Page:Notes of a Pianist.djvu/68

50 article in 'La France Musicale,' entitled 'Return of Gottschalk to Paris,' writes as follows:—

His reputation as an artist and composer at this period may be judged of by the following criticism from the pen of Mr. H. Berlioz, the great composer and first critic of Europe, extracted from the 'Feuilleton du Journal des Débats,' Paris, 13 April, 1851.}}

Twenty years ago they said, "Who is there who does not play a little on the piano?" They now must say, "Who is there who does not play on it very well?" It thus requires, in order that a true artist on the piano should attract to-day upon him the attention of a public like that of Paris, for him to please, charm, move, and carry his audience along with him; and for him to have an audience it requires absolutely that he should join to exceptional musical qualities an elevated intelligence, an exquisite feeling for the subtleties of style and of expression, and a facility of mechanism carried to the highest extreme. If he possesses only this last merit, he astonishes for an instant, then they are tired of him. If, on the contrary, he possesses only the other merits, he is ranked in the category of commonplace artists whom one seeks and loves in a small company, but who remain powerless to excite the great public who frequent concerts.

Mr. Gottschalk is one of the very small number of those who possess all the different elements of the sovereign power of the pianist, all the attributes which environ him with an irresistible prestige. He is an accomplished musician. He knows how far one may carry fancy in expression, he knows the limit beyond which the liberties taken with rhythm lead only to disorder and confusion, and this limit he never transcends. He has a perfect grace in his manner of expressing sweet melodies and of