Recollections of an old musician

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In my early years in Boston, foreign artists, singers, and players, came to the United States pretty much as they come now, but relatively in smaller numbers. Boston was even then quite a Mecca for instrumentalists.

Among those who made the greatest impression on me were three genuine artists who formed a little company,—Sivori, violinist, Knoop, violoncellist, Henry Herz, pianist. The latter was spoken of with great acclaim by the newspapers as the composer of variations on Home, Sweet Home. His position was thereby fixed at the top round of the art ladder. He did play his own compositions quite neatly, also those of Rosellen and kindred composers, and I was present when he took part in a piano trio by Haydn; but I fear his playing would not pass muster in these days. The cellist, Knoop, was of the regulation pattern of well- trained virtuosi, who could play the elder Romberg’s compositions. But Sivori was really a master violinist—an advance Wieniawski, without the latter’s ability to compose violin music. Sivori had a marvellous technique. He had been the only pupil and protege of Paganini, and he played on the latter’s famous Stradivarius, left by will to him.

excerpt from 'Recollections of an old musician' pp. 32 (208 words)

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