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Scan 49
The violinist, 1903
29 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 7. See the scan on archive.org.
1An English Paganini of Long Ago
3During the early days of violin playing in England, the first part of the seventeenth century, the upper positions were unknown and even the extension of the fourth finger to high C was considered a feat only for professionals to attempt in public. It created nearly as much excitement as the high notes of a soprano. Thomas Baltzar, who was born in 1630, nearly a quarter of a century before the great Italian, Corelli, taught the "whole shift" and opened a wide field for improved technic by introducing the slide and the higher notes of the instrument. When Baltzar explained his discovery to the Oxford professors there was much unseemly behavior and twitting. To extend the compass of a little fiddle beyond all its larger competitors was witchery and should be ruled out of court or denied as impossible, and then if anyone accomplished the thing there were 57 varieties of English law to punish the culprit, uphold Oxford and prove that the profs. were right. It's easy to be right—if you have the law on your side. But in spite of the wisest men in England, we have climbed right up the finger-board, reached the limit, and now the world applauds, including Oxford. Oxford is a whole world by itself, but it changes its mind quite often, which proves it is wise after all.
5Pleased the Quaker Ear.
7Seventy years ago a Philadelphian was visiting in a neighboring town where the trombone was better known than in the city of brotherly love; in fact, it doth not appear that even ye best families around Liberty Hall had ever seen such a queer looking affair. The visitor was much impressed by the orchestra he heard, and wanted to know the name of those long horns that had a sliding movement. He said he thought they needed some of that kind of horn in Philadelphia.
9Guaranteed Pure Tone
11A package containing a cheap fiddle was once sent by express to a fiddle crank in Rhode Island who always furnished doubtful entertainment to his friends in the way of conversation on the one subject of purity of tone in violins. He recognized the shape of the package as that of a violin, and, with visions of Stradivarius, Amati and other great makes of violins, removed the wrappings as carefully as possible under such exciteable conditions. What, then, was his surprise to find the aforesaid fiddle, strung with tarred twine, and labeled inside as follows: "Genuine Chromonto; guaranteed 89 per cent. pure tone."
13Cost of Sending Violins to Germany
15The postage on three violins sent from Germany to Kansas City recently was $1,90, not a very large sum surely, but of course the revenue officer had to have a hand in the affair and this added $40 to the amount paid for importing the instruments by Carl Busch of that city. It costs just 90 cents to mail a violin from Kansas City to Germany.
17Send 75 cents for the "Violinist's Manual."
19FOR LO! creation's self is one great choir,
20And what is nature's order but the rhyme
21Whereto the world keeps time
22And all things move with all things from their prime,
23Who shall expound the mystery of the lyre?
24In far retreats of elemental minds
25Obscurely comes and goes
26The imperative breath of song, that as the wind
27Is trackless, and oblivious whence it blows.
28William Watson.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.