We have little faith in musical prodigies—infant violinists, wonderful performers
on Jew's harps, and so forth ; but one has just appeared among us really worthy of attention. This is an Italian peasant youth named Piece, the son of a Piedmontese shepherd—blind from his birth, and brought up among the wilds of the Appenines—who, with no educa- tion or instruction of any kind, and with nothing but a little pipe or flageolet, as rude and trifling as a child's penny whistle, has found means by his own solitary efforts to draw from his puny instrument music which is listened to by the most cultivated ears with unbounded astonish- ment and no small delight. His extraordinary talent, it seems, was ac- cidentally discovered little more than twelve months age; and, after having been carried over Italy, playing at the principal theatres, he has appeared at the Italian Opera at Paris, and is now come to London. He had a concert at the Hanover Square Rooms last Saturday even- ing, which attracted many musical people. His performance was found to be quite as wonderful as had been described. With his toy whistle, three inches long and having three holes, he can produce a complete chromatic scale, three octaves in compass and perfectly in tune. He executes with the utmost rapidity and brilliancy passages which would puzzle the most skilful violinist ; and what is more, he plays with grace and expression. At this concert he played Bellini's "Caste Diva" beautifully, and the "Carnival of Venice" with varia- tions as fantastic and extraordinary as those of Paganini We should have been still more pleased had he given some of the wild strains of his native mountains—those that he used to play in his solitude, before he had ever heard or imagined the artificial music of cities. This youth can never become a great musician. His instrument is toe borne, and it is too late for him to begin another. But, with attention to which his merit is really entitled, he may get money enough to enable him to re- turn in comfort to the bosom of his humble family.
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