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Scan 50
The reminiscences of a fiddle dealer, 1925
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 26. See the scan on archive.org.
1CHAPTER V
3TWO CELEBRATED 'CELLOISTS, FATHER AND SON
5While attending one of M. Jansen's private concerts, I had the pleasure of meeting M. Servais of Hal, one of the most renowned violoncelloists of the day. This gentleman was about forty when he first made his mark as a player, and though his late start in studying music systematically was against him in some respects, still he had a natural gift and soon won distinction. He had a thoroughly musical nature and had ever the power to stir his audience with his playing. He was also rather eccentric and sometimes caused much mirth among the audience by mounting on a table, 'cello and all, so that his part might be well heard above the orchestra and further making most comical faces which set the audience in a roar. When M. Servais started to study music, he walked once a week into Brussels, a distance of sixteen miles, with his 'cello on his back, in order to get cheap lessons. The 'cello he played at the time I met him was a very large sized Strad. of the early period, and had never been reduced in size as many were, owing to the difficulty men of medium size had in playing them, because Servais, being big and strong, found no difficulty with it.
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