The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-14
A BE m0lr OF Ole Bull.

Although tho day is past, even In this
country. when Ole Bull could be spoken Of
as great composer or as even a great master
Of the violin. yet the popularity which no en-
joyed during o part OF his lifetime and tho
many striking and engaging features Of his
personality will insure many readers to the
memoir Of the Norwegian artist which has been
prepared by his widow. SARAH @. BULL. and
published by Messrs. Houghton. Miflin Il Co.
No one. probably. will take up this book with
hope OF seeing In 1t an impartial. discriminate
ing estimate OF the subjects power and place
among musicians. It would scarcely be rea-
sonable to expect anything but unmixed and
exaggerated euloGy In a biography traced by the
hand OF affection: but although from the point
Of view Of criticism the book Is vaueess. II will
be found interesting by those who knew the
artist in his lifetime. nor will younger gem
GRAFTON fail to DO attracted BY this sympathetic
and spirited account OF remarkable person.
age and romantic career.
1t does not appear that Ole Bull had
any adequate instruction in the laws OF
musical composition. or in the capabilities
OF tho instrument over which he was to
attain noteworthy measure OF control.
He was virtually. self-taught. and. like other
self-taught mon. no mistook many things for
genuine novelties because they happened to 10
new to him; overrated his own powers be-
cause he had succeeded without aid In over
coming difficulties which. under proper in
struction. would have boon no difficulties at
all; acquired the self-concelt engendsred by
the absence Of high standard OF excellence.
and became infected with the charatanism
which may sometimes accompany great nat
urul ability. but which always implies . low
conception Of the audience. and an imper-
feet appreciation OF the great things &C.
cOmplished by other men. H. In 1879,
when. ut the age OF nineteen, the Norwegian
violinist left his country on his first visit to
Germany. he could have entered on course OF
thorough musical instruction at the hands OF
such a man rs Spohr. he would probably have
gained a much higher place in the esteem OF
competent critics than no now occupies. But
Spohr. 1t would seem. was not at this time
favorably impressed by the young Noneman.
for he certainly treated him very coolly. and
did not encourage him BY an offer to super
intend his education. rs he might have done
had he discerned In his visitor the marks of
surprising genius. When. two years later. he
reached Paris. he WAS unable to obtain either
lessons from Ballot or an engagement In the
orchestra OF either OF the opera houses. and he
WAS ultimately forced by his necessities IN dis
pense with the instruction which he had lett Nor
way for the express purpose OF procuring. 1t was
not his fault. but his misfortune that correct
MODELS and scientific tuition wero unattai nable
ut an age when he was still amenAble to disci-
piine. aud whom the vague consciousness OF his
own deficiencies had not been superseded by
the nafve arrogance and intoxcation enyen.
dered by his sudden and wide popularity As
1t was. he learned to think 1t the acme OF instru-
mental proficiency to use the violin as would q
prestidlgitatcur rather than profound artist,
and his notion was u shrewd one from COM
mercial point OF view. FOR 1t was precisely the
astonishing tricks he played with the violin,
and the extraordinary effects he produced by
Its manipulation. that puzzled, fascinated and
delighted large popular audiences. in which
not one man In u hundred knew anything about
the laws OF musical composition or the art OF in
strumentation. 1t was because he would initiate
80 wildly the luacking OF duck. or the croak-
ing OF frog. would reproduce so amusingly the
slueaking voice OF Judy and tho hoarse tones
OF the policeman In tho Carnival OF Venice"
or would astound tho groundllngs by playing
on four strings at once. that Ole Bull was able
to draw crowds whore reverent and self-ef-
facing execution OF one Of Deethoven's sonatas
would have appealed only to a small! and select
assembly. Indeed. 1t may safely be affirmed
that there wore many epochs In his profession
al career--and especially is this true OF his irst
trlumphal progress through the United States.
whom. but for his charatanism. the Norwegian
minstrel would have starved. There arc few
things indeed more dverting than tho COM
ments on his performances which we're printed
in our American newspapers at that
period. As rule. each Of the writer's was
densey and ludicrously ignorant OF tho subject
whereof he discoursod. but he flung about his
adjectives with reckless profusion that sug-
Rested the absorption and subsequent explo-
sion OF u dictionary. Here are some specimen
extracts from one OF tho choicest "critl1uss."
elaborated in l843 with an eye to the specially
high and exacting standard OF Boston culture
at that spoch Ills personal appearance"