Reminiscences of Michael Kelly

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

226-228

text excerpt

During my stay, I had the pleasure of hearing two of the first performers on the violin, perhaps in the world ; both gave concerts, and their performance was truly exquisite, although in different styles. The first was Giornovick, who was on his way from Russia to Paris, and had been many years first concerto player at the court of Petersburg. He was a man of a certain age, but in the full vigour of talent ; his tone was very powerful, his execution most rapid, and his taste above all alluring. No performer, in ray remembrance, played such pleasing music. He generally closed his concertos with a rondo, the subject of which was some popular Russian air, to which he composed variations with enchanting taste; his performance reminded me strongly of the celebrated La Motte, whom I had often heard at the Rotunda in Dublin. Janewitz, the other, was a very young man, in the service of the King of Poland ; he also touched the instrument with thrilling effect, and was an excellent leader of an orchestra. His concertos always finished with some pretty Polonaise air ; his variations also were truly beautiful. But the Apollo, the Orpheus of the age, was the redoubted and renowned Baron Bach, who came to Vienna to be heard by the Emperor. He (in his own conceit) surpassed Tartini, Nardini, &c. &c. This fanatico per la musica had just arrived from Petersburg, where he went to make his extraordinary talents known to the Royal Family and Court. Now, I have often heard this man play, and I positively declare, that his performance was as bad as any blind fiddler's at a wake in a country town in Ireland ; but he was a man of immense fortune, and kept open house.

excerpt from 'Reminiscences of Michael Kelly' pp. 226-228 (294 words)

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