Page:Notes of a Pianist.djvu/65

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CRITICISMS.
47

the next day. At noon the carriage of the grand duchess was at the door of the hotel where the artist was, and at one he entered the salon of her Higliness. She was in great company, with her ladies of honour and the Princesses Wolkonsey and Soukoyanet. The grand duchess conversed a long time with Gottsclialk, a grand collation was afterwards served up. At the request of the grand duchess, Gottschalk placed himself at the piano, and all the pieces he played caused him to receive reiterated felicitations. The grand duchess afterwards presented him, with charming grace, a little jewel-case, saying to him, "This is not a testimony of my admiration, but simply a souvenir; let it sometimes recall to you a person whom you have inspired with the greatest interest!" The box inclosed a magnificent breast-pin, formed by an enormous pearl and diamonds from the jewel-box of her Highness.

A few days since, Gottschalk was presented to the Queen of Sardinia, who conversed at length with him.

Marie Escudier.


(From the Feuilleton de la Gazette de Lausanne, 28 November, 1850.)

CONCERTS OF MR. GOTTSCHALK—AN ARTIST'S IMPRESSIONS.

To the Editor of the Gazette de Lausanne:

Many friends having manifested a desire to know the opinion of an artist grown gray under the harness, and being willing to acknowledge my old musical experience, will you, Mr. Editor, permit me to communicate to you the impression which the talent of our young and already so celebrated artist has produced upon me?

Behold this full hall! how many persons have not mentally exclaimed: "It is a piano, and he is nothing but a pianist!" that is true; but it is a piano from the manufactory of Erard, known in the musical world as the best manufacturer.

As for the pianist, Mr. Gottschalk oflfers an interesting study to physiognomists. When the crowd has assembled, restless and on the watch, they see a young man appear with an interesting countenance, a tournure rather gentlemanlike, very pale, his eyes oast down. His physiognomy expresses melancholy, and there is in all his features a trace of pain and sadness.

At the first sounds, even at the first piece, the audience remains undecided, and it is only the gens de l'art who from the first recognize a superior talent.

Have a moment's patience! these touches, so cold, so insensible, you are about to hear become animated, to weep, to sing, before you; there is the pianist who is about to realize this prodigy; you at first listen with doubt, but little by little your ear becomes habituated to this tender and plaintive accent; you cannot detach yourself from it, you are conjured unknown to yourself, you yield to a supernatural force; and the artist? behold how his look becomes animated, and how his pale tint becomes little by little coloured! how his features express the sufferings of his soul; how noble his head is and how all his body seems to grow larger; it is an attraction without example, you do not dream of analyzing your sensations; you ask if it is music, you applaud, you cry bravo with all your might, but without premeditation, for it is a spontaneous expression, instinctive of astonishment and admiration (we, personally, had not even