Scan 98
Voice and violin: sketches, anecdotes, and reminiscences by T.L. Phipson, 1898
12 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 80. See the scan on archive.org.
1But now that he was married, and had made some provision for his parents, Tomarissen decided to travel in another direction; "for," he surmised, "if my violin-playing proves such an attraction to the Bey, what might he think of Roxelana?"
3So he made a prolonged tour in Southern Europe, and whilst the Bey of Tunis continued to listen as before to the dance music of his evening orchestra, Tomarissen enraptured still more powerful potentates, until one of them created him a nobleman, which pleased Roxelana immensely, but lost to the world both the name and the performances of this truly wonderful violinist.
5In the little cemetery near the fine old cathedral of Montreale, about five miles from Palermo, his native city, is a modest stone upon which are inscribed the words—
7IL CONTE DI RUBATELLO,
9and the date 1842. That is the last resting-place of this extraordinary man. He lies in ground that has been consecrated for no less than seven hundred years.
11Just as I am writing these lines the sad news reaches me from Genoa that the Italian stage has lost one of its brightest ornaments by the death of the famous tenor, Roberto Stagno, who has just died at the birthplace of Paganini.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.