applied their talents to the elaboration of popular airs and operatic
themes were able to elicit the warmest praise. Vieuxtemps appears to
have appealed to the cultured minority and was understood and
appreciated by very few.

Flowery language was used without stint, and was frequently misapplied
in the most ludicrous manner, as will be seen by the following extract:

"Since the death of his great master, the weird Paganini, Ole Bull
had been left without a rival in Europe. Herwig, Nagel, Wallace,
Artot, and De Bériot can only 'play second fiddle' to this king of
the violin. His entrance upon the stage is remarkably modest, and
after the Parisian graces of Artot seems a little awkward; a tip of
his bow brings a crash from the orchestra. He then lays his cheek
caressingly on the instrument, which gradually awakes, and wails,
and moans, like an infant broken of its slumber. Every tone seems
fraught with human passion. At one time he introduces a dialogue,
in which a sweet voice complains so sadly that it makes the heart
ache with pity, which is answered from another string with
imprecations so violent and threatening that one almost trembles
with fear. We fancied that a young girl was pleading for the life
of her lover, and receiving only curses in reply. At the close of
the first piece, the 'Adagio Maestoso,' there was one universal
shout of applause, which afforded an infinite relief to a most
enthusiastic house that had held its breath for fifteen minutes.
Ole Bull came before the curtain and bowed, with his hand upon his
heart. There is something different in his performance from that of
any other artist, and yet it is difficult to describe the
peculiarity of his style, except that he touches all the strings at
once, and plays a distinct accompaniment with the fingers of his