The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-09
THE SECRET
or THE
STRADIVARIUS S.

must not be interrupted" called his SER
want, and. after giving him the neces-
sary instructions, locked the door, plac-
ing the key in his pocket. lie then
opened the mysterious case, and, with
tender hands, drew forth the violin.
Ills nimbe fingers soon detached the
several strings, knotted on the new
ones, and in the course of about quar-
ter of an hour the instrument was
ready, and tuned TO his satisfaction.
felt, as | watched him, L should like to
take the violin in my hands once more,
10 see II the strange desire l had before
experienced would again come over me
but hardly liked to ask him to permit
me to do so.
And now all was ready-Luigi's criti-
cal ear satisfied with the sound Of the
strlngs-and ne seemed about to strike
MS favorite attitude; Yet noticed his
pale lace was paler than usual, and the
hald posing the bow seemed tremu-
pus; ana rs looked Mt him. n sympa-
tning, knew not what-crept over me.
IL seemed too absurd, however. TO be
disturbed by an excitable Italian NAV
ing a violin in a room with Mi the ap-
planes of modern. everyday life around
me; so | laughed away the feeling:
placed myself nj full length on the sofa
my favorite attitude for listening 10
the masters performances-and was
prepared to give nv undivided atten-
ton TO the music.
And yet, for while Luigi did not he
gin. although he saw had RESIGNED nv
self 10 nv fate. lie had placed the yio-
lin under his chin. his left-hand fingers
were on the strings. but for some min
utes he contented himself with beating
sort of time, or rhythmical measure,
with the bow. One would have said ne
was endeayorinp to recall something he
had heard once. and only numerically
remembered.
what theme are Won going TO play to
mep" | asked.
On hearing nv voice he looked Mt me
vacantly, and only upon INV repeatinp
the question did he seem aware of nv
presence. Then with an effort he said,
ceasing not to beat time the while:
"Ah, that | do not know. am no
longer my own master; / cannot choose.
Let me beg of YOU not TO interrupt me
again, my friend.'
said no more. but watched him with
anxious ewes. The left-hand fingers
slipped, slid, and danced in dumb show
up and down the strings. the bow for
ever beating time. A sort of shiyer
passed over him; then, drawing himself
up, he swept the bow across the strings.
and the fiddle, silent for so many wears.
found tongue at last.
A weird strain, commanding the list
ener'S attention at Once-a strain knew
had never heard before. So curious
the opening bars sounded. that. had |
dared, should have said that several
well-established rules of harmony were
outraged. And vet, i'm spite of its ne
culiarity, | knew that he who created
that music was master i'm the art. IL
was not Wagner, was sure. although
somewhat of his remarkable power of
expression, and gift of moving the mind
without the aid of melody, was present.
The first thirty bars, or so, appeared TO
me to be of the nature of an overture,
heralding the performance to follow
spoke of joy and sorrow, pain and pleas
ure, love and hate, hope and fear: and
as my own thoughts responded to the
varied emotions, lay and wondered
who could have written the music which
affected me so; and thought how fortu-
nate the unknown composer waste have
such an exponent of his ideas as Luipi.
Yet ,as looked at the latter IL struck me
his style of playing tonight was differ
ent from usual Faultless though the
execution was-marvelous as were the
strains those facile fingers drew forth
the whole manner of the man seemed
to be mechanical, utterly at variance
with the fire and dash that ever charac-
terized his performances. The skill was
there, but, for once, the soul was want
ing. With the exception of his hands
and arms, he stood so still that he might
have been statue. lie PLAYED as 0ne
in trance, and his ewes with fixed
look were ever directed toward the end
of the apartment. SWifter and sWifter
his arm flew backward and forward
more strange, eccentric. and weird the
music became-stronger i'm its expres-
sion, palmer in its eloduence, more
oisin, II NO rf,gi SLY anu ever exer-
AZ iast viii sort ~ j ;,,, an sao n t
nv oves Tron, tbo ,,nv a.puisoi Iuliieu
the directiop in ubicS ha in nJ lopheI N
denlv the music cbanaad TSa-o o ,,,,a
now No Iocl Of neInd,y sast Vac
mo bounting n,aasura hoe,o SUI, oou'n
drsamv far'5uav I''no. o,S.Jn, ian SUI. "
cadences fall on nv ao, ' hit 10 10 s1n.le
in a atota 81 ;,.ritn} ~" .,ut W hop'
in, exnectatinn NV tbo,d Is h unp,eas-
wander 70 old baif foroos;a ss o so W
distant evants came 10 ~ -, 1ovn no,i
lections of vanished faces once 20 n,iIior
backed around me"aII ibin%s sann'aj
craving misty and indistinct and SSI I feIt
as one sinkinS into sleenNtbe sort nf
andy '' io''iNo anu
n WAS not IN ha bovovor tou,
harsh notes from tba ,G ISlo ao "a rem
like n WARNING or admnnitin,n ranaiiaS
ma 70 wakefulness. and no NV strau;nc,
thonghts collected ibemselves that iniBs
inc song hogan again 'N'' '''i-
nd vat n fuIi9, a,,,ol,a,,a oo,,o.;.,..