Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/A/Aspull, George

Aspull, George. The London Musical World, for 1825, contains the following notice of this extraordinary youth : "In the more select musical circles of London, there has been unobtrusively stealing into notice a child, in whom is developed so early and so extraordinary a talent for music, that the most fastidious predict for him a reputation of the highest order, and speak of him as a genius born to bestow a character for eminence in that art which I as hitherto been withheld by foreigners from the natives of this country. His father was formerly, we under-stand, in business, but, not being successful in the pursuit he at first chose, was compelled to resort to music as a profession, and by diligent and successful practice has acquired some reputation as a performer on the violin. It was not till his son had considerably passed the age of five years that he gave any indications or that decided bent which his mind has since taken but the marks of genius he then discovered were so evident, that Mr. Aspull determined to undertake himself the care of his education in music, and, foreseeing the advantages to which it might lead, devoted the whole of his time and attention to that object. The fruit of his care and assiduity is apparent in the surprising talent which young Aspull now displays. The instrument on which he performs is the piano-forte, at which he does not usually sit, his stature being so small as to render the position of standing that which gives him the most perfect command of the instrument. His fingers are extremely short, even for his age ; with the left hand he cannot reach an octave so as to press down the two notes which form it at one time, and is only enabled to do so with the right hand with much difficulty, and by depressing the wrist. The impediment time formed to the acquisition of the mere mechanical difficulties of the piano-forte will be perfectly understood by all those who have ever attempted that instrument ; but they have not prevented young Aspull from conquering the most complex and rapid passages that have ever appeared in the form of musical composition. With some slight allowance only for those passages requiring greater strength than that to which his little frame is adequate, or combining more distant intervals than his fingers can possibly command, there is no difficulty of execution that can stop him for a moment. The compositions of Kalkbrenner and Moscheles, prepared for displaying in public the manual skill of those celebrated professors, are played evidently without the smallest effort by this extraordinary child. He has also made himself master of a piece of most singular difficulty, by a foreign composer whose name is Czerny, and who wrote it as a trial of skill for all the eminent professors of Europe, and in order to combine all the mechanical niceties of execution of which the instrument is susceptible. This piece, consisting of only one movement, occupies nearly forty pages of printed music, every one of which is crowded with rapid divisions, intricate modulations, and the most chromatic passages that the art of the composer could devise. Some idea may be formed of the complexity of this movement, by the fact that some of our most eminent professors, to whom it has been shown, have shrunk from the attempt to play it. But the mechanical skill of young Aspull is that which has least surprised those who have had the pleasure of hearing him perform. A child, with a certain cleverness and quickness of parts, may be taught, by repeated efforts, to conquer the greatest intricacies, and when conquered, there will remain nearly the same impression from them which results on viewing an exhibition on the tight rope, or the antic tricks of the unfortunate pupils of the posture master. Mr. Aspull's pupil is not of this class ; the boy's mind evidently participates in all that his hand executes. A passage which he is compelled to leave imperfect, through a defect of physical power, does not stop or disconcert him, as it would an ordinary pupil, but he passes on to the next, and is as certain to give it with effect as if himself had composed it. Short as the period is which young Aspull has devoted to the study of music, he has cultivated every style, and all with success ; in these are included the concertos of Handel, and the fugues of the Bachs and Scarlatti ; than which latter, perhaps, no works could possibly be selected less accessible to a juvenile student. Young Aspull unites with these the talent, which is rare among professors, of extempore playing ; at which, if permitted to do so, he will pass hours, and with a fluency that would indicate musical notes to be that vehicle by which he could best express his ideas. We ought not to omit to state of him, that he sings ballads to his own accompaniment on the piano-forte, in a voice thin and weak, owing to his extreme youth, but with peculiar taste and delicate expression. His appearance and behavior do not differ from those of other children of the same age ; but his manner, when performing on the piano-forte, is that of a person deeply attentive. The most rapid and involved passages do not produce a change of countenance, nor any sign of effort. Little study is requisite, even for the most elaborate pieces ; and those of ordinary difficulty he can execute at once, on being permitted to cast his eye over them before taking his station at the piano-forte. Certainly this child bears about him prognostics of future eminence, which could not have been greater or more conclusive in the person of Mozart himself. In February, 1825, Master Aspull was introduced to his majesty and a party of distinguished personages at Windsor, when he delighted the company for two hours with his performances. He played many of the most difficult compositions on the piano-forte, with a power of execution scarcely exceeded by the most experienced professors, and with a taste and feeling which no practice alone can give. The king, during the whole performance, expressed his most unqualified delight, and bestowed upon this interesting boy that encouragement and commendation, which, to the friends of this phenomenon, are doubly valuable, from his majesty's exalted rank and scientific knowledge ; and as the greatest proof of his majesty's opinion of him, he commanded his attendance at the castle the following evening, to have another opportunity of witnessing his powers. The Princess Augusta was equally delighted and astonished by the genius of this child, and condescendingly turned over the leaves of his books during the whole performance. In addition to his display on the piano, Master Aspull sang four songs in a style which called forth the most enthusiastic plaudits." Ha died 20th August, 1832.