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Article BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF EMINENT (DECEAS... ← Page 5 of 11 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Biographical Sketches Of Eminent (Deceas...
" Dr . Burney was greatly pleased with his extemporary playing , and his pursuing the subjects and fugues that he gave him ; but insisted , like the rest , that he must have been taught the rules . An organist gave him a sonata he-had just written , not easy , nor very legible . Samuel played it with great readiness arid propriety , and better ( as the composer owned to Mr . Mad . . .
" Whatever wa ? presented he played at sight , and made variations on any tune ; and as often as he played it again , made new variaticms . He Imitated every author ' s style , whether Bach ( John Christian ) , Handel , Schobert , or Scarlatti . " On being shown some of Mozart's music , and asked how he liked it , he played it over , and said , 'It was very well for one of his years .
He played to Mr . Kelway , whom I afterwards asked what he thought of him .. He would not allow ^ ^ M be comparable to Charles ; yet commended him greatly , and told his mother , 'It was a gift from heaven-. to both her sons ; and as for Samuel he never in his life saw so & eeand (^ o ^ l a gentleihan , ' Mr . Madan had often said the same , 'that Samuel was eA ^ eryAvhere as much admired for his behaviour , as for
his playing . > . . If he loved anything better than music , it was regularity . He took to it himself Nothing could exceed his punctuality . No company , no persuasion , could keep him up beyond his time . He never could be prevailed on to hear any opera , or concert , by night . The moment the clock gave warning for eight , away ran Samuel in the midst of his most favourite music . Once , in the playhouse he rose up after the first part of the ' Messiah / with ' Gome , mamma , let us go home , or I shan ' t be in bed by eight . ' When some talked of carrying
him to the queen , and I asked him if he was willing to go , ' Yes , with all my heart ( he ansAvered ) , but I won't stay beyond eight . ' " The praises bestowed so lavishly on him did not seem to affect , much less to hurt , him ; and whenever he Avent into the company of his betters , he would much rather have stayed at home ; yet , when amongst them , he was free and easy , so that some remarked , 'he behaved as one brought up at court , yet Avithout a courtier ' s
servility / " On our coming to town this last time , he sent Dr . Boyce the last anthem he had made . The Doctor thought , from its correctness , that Charles must have helped him in it ; but Charles assured him that he neA ^ er assisted him , otherwise than by telling him , if he asked , whether such or such a passage were good harmony ; and the Doctor was so scrupulous , that when Charles showed him an improper note , he would not suffer it to be altered . Mr . Madan now carried him to more of
the first masters . Mr . Abel wrote him a subject , and declared , ' not three masters in toAvn could have answered it so well . ' Mr . Cramer ( father to J , B . and Francois ) , took a great liking to him , offered to teach him the violin , and played some trios with Charles and him . He sent a man to take the measure of him for a fiddle ; and is confident that a very few lessons would set him up for a violinist . Samuel often played the second , and sometimes the first fiddle with Mr ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Biographical Sketches Of Eminent (Deceas...
" Dr . Burney was greatly pleased with his extemporary playing , and his pursuing the subjects and fugues that he gave him ; but insisted , like the rest , that he must have been taught the rules . An organist gave him a sonata he-had just written , not easy , nor very legible . Samuel played it with great readiness arid propriety , and better ( as the composer owned to Mr . Mad . . .
" Whatever wa ? presented he played at sight , and made variations on any tune ; and as often as he played it again , made new variaticms . He Imitated every author ' s style , whether Bach ( John Christian ) , Handel , Schobert , or Scarlatti . " On being shown some of Mozart's music , and asked how he liked it , he played it over , and said , 'It was very well for one of his years .
He played to Mr . Kelway , whom I afterwards asked what he thought of him .. He would not allow ^ ^ M be comparable to Charles ; yet commended him greatly , and told his mother , 'It was a gift from heaven-. to both her sons ; and as for Samuel he never in his life saw so & eeand (^ o ^ l a gentleihan , ' Mr . Madan had often said the same , 'that Samuel was eA ^ eryAvhere as much admired for his behaviour , as for
his playing . > . . If he loved anything better than music , it was regularity . He took to it himself Nothing could exceed his punctuality . No company , no persuasion , could keep him up beyond his time . He never could be prevailed on to hear any opera , or concert , by night . The moment the clock gave warning for eight , away ran Samuel in the midst of his most favourite music . Once , in the playhouse he rose up after the first part of the ' Messiah / with ' Gome , mamma , let us go home , or I shan ' t be in bed by eight . ' When some talked of carrying
him to the queen , and I asked him if he was willing to go , ' Yes , with all my heart ( he ansAvered ) , but I won't stay beyond eight . ' " The praises bestowed so lavishly on him did not seem to affect , much less to hurt , him ; and whenever he Avent into the company of his betters , he would much rather have stayed at home ; yet , when amongst them , he was free and easy , so that some remarked , 'he behaved as one brought up at court , yet Avithout a courtier ' s
servility / " On our coming to town this last time , he sent Dr . Boyce the last anthem he had made . The Doctor thought , from its correctness , that Charles must have helped him in it ; but Charles assured him that he neA ^ er assisted him , otherwise than by telling him , if he asked , whether such or such a passage were good harmony ; and the Doctor was so scrupulous , that when Charles showed him an improper note , he would not suffer it to be altered . Mr . Madan now carried him to more of
the first masters . Mr . Abel wrote him a subject , and declared , ' not three masters in toAvn could have answered it so well . ' Mr . Cramer ( father to J , B . and Francois ) , took a great liking to him , offered to teach him the violin , and played some trios with Charles and him . He sent a man to take the measure of him for a fiddle ; and is confident that a very few lessons would set him up for a violinist . Samuel often played the second , and sometimes the first fiddle with Mr ,