The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-01-07

Ole BaIl's First Performances.
OLE BULL has Just played sonata fol
me under all those circumstances which
would render it the most impressive, fol
I am his guest; and though the storm
beats without, beside his hearth-stone,
which is all in glow, I bask; and As
the evening brings darkness to the room
hear the violin in an absorbed way,
for nothing can divert my thoughts.
The lady pianist who accompanies him
follows sympsthet;cally each shading Of
the music. Then around the fireplace,
with many a cigar, my host tells me the
history of his early life.
"My uncle was publisher, and had
q quantity of sheet music-quartettes
and so on. He played the violoncello,
and he bought me my first violin. 1t
was alemon-colored violin, and so sour
so sour! played for the cats, and
absolutely drove them away from their
food. I am sure that the cats got i'll
over Fiorillo's studies. They kept clear
of little summer house where I used to
play. When was eight years old I
played the first violin in a quartette of
Pleyel's. When was nine years used
to play with some very good amateurs,
and when my piece with them did not
come early in the evening they used to
put me asleep in q violoncello case, and
wake me up with red apple. In Ber-
gen there was garrison, and there was
band of wind Instruments; and do you
know that clarionet quacks to-day
at least to me-just as it did then! I
used to slumber away in the cello case,
because the amateurs would play two
quartettes before supper. It happened
occasionally that, from eating too much
supper, the players were troubled-yes,
troubled. One evening my uncle said,
Come. let us play quartette of Beetho-
ven's.' Some one remarked, 'Beetho-
ven is so difficult But we must, said
my uncle. The quartettes were bound
together in one book. They used to let
me play the Cramer and Haydn; they
were easy; but the Beethoven-ah! in
those days he was thought hard. That
night the first violin was in trouble af-
ter supper. We call it tipsy, just as
you do. what a shame!' said my un-
Gle. .Ole, do you take the part and
play it?'
81 had heard it, but had never tried
it. l did not think much about it, but l
remember that was right then and
there proposed and elected as q men,
Der of that musical club. At very long
intervals after that, good instrumental
lists would come to Bergen, and wonld
listen to them. I heard the compost
tons of Rhode and Spohr, and played
them as well as I could. Father was an
apothecary, and his assistant played the
flute. The assistant used to receive
musical catalogues from Copenhagen.
devoured the names, and for the first
time saw that of Paganini on his famous
twenty-four caprices. One evening
father came home, bringing with him
two Italians. was fourteen then, and
their talk fired me. 1 wanted to hear
about their great violinist Paganini, and
they told me all they knew. Even the
mention of his name excited my imagin-
alton, and made me wild. 1 went to my
grandmother. Dear grandmother 1
said, cant I get some of Paganini's
music?' Don't tell any one,' said the
dear old woman, but I will try and buy
a piece of his for you if you are good
child And she did try, and was wild
when got the Paganini music. How
difficult it was-but oh, how beautiful!
That garden house was my refuge.
Maybe-l am not so sure of 1.-THE cats
did not 60 quite so wild as four years
before. One day-a memorable one
I went to quartette party. The new
leader of our Philharmonic was there
a very fine violinist-and he played for
us concerto of Spohr's. I knew it,
and was delighted with his reading of
it. We had porter to drink in another
room, and we all drank it; but before
they had finished I went back to the
MUSHROOM, and commenced trying the
Spohr. 1 was, l suppose, carried away
with the music, forgot myself, and they
heard me.
"'This is impudence, said the leader.
And do you think, boy, that you can
play it?' sYes,' said, quite honestly.
1 don't to this day see why should have
tOlO b SIOTv ABOUT 1C-OO you! NOW
you shall play it, said somebody. sHear
him! hear him!' cried my uncle and the
rest of them. I did try it, and played
the allegro. All of them applauded save
the leader, who looked mad.
"'You think you can play anything,
then?' asked the leader. He took
caprice of Paganini's from a music
stand. 'Now you try this he said, in
a rage. Il will try it, I said. All
right; 60 ahead
Snow it just happened that this
caprice was my favorite, as the cats well
knew. I could play it by memory, and
l polished it off. When l did that, they
all shouted. The leader before had been
so cross and savage, l thought he would
Just rave now. But he did not say a
word. He looked very quiet and COM
posed-like. He took the other musicians
aside, and I saw that he was talking to
them. Not long afterward this violinist
left Bergen. 1 never thought would
see him again. It was in 1910, when 1
was travelling through Sweden on con-
cert tour, of a snowy day, that I met a
man in sleigh. TWAS quite picture;
just near sunset, and the northern lights
Il Al Il