Books › Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896 › scan 62
Scan 62
Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 42. See the scan on archive.org.
1their rapacious longings for the blood of respected citizens and for their goods.
3Once, during an occasion of more than ordinary excitement, Cherubini fell into the hands of a band of these raving robbers, who were seeking for musicians to conduct their revolutionary howlings. To them it was a special satisfaction to compel men of talent, who had formerly delighted royalty and nobility, to administer now to their own gratification. On the great composer firmly refusing to lead them, a murmur ran through the crowd, and he was taunted by half a dozen voices as being a "royalist." Such a taunt had only to be taken up by the remainder, to signify speedy death.
5At this intensely critical moment, one of Cherubini's friends, a musician who had already been forcibly enrolled by the ruffians, and happened to be standing near him, thrust a "wretched violin" into his unwilling hands, and by most earnest entreaties finally induced him to lead the anarchist mob.
7The whole of the day these two unfortunate musicians were compelled to accompany the howling fanatics; and when at last a halt was made in one of the squares, where a "banquet" was given, Cherubini and his friend were made to stand on two empty barrels and play away till the feast, or farce, was finished. It is impossible to realise
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