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
Carl Rosa who was then in Boston took Madam Urso’s place at the Harvard
Concert, and on the next morning Mr. Dwight the Treasurer called and
paid her the usual honorarium, just as if she had been present. Madam
Urso remained in Boston and appeared at the next concert as she makes it
a rule always to fulfill every engagement to the letter, whatever may be
the expense and inconvenience it may cause her.
Immediately after the little adventure in Boston, just mentioned, Madam
Urso was engaged by Mr. P. S. Gilmore to travel through the New England
States. This tour was a very successful one and at its close she spent
the Summer quietly at Saratoga and Long Branch. The season of 1867 and
1868 was an exceedingly busy one and engagements were made in all parts
of the country with uniform success. In the Spring she found the labor
and travel were telling upon her health, and in June she sailed once
more for Europe where she spent three months in Bologne and Paris, in
retirement. Though not giving concerts she practiced as steadily and
earnestly as her health would permit. The quiet sea-shore life at
Bologne, the drives on the beach and the charming social life rested her
fully and in September she was once more ready to resume her profession
in this country. To report it all is quite beyond our limits.
Engagements to play crowded upon her from all parts of the country, and
every concert seemed to be more successful than the last. One given as a
complementary testimonial to Madam Urso by the musicians of Boston, in
January 1869, brought out all her friends and packed the Music Hall with
an audience such as it never saw before. About the same time she was
elected an honorary life member of the Philharmonic Society of
Philadelphia. This Summer, like the last, was passed in Bologne and
Paris and was wholly devoted to study and practice, with some
recreation.
CHAPTER II.
THE SILVER BRICK.
On the 24th of September (1869) Madam Urso started from Paris for a new
and untried field. Stopping one week only in New York she pushed on
towards the Pacific and landed in San Francisco on the 22d of October.
Only four weeks from Paris to San Francisco including six days in New
York. This will illustrate her power of physical endurance, and the
experience that followed this rapid journey will serve to show her
business capacity, her executive talents, and her indomitable energy.
The seven months passed in California make one of the most remarkable
episodes of her life and it must be examined in some detail.