Part 24 (1/2)
The paper, ”Le Pays,” of the 5th of August, 1856, expresses itself in terms none the less flattering:--
”The concourse of violinists has presented this year a beautiful sight. The fight has been one of the most brilliant. The first prize has been awarded to Mr. White, pupil of Mr. Alard.
”... As for Mr. White, he showed himself so much superior, that there ought to have been (so we think) created in his favor an exceptional prize. He has played with an extraordinary animation, not like a pupil, but like a master,--like a great artist who commands his auditory. The jury itself was electrified. In order to compete with that young man, there ought to have been masters there.”
It was at this brilliant concourse that Rossini, the great composer, remarked of White, ”Since the day he took an interest in him, and protected the young artist, there was no festivity at the maestro's without the violinist playing on his melodious instrument.” Besides, this letter from Rossini, addressed to White at the time of his father's sickness, shows how much the master loved him:--
TO MR. WHITE. _Sir_,--Allow me to express to you all the pleasure that I felt Sunday last at my friend Mr. David's.
The warmth of your execution, the feeling, the elegance, the brilliancy of the school to which you belong, show qualities in you as an artist of which the French school may be proud. May it be, sir, that through my sympathetic wishes I may bring you good fortune by finding again in good health the one for whom you fear to-day! Accept my blessings. Sir, I wish you a happy journey, and a speedy return.
G. ROSSINI.
In November, 1858, Mr. White was obliged to return to Havana, called back to his dying father. He then left France; accounts of his success in which, carried to the dying man, were a sweet consolation and happiness,--thus to see, before dying, his son who was called to such a brilliant career. After the death of his father, he started for France again; not, however, without having first obtained great success in different cities of Cuba, where he was received in triumph.
Gottschalk, the celebrated pianist, who was one of the first who had advised White's family to send him to Paris, said that in all his life he had never seen such a beautiful success, and such a deserved one.
After his return to Paris, White gave a great concert.
”L'Ill.u.s.tration” of the 4th of May, 1861, gives an account of that evening's entertainment in the following terms:--
”Mr. White, whom America sent to us a year ago, I think, through a courageous work, developed the talent which had caused him to receive the first prize at the Conservatoire.
He played with equal success the concerto by Mendelssohn, and Paganini's fantasias: which is to say, that he is ready to play every thing you may wish; for there is a place for every thing between these two extremes. He played even his own music; and played at his concert a composition for violin and orchestra, very well instrumentated, full of happy melodies, and where the princ.i.p.al part contained features of a character as ingenious as piquant. He possesses an extreme dexterity in the use of the bow, and makes the staccato with as much audacity as perfection. He has the tone agreeable, the style elegant, and the expression just, and not affected. Here he is, then, placed in the first rank in that glorious phalanx of violinists which Europe envies us.”
After having given a splendid description of this concert (which want of s.p.a.ce forces us not to publish here), the ”Patrie” of the 30th of April, 1861, speaks thus:--
”We have seen Mr. White begin. We have been present at the concourse at the Conservatoire, where he won successively all the prizes. Then it was but a scholar who gave brilliant hopes: it is a master that we congratulate to-day in him.”
Some time after, he left for Spain, where he played at Mme. the Comtesse de Montijo's (mother of the Empress of France), and before the Queen of Spain. Her Spanish Majesty presented him, the brilliant virtuoso, with a magnificent set of diamond studs, and created him chevalier of the order of Isabella the Catholic. We reproduce some lines from ”La France Musicale” of the 22d of November, 1863:--
”White, the violinist, has had the honor to be received on the 12th of this month by the Queen of Spain. Her Majesty has accepted the dedication of a piece composed by this eminent artist, and has told him that she would try and find an occasion for hearing him play it; and, in fact, our violinist played at the queen's on the 22d of December.”[15]
[Footnote 15: For further accounts of his career in Spain, the reader is referred to La Correspondencia of 23d December, 1863; La Epoca, La Discusion, &c., of about the same date.]
After his return to France, he played at the Tuileries before their Majesties Napoleon the Third and the Empress Eugenie. These sovereigns congratulated the artist most fully. We reproduce an extract from the ”Const.i.tutionale:”--
”In the concert given at the Palace of the Tuileries on the 1st of March, Mr. White, violinist, and very distinguished, executed a fantasie on Nabucco by Mr. Alard, in which he displayed all the qualities of a virtuoso. He knows how to make his instrument sing; and, when a difficulty presents itself, he carries it with a fascinating majesty. He is an artist who has succeeded in taking place among the best violinists of France and Italy.”
This was going on in the year 1864.
This same year, Alard, White's old professor, was obliged to be absent, and leave his cla.s.s in the care of others. After considering into whose care he should leave his cla.s.s, Mr. Alard thought that White was more able to help him than any other,--White, his old first prize. Since that day, it was he, who, during the absence of the master, has had the directing of his cla.s.s at the Conservatoire. In order to thank him for his services so well given, Alard presented White with a magnificent bow ornamented with gold and with tortoise-sh.e.l.ls.
One reads in the ”France Musicale” of the 24th of December, 1864, the following lines:--
”Our celebrated violinist Alard, who has been on a short tour in the country, has just returned to Paris. During his absence, one of his pupils, Mr. White the violinist, took the management of his cla.s.s at the Conservatoire.”
The ”Art Musicale” of the 15th of January says,--
”Our celebrated violinist Alard is now in Nice, where he expects to spend a month. It is the violinist, Mr. White, who is charged with the direction of his cla.s.s at the Conservatoire.”
The ”Presse Theatrale” of the 26th of January, 1865, says,--