the concert.
His toilet was very simple, and took
hardly any time his coat was buttoned
tightly over his chest, and marked the
more conspicuously the impossible an
gIes of his figure; his trousers hung
/
loose for trousers of the period; his
cravat was tight about his neck. He
sweated SO prOfusely over his solos,
that he always carried clean shirt III
his violin trunk, and changed his linen
once, at least, during the concert. AT
concert time he usually seemed in ex'
celIent spirits. 20 His first question OIL
arriving was always, "Is there a large
audience ?" If the room was full ht
would say, Excellent peoplel good
good" If by any chance the boxes
were empty he would say, "Some o
the effect viii be lost. " He kept hi
audience waiting long time, and h,
would sometimes. say, 81 have playeC
| better or 81 have played worse" anC
! occasionally his first solo would be NOR
effective than his last. After once o
twice trying the music of Kreutzer ant
Rode in public, he decided never t
play any but his own, and said to hi
secretary, Mr.. Harris, al have my ow
peculiar style; in accordance with TIM
I regulate my compositions I ha
much rather write a piece in which
: can trust myself entirely 70 my ow
musical Impressions g His art, OF
serves NJ. Fetis, was an art born wit
him, the secret of which he has carrie
: to the grave. II r. HaVeis
THE California hop vine has th
singular habit of only growing in winte,
4 The colder the weather the better
2 thriyes; and on clear, frosty nights
{ sometimes grows an inch in i've hour
Tt bears beautiful snow-white flower