United States or Romania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Behind them, there are two rough figures, busied with their own affairs, two of Joachim's shepherds; one, bare headed, the other wearing the wide Florentine cap with the falling point behind, which is exactly like the tube of a larkspur or violet; both carrying game, and talking to each other about Greasy Joan and her pot, or the like.
I mean this; I can make your head clever, but I cannot make your heart good: I can give you the power of imitation, but as to what you imitate, that must depend upon yourself, and the great Being I dare not name!" After saying this, the Genie laid his immense forefingers on each side of Joachim's head just above his forehead, and then disappeared.
"One great result attending Herr Joachim's professional visit to London is, that it enables both professors and amateurs opportunity after opportunity of studying his manner of playing the works of the giants of music.
Nothing in surly Joachim's history is half so memorable to me, or indeed memorable at all in the stage we are now come to. The Lady survived Joachim twenty years; of these she spent eleven still at Lichtenberg, in no over-haste to return.
How Herr Joachim executes these compositions how differently from the self-styled 'virtuosi, how purely, how modestly, how wholly forgetful of himself in the text he considers it an honour being allowed to interpret to the crowd we need scarcely remind our readers. As an example of Joachim's conscientiousness, the following little anecdote will serve to give an idea.
He sprang up and struck his fist into the face of his antagonist with such fury, that the big boy, though evidently unwilling to fight one less than himself, was obliged to bestow several sharp blows before he could rid himself of Joachim's passion.
The first thing he did on arriving was to go up to the big boy, who had beaten him, and beg him to shake hands. The big boy was pleased, and a grim smile lightened up his face. "But, old fellow," said he, laying his hand on Joachim's shoulder, "take a friend's advice. There is good in all of us, depend upon it. Look out for all that's good, and let the bad points take care of themselves.
"It isn't quite as bad as that, my dear," broke in Miss Merivale, as she saw Rose's vexed expression. "I promised that Rose should stay with them for a day or two. I thought that if you went up to Joachim's concert you might leave Rose behind, and fetch her next day." "But, Aunt Lucy, Pauline said a week!" exclaimed Rose in dismay. "We could do nothing in a day. And we want to do so much.
He even gave the big boy's lisp once more, and followed on with a series of pantomimic exhibitions. All at once, he cast his eyes on his Mother's face that face so full of intelligence and the mild sorrow of years of widowhood, borne with resigned patience. Her eyes were full of tears, and there was not a smile on her countenance. Joachim's conscience he knew not why twinged him terribly.
But before entering on this discussion I would beg my reader to call to mind that curious saying of Abbot Joachim's; and to consider that I wish to prove that, like his true monk, the true æsthete, who nowadays loves and praises creation much as the true monk did in former centuries, can really possess as sole personal possession only a musical instrument to wit, his own well-strung and resonant soul.
Word Of The Day