Books › Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896 › scan 35
Scan 35
Famous violinists and fine violins : historical notes, anecdotes, and reminiscences, 1896
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 15. See the scan on archive.org.
1Viotti is a creative genius so far as he improved considerably in boldness on the style of Corelli. An excellent example of his work is the Rondo Appassionata, which is to be found arranged as a duet for two violins, with piano accompaniment by Papini, in the clever "Album Chanot," or "Soirée Concertante d'Amateurs Virtuoses," recently published in London by F. W. Chanot. On the cover of this interesting publication, which contains a number of fine pieces, is a picture of two ladies and a gentleman performing this effective little piece of Viotti before a very distinguished audience. Among the Concertos, that in D is extremely brilliant. The theme is taken from a trio in E flat by his celebrated teacher, Pugnani, of Turin.
3Whilst Viotti held the post of director of the music at the Grand Opera in Paris, he received a letter from a man destined to take, in later years, the very foremost rank as a composer. I allude to Rossini. This letter is dated 10th July 1821, at which period Viotti was a greater man than Rossini. Here is my translation of it:—
5"Most Esteemed Sir,—You will be surprised at receiving a letter from an individual who has not the honour of your personal acquaintance, but I profit by the liberality of feeling existing between artistes to address these lines to you through our friend Hérold, from whom I have learned with the
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