Chapter XVI: The Violin.13

[Footnote 13: The writer considers it proper to precede the sketch of the virtuoso, Joseph White, by a brief account of that wonderful instrument to which the latter has given his chief study, and in the playing of which he has become in at least four countries so deservedly famous.]

"Thou mystic thing, all-beautiful! What mind
Conceived thee, what intelligence began,
And out of chaos thy rare shape designed,
Thou delicate and perfect work of man?"

_"The Violin:" Harper's Magazine._

The violin, so often called the "king of instruments," is of great antiquity. As to just when it was invented is a point as yet unsettled, despite the indefatigable researches of historians of music and of general antiquaries. The instrument certainly existed, however, as early as the sixth century; this being proven generally by the figures of violins observable on very ancient and respectable monuments still existing, and particularly by a figure cut in the portico of the venerable Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, founded by Childebert in the sixth century, which figure represents King Chilperic with a violin in his hand.

It being thus used in a representative character shows, too, that it has for many hundreds of years been a favorite instrument. Of that ancient guild of musicians, the troubadours,--so long the principal devotees and custodians of the divine art,--those were most esteemed by royalty and the general public who were the best violists.

In the construction of most musical instruments, improvements have been constantly made up to the present time. This is particularly true of the piano-forte; the handsome form, and the purity and beauty of tone, observable in a lately-made "Chickering" or "Steinway," rendering them so much superior to a piano of the olden times, as to barely admit of the latter's being called by the same name. But this is not true of the violin, inasmuch as a long time has elapsed since any change has been made in its construction that would add to its delicate, graceful form, to its nicety, sweetness, and purity of tone, or general musical capacity. To-day a Cremona, or an Amati, as well as violins of other celebrated makers of the long past, commands almost fabulous prices. A Cremona very lately sold for four thousand dollars; while such instruments as I have mentioned, when in the possession of a soloist, are scarcely to be purchased at any price.

Up to the times of the celebrated violin-virtuoso, Paganini, there had not been, it would seem, much improvement made in performance upon this instrument. He startled and electrified the musical world, and in his wonderful playing developed and amplified such resources and effects, both as to instrument and performer, as were not, previously to his coming, thought possible. After him, and to be compared with him, have come Vieuxtemps, Ole Bull, Wieniawski, and Joseph White. The latter, although not as yet so well known as the others (he is only a little over thirty years of age), is considered by competent critics to be fully entitled to rank with them.

But these are "bright particular stars," men of genius. The instrument is so difficult of mastery, that few violin-students may hope to equal such marvellous players as those mentioned; although long-continued and severe application may make them good orchestral performers or fair soloists.

The violin is said to be the "king of instruments;" but, by this, reference is made to those powers and extensive resources of expression that are made manifest when the instrument is subject to the brain and hand of the very skilful performer.

At such a time it is made to sing a song, which, readily awakening the sympathies of the soul, causes the listener to recognize and feel the effects of the intonations of pathos, of passion, of deepest melancholy, or those of lightsomeness and wildest joy.

Indeed, this noble instrument, under the deft fingering and skilful bowing of a master-player, becomes almost sentient, and is shown to possess the superior and exclusive power of expressing nearly all the human voice can produce except the articulation of words. A music-teacher once wrote that "the art of playing on the violin requires the nicest perception and the most sense of any art in the known world;" and many there are who will agree with him.

The purity, the sweetness, of its tones,--to produce which calls into exercise the most delicate faculties of the mind,--and the power of these tones to awaken in the heart the most tender feelings, to lead the performer at times into delightful imaginations, into pleasing, restful reveries,--it is the possession of such charming qualities as these that has rendered the violin at all times the favorite companion of the leisure moments of men eminent in the walks of literature, of princes, and other persons of taste and refinement. Some among those first mentioned have excelled as violin-performers, notwithstanding their other occupations.

Girardini, when asked how long it would take to learn to play the violin, replied, "Twelve hours a day for twenty years." Another thus intimates how long and arduous must be the toil before its mastery can be acquired:--

"The difficulty of thoroughly mastering the violin--the
difficulty, that is, of combining perfect execution with
brilliancy of tone and perfect expression--is so vast, that
nothing short of indomitable patience and perseverance,
united with those indispensable faculties which all good
players must possess, will succeed in overcoming them.
'Twelve years' practice,' says a musical critic, 'on the
violin, will produce about as much proficiency as one year's
practice on the piano.' If that is so, we may well imagine
that a man, who by dint of perseverance has at length
qualified himself to take his place in an orchestra, may
content himself by merely maintaining his acquired skill,
without attempting to rival the great heads of the
profession.

"The time which some students will devote to fiddling is
almost incredible. We have known a clever man to practise
every waking hour in the day, rising early and sitting up
late, and sparing hardly one hour in the twenty-four for
meals, for two years together, in the hope of qualifying
himself for the leadership in a provincial orchestra; which,
after all, he failed in doing. We have known men who fiddled
in bed when they could not sleep, rather than waste the
time; and others who have carried a dumb finger-board in
their pockets, in order to practise the fingering of
difficult passages while walking abroad or travelling by
coach."

It is, however, far from the purpose of the writer to discourage those who may wish to become proficient as performers on this delightful instrument, or to do otherwise than attempt to increase the number of those, who, having carefully listened to master-players, and having thus learned of the wonderful intonations and of the great refinement of musical expression of which the violin is capable, have resolved to become far more than mere "fiddlers;" and are therefore conscientiously and patiently addressing themselves to an endeavor to overcome its difficulties, and to take rank as real violinists. To many of this number a good if not a perfect degree of success must come, as it ever surely comes to the earnest, persevering student of any art.

To all such, then, the writer tenders his best wishes; while he earnestly commends the above examples to all who may have a desire to learn to develop the beautiful harmonic mysteries of this expressive, soulful instrument.