Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-11-07
A Musical Prodigy.

Inc DetrOlt Free Press OF 4 recent dat
give an account of the performance of
musical phenomenon in that city, in tn
person Of a boy pianist. who gave an es
hibifion before dozen or more profes
slonal musicians and twenty or thirt
ladies and gentlemen. the entertainment
being OF private char acter. The Ere
Press says:
;. First. the boy played on the piano tn
bass accompaniment to a difficult selectio,
played by Prof. APPEL. and never betor
heard by the boy. The piano was pitche,
half tone higher than those upon whicl
the prodigy had been accustomed to play
ing. So that it required little time at frs
for him to ''tind himself" so to speak, bu,
he went through the piece with but one O,
two scarcely noticeable mistakes, and wor
hearty applause.
~ Then he performed alone, composing as
lie played, and TO say the audience wer
overwhelmed witt, astonis',ment does no,
express the feeling. They behaved as
though unwilling to believe what they
heard. and excited!y c.'an.,,d their posi-
tinns and crined their necks to get a better
view Of the boy and his nimble fingers.
Seeing is believing. and ut last the audi
ence settled in their seats to enjoy the
treat. although there was occasionally a
skeptic who would walk slyly to the piano
as though to reassuie himself that the boy
was not being assisted in an invisible and
unknown manner.
1T is wonderful display of a most viyi,.
fancy and incomprehensible recollection or
impression of chords" remarked a pronli-
nent musician.
81 thought the Free Press was exaeger-
ating." stid another musician; but" he
added .''the paper did the poor boy justice"
The thirl exhibition by the boy was to
play the bass accompaniment to a brilliant
waltz played hy Mons. Mazrrette and af-
ter that !hc boy inprovised Il waltz. of
much the same style. to the intense Won
tlerment and delight Of his auditors. lie
then called Off by letter the keys OIL the
piano as they were struck. singly or to-
gct'ler, chords and 'liscorls and hap-!.a2-
ar'. tie boy standing ten feet away from
and with his back to instrument. The
feat excited great enthusiasm. particularly
among the professional musicians present.
Throughout the exhibition on the piano
the boy was evidently impatient. AMI when
Church. where he would give an exhibit
tion on the pipe-or"an. Il s!eam OF salts
Fiction and evidence Of pleasant anticip.-
t,on were at once noticeable in his face. 1t
was lis second meeting with the pipe-or-
gan. his frs. experience being last Sunday.
at St. Joseph's Church. and ever since tGat
tim. he has shown no interest III piano
playing AMI has been impatient to plsy nn-
on an organ. The audience at the church
consisted of between two and three hun
dred ladies' and gentlemen. among them
being members of the press. the bar, the
medical profession and the clergy. lm-
mediatelv on taking his seat before the Or
gan. Master George ran his fingers over
the KEYS and looked up into his fathers
face. as though saying. ''There! that's mu-
sic.'' Pref. APPEL manipulated the stops,
and for fully fifteen minutes the boy pro-
duced voluntary. at once classical. dliti-
cult and entertaining. He next played the
bass accompaniment to medley perform
etl by Prof. APPEL without an error. Then
he played an original melody. while Prot.
Apel played the bass accompaniment. and
two or three times he caught the Profss-
sor on harmony and laughed heartily at
the Professor. discontinue. His final ex-
hibition Was given against the wishes OF
his father and the Professor who, thinking
he was tired. told him he had better stop.
NO. I'm not tired" answered the boy
with an impatient sL,ke of his head, and
then he dashe into All inpromptu compo-
sition reple, with beautiful waltzes.
marches and andante passages. Tic con-
tinued for about fifteen minutes, when sud-
denly he stopped. and saying. II haven't
got any more music" clamhered down
from his seat, and the entertainment was
ended.
Master Fox cannot read a note OF music,
is but two months over se:en years OF age.
is a handsome boy, well proportioned. with
no look of hard study or premature aye,
and no doubt is the greatest musical phe-
nomenon that has developed In this cOun-
try since the advent OF the famous Blind
Tom.