Books › Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896 › scan 181
Scan 181
Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896
8 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 161. See the scan on archive.org.
1THE CHILD VIOLINIST
3It is a curious fact, which does some honour to Great Britain, that scarcely any musical celebrity appears on the Continent but what the inhabitants of these island shores are called upon to enjoy it, and to pay for it—often to the detriment of English talent little, if at all, inferior. And yet there are (or were, not long ago) people who pretend that the English are not a musical race!
5Now, it happened that among the more ardent admirers of the little German girl at Vienna was no less a personage than the English Ambassador. He actually prevailed upon her father to take her to England, and gave him several letters of introduction. The result was, that in 1760 Herr Schmöhling and his daughter set out for London, a long and tedious journey in those days. They were some months on the road, and had to undergo all those hardships of travel characteristic of the latter half of last century, of which we at the present day, with our railways, steamships, and telegraphs, can form no idea whatever. They proceeded from town to town till they reached Holland, where they gave some concerts, and at last they arrived in London, where, thanks to the letters they had brought with them, they were most kindly received.
7The child was petted, as children of that age usually are, especially when they are pretty and show some remarkable artistic talent; and many
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