DUBOURG ON THE VIOLIN.
THIS is a highly-interesting work to the musical inquirer, abound- ing in well-arranged and diligently-gathered facts ; while its lively and amusing style will equally commend it to the accep- tance of' general readers. Indeed we doubt whether those for whose especial use and benefit it is designed will be the most eager to profit by its contents ; since many of the English fiddling tribe are not addicted to book-reading.
The violin bespeaks more than any other instrument the capa- city, physieal and mental, of the person by whom it is played. There are not merely the infinite shades of diversity which the same fiddle, strings and bow, would produce if passed through fifty hands, beginning with a street-scraper and ending with Ds Beeson; but its tone, and still more its expression, assimilates itself more intimately to the temperament and character of the per- son by whom it is played. The fiddler (we use the English word, in no humiliating or ludicrous sense) in the use of his instrument more nearly approaches the singer than any other performer of the orchestra. His violin is more truly part and parcel of himself.
This preeminent possession of the charm which marks the ac- complished fiddler, is thus justly claimed for it by BAILLOT, one of the most celebrated artists of the French school. "Its four strings suffice for the compass of more than as many octaves, and afford all the requisite resources for the flow and variety of modulation. By the aid of the bow, which gives vibration to the strings, and can draw sound from several at once, it adds to the charms of melody those of harmony also. Its tone, uniting sweetness with power, places it at the head of all other instruments; whilst, pos-
sessed of the ability to sustain, vary, and alter its tone, to speak in the accents of passion, and display the various emotions of the soul. It aspires to the honour of rivalling the human voice."
.There was an excellent little work on the Construction of the Violin, originally written by JACOB OTTO, a German, and trans- lated by Mr. FARDELY of Leeds, which contained, in addition to much information useful to the " fiddling tribe," a concise history of the most eminent makers, German and Italian; but the history of the violin, and the gradual development of its powers by the artists of these countries, was a musical desideratum, which Mr. DUBOURG has a sort of prescriptive right to supply. He is a fiddler by descent; and his grandfather MATTHEW DUROURG'S performance at the Clerkenwell concerts of lieurrost the coal- man, is thus narrated by Sir Jon Hammes. " That fine per- former, Mr. Matthew Dubourg, was then but a child ; and the first solo he ever played in public (probably one of Corelli's) he played at Britton's concert, standing upon a joint-stool : but so terribly was the poor child awed at the sight of' so splendid an assembly, that lie was near falling to the ground." (Vol. V. p.76.) Mr. DUBOURG devotes his first chapter to the early history of the violin; and, unlike most antiquarians when engaged in pedi- gree-hunting and tracing genealogies, he is here especially en- tertaining. He decides rightly, that " the genuine and perfect violin is rightly assignable to the Italians;" to whom we also owe not only the most perfect models of the instrument, but its most finished players. Step by step, they have led us on to a more perfect knowledge and a more ample development of its powers. CORELLI, TARTINI, GEMINIANI, VIOTTI, PAGANINI, have in succession marked each a new wra in its history; and whatever other players have achieved has been as their disciples. Mr: DUBOURG devotes a separate chapter to the German, English, and French school of fiddle-playing : but the only player of these three nations whose style of writing and playing possesses enough of individuality to entitle him to the distinction of having originated a new school for the violin, is SPOHR. MAYSEDER is a brilliant, sparkling player and writer ; but there is no aim at originality in his compositions. The Roman critics allowed SPOHR to be the finest singer upon his instrument they had ever heard: and, in truth, his performance excites the same kind of enjoyment which we derive from finished vocal excellence—his mind speaks through his instrument. The English have no violin school of their own: there is no national peculiarity about their playing : it varies ac- cording to the capacity of the performer to receive and profit by instruction—to his industry and Isis musical feeling; but the English players are all scholars. MORI'S playing, for example, is the mere result of unwearied practice, the acquired mastery over the difficulties of his instrument : it is exact, energetic, and brit. liant: he eives every note on the thickly-dotted page before him, but the meaning which those notes are intended to convey he is sometimes unable to impart, because unable to imbibe. MORE has written scarcely any thing even for the fiddle, and it were to be wished he had written less. Mr. DUBOURG, who places hia. at the head of the English school, admits that " his playing is showy, not profound ; striking, but not moving ; full of artificial neatness, with little of natural grace—his hand having wrought to far more purpose than his mind." Such a man cannot be at the head of any school of music—he must of necessity be a learner and a copyist. If, therefore, Meet be the first of English fiddle- players, (and that lie is so at present, we do not deny,) the English have no distinct national school for the violin. The same remark will apply to the French ; whose finest performers have but fol- lowed in the train and endeavoured to catch the spirit of Viorri] CHORON admits that their violin school is "founded upon that of Italy," and that its "principal merit lies in the power of execution." That is, they are skilful copyists; possessing, nay claiming, no other merit.
Many interesting anecdotes are scattered up and down this work.' We select two, as illustrative of the character and destiny of two eminent masters of the violin, GIARDINt and VIOTTI.
GIARDINI.—Such was the estimation accruing to Giardini from his talents, that, in 17.14, he was placed at the head of the Opera orchestra. Two years afterwards, he joined the female singer Mingotti in attempting that labyrinth of disaster the management of the opera; hut, although they acquired much fame, their management was not attended with success. During this time, Giardini composed several of the dramas which were performed. In leading the Opera baud, he had the merit of introducing improved discipline and anew style of playing, much finer in itself, and mole congenial with the poetry an music of Italy, than the level and languid manner of his predecessor Festing, who had succeeded Castrucci (Hogarth's "Enraged Musician") ; and had since, with inadequate powers, continued to maintain the post, with the excep- tion of one or two seasons, during which Veracini had been in the ascendant. Fashion, in the fully of its excess, has not often been seen to cut so extrava- gant a figure as on the occasion of the associated performances in private by Giardini and Mingotti, during the "high and palmy state" of their credit. The absolutism of Mrs. Fox Lane (afterwards Lady Bingley) over the fashion- able world, as the enthusiastic patroness of these two artists, is a thing that satire might feast on. Rank, wealth, manhood, and beauty, prostrate before the domination of this "pollens rnatrona," were content (lest, forsooth, they should have "argued themselves unknown ") to pay tax and tribute to her two favourites, and take a passport to the notice of " the town," in the shape of a benefit ticket. At such scenes, it is not using too strong afigure to say that Folly must have clapped her hands, displayed her broadest grin, and given an extra jingle to the bells on her cap. To all who reflect, It scarcely needs to be observed, that the false raptures and artificial stimulus belonging to a system like this, are nearly as injurious as they are absurd; that to pamper thus the artist, is not only to spoil him, but to injure the interests of the art, by making it the object of popular ridicule or disgust. The contrast afforded by the close of Giardini's career with the brilliancy of its middle course, makes one think of Johnson's hitter association of " the pa.tron and the gaol." Those "'era truly the days when patronage was a thine of rank luxuriance, that sometime
overgrew and choked the flowers of genius to which it fastened itself. The case is now, happily, become somewhat different—the free and fostering breath of general opinion being the air in which talent bas learned to seek and attain its full growth ; and a more limited resort being had to the forcing influence of the aristocratic temperature.
The losses that Giardini had sustained on that ready road to ruin the Italian Opera, drove him back to the resources of his own particular talent ; and he entered upon the occupation of teaching in families of rank and fashion, at the same time continuing unrivalled as a leader, a solo-player, and a composer for his favourite instrument. He resided in England until the year 1784. when he went to Naples, under the protection and patronage of Sir William Hamil- ton. There he continued five years and then returned to this country ; but his reception WAS not what it had formerly been. Fashion is a.gorldess of so gay a turn as cannot assort with infirmity ; and an old favourite is but too likely to find that favour easily gets a divorce from age. The health of the Italian was greatly impaired, and sinking fast under a confirmed dropsy. With a dimmer eye, a feebler hand, and doubtless an aching heart, he found himself still doomed to the prosecution of his calling when all his former excellence was lost. Instead of leading in all the most difficult parts, he now played in public only the tenor in quartets that he had recently composed. After attempt- tog unsuccessfully a burletta opera at the little theatre in the Haymarket, he was at length (in 1793) induced to go to St. Petersburg, and afterwards to Mos- cow, with his burletta performers. The most cruel disappointment, however, attended him in each of these cities; in the latter of which he died, at the age of eighty, in a state (as far as it could be discovered) of poverty and wretched-
MSS.
VIOTTI.—It has never been satisfactorily discovered what were the reasons which induced Viotti, at an early 'period of his life, to relinquish all idea of ever performing in public. Some have referred to the incident above narrated as the cause of this ; but they who pretended to be well acquainted with his character have asserted that he disdained the applause of the multitude, because it was afforded almost indiscriminately to superiority of talent and to presump- tuous mediocrity. It is well known that he rejected the solicitations of people who were termed of the great world, because he would have no other judges than such as were worthy of appreciating him ; and that, notwithstanding the pretensions which the great and fashionable persons of his (lay asserted, on the score of knowing every thing, and vf being the supreme arbiters of arts, of artists, and of taste, he observed that it was very rare to find among them men capable of a profound sentiment, who could discover in others any thing beyond thew exterior, and judge of things otherwise than by the same superficial ad. measurement. He, however, yielded again to the eagerness which was evinced for hearing him—but on two occasions only ; of which the one did honour to his heart, and the other, as it serves to acquaint us more intimately with his character, may be here related.
On the fifth story, in a little street in Paris, not far from the Place de la Rd. volution, in the year 1790, lodged a deputy of the Constituent Assembly, an in- timate and trusty friend of Viotti's. The conformity of their opinions, the same love of the arts and of liberty, an equal admiration of the genius abd works of Rousseau, had formed this connexion between two men who henceforward be- came inseparable. It was during the exciting times of enthusiasm and of hope, that the ardent heart of Viotti could not remain indifferent to sentiments which affected all great and generous minds. Ile shared them with his friend. This person solicited him strongly to comply with tlie desire which some of the first personages in the kingdom expressed to bear him, if only for once. Viotti at last consented, but upon one condition—namely, that the concert should be given in the modest and humble reheat of the fifth floor! La fortune pas e par tout —" We have," said he, "long enough descended to them : but the times are changed ; they must now mount, in order to raise themselves to us.'' This project was no sooner thought of than prepared for execution. Viotti and his friend invited the most celebrated artists of the day to grace this novel festi- val,—Garat, whom nature had endowed with a splendid voice and a client of expression still more admirable, Herman, Steibelt, Rode (the pupil of Viotti). To l'uppo was confided the direction of the orchestra, and to Bieval the office of seconding Viotti. Among the great female artistes of the day, were Madame Davrigny, with Mandi ll i , Viganoni, and Morichelli, a lady as celebrated for her talents as for her charms. On the appointed day, all the fi lends arrived. The bust of Rousseau, encircled with garlands of flowers, was uncovered, and formed the only ornament of this novel music-saloon. It was there that princes, not- withstanding the pride of rank, great ladies, despite the vanity of titles, pretty women, and superannuated fops, clambered for the first time up to the fifth story to hear the celestial music of Boccherini performed by Viotti ; and, that nothing might be wanting to complete the triumph of the artist, there was not one of these persons who, utter the concert, descended without regret, although it was the lot of some of them to return to sumptuous palaces and into the midst of etiquette, luxury, and splendour. a • • Viotti was a person of feelings and sentiments far less artificial than are commonly produced in men whose intercourse with society is fostered by their powers of contributing to its amusement. Mixing, of necessity, a great deal with the world, be seems nevertheless, in a remarkable degreee, to have pre- served himself " unspotted from the world ; " and though, as just remarked, he loved London much, there is very interesting evidence to show that he loved Nature more. The purity and rectitude of his taste, its association with the poetic and the true, stand thus recorded by one who had good opportunities of appreciating him. "Never did a man attach so much value (says M. Eytnar) to the simplest gifts of Nature, and never did a child enjoy them more passion. &telly. A simple violet, discovered in its lowly bed among the grass, would transport him with the liveliest joy : a pear, a plum, gathered fresh by his own hands, would, for the moment, make him the happiest of mortals. The per- fume of the one had always something new to him, and the taste of the other something more delicious than before. His organs. all delicacy and sensibility, seemed to have preserved, undiminished, their youthful purity. In the country, every thing was, to this extraordinary man, an object of fresh interest and en- joyment. The slightest impression seemed communicated to all his senses at once. Every thing affected his imagination, every thing spoke to his heart, and he yielded himself at once to its emotions."
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