Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-22
Rubinstein and DR.. paebv.

| 6uDtnet0tu ana DE-. 8agby.
| Anton Gregor Rubinstein. the great
| Russian pianist. whose death we an
| nounced yesterday. 10 best known to the
Virginia public by reason Of Dr. George
w. Bagbys article on him-"Jud Browns
Account OF Rubinstein's Playing; an
article that added to the fame OF Rubin
stein and Bagby both. 1t IL the alleged
account OF a plain old virginlan. who,
being in New York. went to hear Ru-
binstein play
Dr. Bagby reports Jud. as saying that
| when Rubinstein FIRST set down he
'peared to keer mighty little bout playin.
| and wished he hadn't come"
but presently his hands commenced
chasin' one mother up and down the
keys like a passed. OF rats scamperin'
through Il garnet very swift Parts Of 1t
was sweet, though, and reminded me OF
a sugar-squirrel turnin' the wheel Of a
| candy cage"
Jud. however. got tired of all this pre-
| luding. and was just about ITO git up
and go home. being tired Of that foolish
| ness when he heard little bird
| wakln' up away of in the woods. and
calm. seem like. to his mate" where
upon he looked up and saw that Ruben
was beginning to take some interest In
| his business" and then Jud sat down
| again:
1t was the peep o'day. said Jud.
| The light came faint from the east the
| breeze bowed gentle and fresh. some
| more birds walked up In the orchard.
| then ssome more In the trees near the
| house. and all begun singin' together.
| People begun 10 stir. and the gal opened
| the shutters. Just then the first beam
Of the sun fell upon the blossoms leetle
more, and II fetched the roses and the
bushes. and the next thing 1t was broad
day; the sun fairly blazed; the birds
sang like they'd split their little threats;
all the leaves was movin' and nashin'
like diamonds of dew, and the whole.
wide world was bright and happy as a
king. Seemed to me like there was
a good breakfast in every house In the
land, and not a sick child or woman any
where. IL was fine mornin.
And / says TO my neighbor: That's
music. thai is
But he glar'd ut me like he'd cut my
throat.
Presently the wind turned; II begun to
th!cken UP. and kind of gray mist come
over things; / got low-spirited directly.
Then a silver rain began 10 fall could
see the drops touch the ground.
Then the sun went down. IL got dark.
the wind moaned and wept like lost
child for its dead mother. and l could a
got up then and there and preached a
better sermon than any ever listened to.
. Then all Of n sudden old Ruben
changed his tune. He ripped and he
rar'd. he tipped and tar'd, he
pranced and lie charged, like the
grand entry at circus. 'Peared
TO me that all OF the gas In the house
was turned on at once, things got so
bright. and / hilt up my head. ready to
look any man in the face. and not afeard
of nothin'. 1t was a circus and a brass
band and big ball all goin on at the
same time. lie lit into them keys like
thousand of brick he gave 'em no rest,
day nor night; he set every Twin joint
in me a-go.n', and, not beln' able TO
stand 1t no longer. 1 jumped spang onto
my seat, and Jest hollered:
Go it. Rube."
Then Jud described how in Rubin
STEMS further playing he heard the
church-bells over the hills" Then "the
music changed to water. and began to
drop-drip, drop. drip. drop. clear and
sweet. like tears OF JOY fallin' into lake
Of glory" Later, Rubinstein got mad
HE run his fingers through his hair.
he showed up his sleeves. he opened his
coat-tails a little further, he drug up his
stool, he leaned over, and, sir, he just
went for that old pianner. He slapt her
face, he boxed her jaws. he pulled her
nose, ne pinched her ears. and he
scratched her cheeks. till she fairly yelled.
He knockt her down, and he stompt on
her shameful. She beloved like a bull.
she bleated like a calf. she howled like a
hound she squealed like a pig. she
shrieked like a rat, and then he wouldn't
let her up" etc, etc, etc.
According to DIR. Bagby's man, Jud.
Rubinstein's playing described. as it were.
battle scene. and then came the grand
finale, when Rubinstein
lifted hisself bodily into the ar, and
he come down with his knees. his ten
fingers, his ten toes. his elbows. and his
nose, striking every solitary key In that
panner ct the same time. The thing
busted. and went off into seventeen hun
dred and ifty-seven thousand five hundred
and forty-two emi-demi-semi-quiyers,
and ] know'd no more.
when i come too l were Underground
about twenty foot in place they call
Oyster Bay. treat'n' Yankee that
never laid eyes on before and never
expect TO agin. Day was breakin' by
the time ] got TO the st. Nicholas Hotel
and, pledge you my word, didn't know
my name. The man asked me the number
OF my room, and told him: Hot music
on the half-shell for two! pintedly did"
AS soon as this article Of Bagby's APP
peared in the newspapers 1t was widely
copied, and was commended by critics
as an exceeding artistic piece OF work,
and truly descriptive Of Rubinstcin's skill
and mannerisms. We find the article
given In full In the Library Of Ameri-
can Literature" compiled and edited by
Edmund Clarence Stedman and Ellen
Mackay Hutchinson.
We feel sure thai Of the hundreds of
articles that have been written about
Rubinstein, there IL none better than DR..
Bagby's: none which pays a higher
tribute 10 his genius; none showing better
the wonderful control master musician
has over the human heart.
xtvsxA tha