Confessions of a Violinist

Co n fessi o n s o f a Vi o i n ist Realities a nd Roma nce By Dr T Lamb Phi son . p Formerly Pres ident a nd Vi oluf Solo to the Boh emian Orchestra l Society “ " Author of Voice a nd Violin, etc. London Cha tto Windus . B Li inc Com an Philadelphia J . pp ott p y 1 9 0 2 IN FOND REMEMBRANCE OF EMMA EL L EN EL I Z ABETH PHI PSON ’ Onl elnld tlce la te Cm mu Sa xon . LAMB o the y gf , f ’ Her orddure Re iment ret Cowiu WI LLIAMLAMB f g , f gf , LORD Mm ounnn or n a tt ea r: P rin t Ma h l er , f y y n 2nd J une 1 8 1 . D13 0 th Ma rch 1 8 Bo n 1 , 3 3 99 ' ’ ’ ca r i uttna Ma dr e Mi a L ia a ne tun ca r e 0 ddie A g p , belle 2 er t en re inta li a l a a l l n i o m ore. , p p g P R E F A C E THE present little work, as indicated in the title, R R consists of two parts, ealities and omance . It contains biographical sketches, reminiscences, studies, and episodes, with some short romantic stories interspersed, which are all drawn from real life . It may be considered as a continuation of my V V " oice and iolin, which has been so indulgently received by all classes of readers that I have been induced to give here a number of notes and s ketches which have not yet appeared in any of s I e my other book . hop they will be found instructive and amusing, and so help to foster s the love of music, from which mo t people derive so much pleasure and profit . ASA M Por “ DON C m , n , LON , C O N T E N T S CHA R. K I . LOOKING BAC II . FIRST IMPRESSIONS A A A MORTE BE K III . T THE CH TE U DE C I v. LI FE IN BRUSSELS A v. SOME INCIDENTS T MY CONCERTS THE TARANTELLA A STORY OF STORIONI VIII. RAMEAU A GUARNE RI VIOLIN AT ROME - x. THE HISTORY OF THE HURDY GURDY THE SON OF A VIOLINIST AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF LOLLI I I I ] . A REMINISCENCE OF VUI LLAUME xI v A . THE YOUTH OF UBER THE DANCING FROG v F . THE MUSIC O DE BERI OT ’ CELLo-P SWARTZF D xvu . THE LAYER OF EL X OF VI I I . THE THEORY TONE ix CONTENTS CRA P. WI X I X . HENRI ENI AWSKI A DUE T WITH A THIRD PART xxx R S S D A E RS . A TI T AN AM T U W xxn . THE AITS or NEUSATz xx G R BB R m . IRARD AND O E ECHTS T P- xxxv . HE STE MOTHER VIOLINIST xv P RT x . JOSE H A OT X V A X I . LESSON IN MODESTY Confessions of a V iolinist I LOO KING BACK ON looking calmly over the events of the last e century, I feel fortunate in having be n born E th e an ng lishman , and having lived throug hout V whole g lorious reign of Queen ictoria, the con temporary of my dear mother . I came into this wonderful world at the dawn of the railway and R the eform Bill, and when music was exerting its most powerful influence upon society in the P form of Italian opera and the violin of aganini . My mother had left school in Kensington , and e be n married five years, when our late beloved e Sov reign succeeded to the throne in 1 8 3 7 . The Queen was the only child of the Duke of Kent ; my mother was the only child of C L L aptain amb, first cousin of ord Melbourne, S IV. Home ecretary under William , and for many P n years rime Mi ister under Victoria . He was ' the young Queen s favourite Minister ; he g ave A 2 CONFESSIONS OF A VIOLINIST her the first lessons in diplomacy and government, with what excellent res ults every year Of her long s and spotless life bears te timony . The Queen was eighteen when she succeeded was to the throne, and my mother barely nineteen Sh when e married my father . They were two of the most beautiful and most lovable women in the whole world . My mother retained the delicate outlines Of her lovely features to the last . I possess her Teis s erenc B r miniature, painted by de o t (late Of F a Of Minister Ag riculture in r nce), a friend my is father, and a most accomplished amateur a rt t , h La d wood who spent some time wit us at y , near Birmingham, when he was deputed by his govern E ment to visit ngland . L V William amb, iscount Melbourne , died F without children, and his brother rederick suc ceeded to the title ; he, also, left no heirs, but C S L my g randfather, aptain amuel amb, had e L already died b fore his cousin, ord Melbourne, E the Prime Minister, leaving an only child, mma e E t . E ll n lizabe h , my mother Once I thought of petitioning Queen Victoria to allow me to take up the title of Viscount Melbourne— her generosity and keen sense Of justice would have granted it— but I never did so I reflected that a man will always be judged by his works rather than by his titles or social position . LOOKING BACK 3 I have devoted much of my life to my violin ; and I have found that music is one of the anti dotes to the virulent poisons of our period . Music and moral philosophy must go hand in hand to extirpate the morbid microbes of vice in all its forms and manifestations . S At the time of his marriage my father, amuel R Ph i s on - yland p , was twenty eig ht years of age, e and my moth r had just left school . He must have been considered a handsome man ; for, tradesmen and others who did not know him, s invariably addre sed him, both at home and C Ph i s on . B abroad, as olonel p etween them , my parents were possessed of a considerable for w . La d ood E tune y , near dg baston, where my younger days were passed, was a delightful resi — ! entirel destro ed dence now, alas y; y the ancient e elms and beeches have disappeared, and stre ts full of houses take the place of the flowery meadows and beautiful gardens ! As a young boy my father was educated at a - well known school in Hereford , and at sixteen years of age he entered the University of Jena, in Germany, where he remained till he was - 1 twenty one . It was in the year 8 1 9 that he sailed from Harwich to Rotterdam for that pur a n pose, a voyage of three d ys ; and, accordi g h is e e to diary, which I possess, he must hav sp nt 4 CONFESSIONS OF A VIOLINIST h a very delightful time abroad . He ad one inter a t a n view, Weimar, with the poet Goethe, then E 1 8 2 old man , and returned to ng land in 4 with a violin and a little book of student songs —a most beautiful collection of all the bes t part songs sung by the students of the German uni vers ities . Shortly after his return to England he pur a S d v chased tra i ari violin , valued in those days r at one hund ed guineas, which he afterwards gave to me . This is the violin upon which I have s oirées mus ica les played in all my concerts and , and e which has accompanied me on all my journ ys . He never played much himself, but was a pleasing S inger and a most excellent judge of style . Those who can look back into the past without reg ret live double lives . My mother, also, made me numerous presents on every possible occasion ; on my birthday, at C hristmas, and at other times ; and whenever my eyes rest upon one of these objects, I live over i wa s aga n the happy moments in which it given . Indeed, the sight of these gifts is not really h needful, for the thoughts of t ose days of happi . O ness and indulgence recur without it ften, of late years, this remembrance of past events has a proved a good guide to present ctions, and a th e faithful warning for future . LOOKING BACK 5 All who knew him acknowledge that my ex cellent father was not only one of th e most e but nlightened men of the nineteenth century, one of the most generous and benevolent . At La d wood e y he kept open hous , and his stables were always at th e disposal of any friends who might wish to ride over and put up their horses whilst they stayed a fortnight or more with us . In early life he kept hunters, but after meeting with a bad accident on riding through a wood, my mother persuaded him to give up following the hounds .

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