The Violin: Some Account of That Leading Instrument and Its Most Eminent Professors, from Its Earliest Date to the Present Time; with Hints to Amateurs, Anecdotes, etc.Dubourg, George
History
The Violin: Some Account of That Leading Instrument and Its Most Eminent Professors, from Its Earliest Date to the Present Time; with Hints to Amateurs, Anecdotes, etc.
Dubourg, George
Violin; Violinists -- Biography
To what a degree of tenuity Nardini divides the air! How
exquisitely he touches the strings of his instrument! With what art he
modulates and purifies their tones!”
Michael Kelly makes reference to this distinguished artist, in speaking
of a private concert at Florence. “There,” observes he, “I had the
gratification of hearing a sonata on the violin played by the great
Nardini. Though very far advanced in years, he played divinely. He spoke
with great affection of his favourite scholar, Thomas Linley, who, he
said, possessed powerful abilities.”—Kelly adds, that Nardini, when
appealed to on that occasion, as to the truth of the anecdote about
Tartini and the Devil’s Sonata, gave distinct confirmation of it, as a
thing he had frequently heard the relation of from Tartini himself.
Like some other masters of the old school, Nardini exhibited his powers
to most advantage in the performance of _adagios_; and a high tribute
to his capacity for expression is conveyed in what has been recorded of
the magic of his bow—that it elicited sounds, which, when the performer
was concealed from view, appeared rather those of the human voice than
of a violin. Of his Sonatas, now almost consigned to oblivion, the style
is ably sustained, the ideas are clear, the motive well treated, and the
expression natural, though of a serious cast, as was the character of
the composer.
Nardini died at Florence, in 1796, or, according to others, in 1793.
Among the compositions of this pupil of Tartini, are to be reckoned six
concertos for the violin; six solos for the same instrument (opera
seconda); six trios for the flute; six other solos for the violin; six
quartetts, six duetts; and, in manuscript, many concertos for the same
instrument.
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