Camilla: A Tale of a Violin: Being the Artist Life of Camilla Urso — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Camilla: A Tale of a Violin: Being the Artist Life of Camilla Urso
John Stuart Mill · en
It was a busy life for Camilla. As the winter advanced her hours of
study increased. More practice at home and more difficult lessons at the
school. Studies from Rode, Baillot, Fiorillo, Viotti, Kreutzer, Sporha
and the great masters of the violin, were taken up in turn. It was
designed that she should become acquainted with all the master works of
the day. In addition to regular studies in scales, finger exercises and
the like, she went through all the works of the masters that she might
become familiar with their style and learn to appreciate the best art.
There were no trifling songs, no silly pieces designed to show how fast
she could scrabble through a great many notes. Nothing of this kind
allowed. Solid work, grand concertos, sonatas and solos passed under her
hand in review and in an artistic atmosphere, she began to grow to the
stature of an artist while only a child.
The boys in the class soon laid aside their rude manners and forgot
their jealousy in admiration. Massart laughed at them and said: “Fie!
Boys! The hen is beating the roosters.” Much truth was hidden in the
master’s pleasantry. Camilla was rapidly distancing them all. She was
the favorite scholar. She had the advantage of Massart’s private
instruction three times a week and exhibited an aptitude for the work
that advanced her quickly to the head of the class. This was an honor,
for it must be remembered, that these boys had been selected as the
cream of all the candidates. Each had displayed marked talent for the
violin. Had it been otherwise they would not have been in the
Conservatory.
All were like Camilla, quite poor. Some were even supported by pensions
from their native towns, and nearly all of them afterwards became good
players. There was Lacham, Leon Regniér, and Isidor Lotto who afterwards
became so famous, and several others.
Henri Wieniawski was in the class before Camilla, but at the time was
still about the school. They often met and there began a friendship that
has continued to this day. Of Massart’s pupils, three, Camilla, Lotto
and Wieniawski have become famous the world over and are among the great
artists now living.
Besides her regular studies Massart advised Camilla to join a quartette
in order to perfect herself in reading music at sight. Once a week she
spent an hour or two in playing with three others at the Conservatory
and in this way heard much fine music and accustomed her young eyes to
read the notes quickly and taught her slender fingers to interpret the
music at command.