The Warwickshire Herald. — 1889-02-28 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

ERDINGTON. ILLUSTRATRD LECTURE ON PM-LAMM.  This Institute' scored another success in the lecture delivered before it last Monday evening by Mr. Stephen S. Stratton on "Nicolo Paganini," with violin illustrations by Mr- Fred Ward. Mr. Stratton is known in musical sircles, embracing the metropolis itself, not only as a capable composer and performer, but as a highly reliable waiter upon musical, topics, and it was to be erpected that last Monday he would discharge his functions with abilityand success: The interest his•krge audience took both in his subject and in himself from first to last, is sufficient. proof that the expectations were in no way misplaced. Mr. Stratton at the outset claimed for the personality of Paganini,.as well as for his genius, suffident recognition to give thens a claim ern our considerations in the. present dity. Pagatuni was torque, and the lecturer succeeded in drawing him for his audience in a manner which shed what nweird, unconventional life Ptsganini's was; indeed the almost spectral,. ghoul-like-way he-had of appearing before the public, and then of sudden* disappearing f.xma mortal ken and knowledge:, united with his lean, ungainly figure and saturnine face, gave some reason for the question whether he was "as inhabitant of the earth although upon it." Nis want of proper parental control when a child, a complete absence of moral and mental training, were shows, by the lecturer to have moukied the after-life of Paganini, and to prevent ordinary standarde of discipline to be fairly appied to him. Mr. Stratton c'ace the circumstances of the awakening. of musical genius in Paganini, and traced his early development into the wonderful performer he became—nob omitting reference to the stories that were-eurrent of his violence of temper, his committal of murder and long imprisonment, meet of which were proved to be absekite fictiena—The extraordinary success of his concerts in Italy, France, Germany, and Austria, were followed by closer details of his visit to Englandi,. where amongst other places he appeared in Birmingham. Paganini iseaid to have cleared.' £20,006%. by his visit to thb British Isles. Mr. Stratton, kr eonelusion, dwelt at some length upon. the Maestro/a style and the precedents ho established in his art, although no description of Paganini's playing could convey any adequate idea of it. It Had to be heard, and the lecturer quoted description* of English authorities upon the impression the marvellous performances made upon their minds, as well as recounting numerous anecdotes of ini's eccentricities, and the pleasing:story tel by George Augsistus Sala of his generosity to bins and his motheri— Mr. Fred Ward played four illizetrations of Paganini's compositions. (l), "-Caprice," (2) " Rondo a la clochette," (3) "The Witches' Dance" (4). "Perpetual motion,' and ha each, gratified his audience to such an-extent as to be re-called. Indeed, it was the opinion, of several who hearclLMr. Ward on Monday night that he fairly surpassed himself, which is saying a great deal. He seemed to have fairly caught an inspiration of the great master who was the theme of the evening. Miss Riley accompanied on the piano, midi it is quite needless to my that her department was perfection. It should have been mentioned before that Mr. Stratton exhibited a capital sepia drawing of Pacinini after Maelise by Mr. William Breakspear, together with a rare lithograph of him, and an enlarged copy of a bronze medal bearing his remaikaprofile, all of which added to the interest of an otherwise most interesting lecture.