A Biographical Dictionary of Fiddlers di A. Mason Clarke
Biographical Dictionary of Fiddlers. 297
of long service and advanced age. It was during his directorship of the Cassel orchestra that Spohr produced his great orchestral compositions—his operas, symphonies, and sacred music.
It is interesting at this point to turn again to the autobiography and ascertain what views " the first singer on the violin " held regarding the performances of the great contemporary players. " That Lafont's excellence restricts itself always to but a few pieces at once, and that he practises the same concerto by the year together before he plays it in public, is well known. Since I have heard the perfect execution which he attains by this means, I certainly will not cavil with this application of all his powers to the one object; but I could not imitate him, and cannot even understand how one can bring one's self to practice the same piece of music for four or five hours daily, but still less how it is to be done without eventually losing every vestige of real art, in such a mechanical mode of proceeding."
Baillot is, in the technical scope of his play, almost as perfect, and his diversity of manner, shews that he is so, without resorting to the same desperate means. Besides his own compositions, he plays almost all those of ancient and modern times. On one and the same
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Dictionary Fiddlers Cassel Spohr That Lafont Baillot Besides
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