{"product_id":"2940013682566","title":"The Secret of the Stradivarius","description":"My friend Luigi is reckoned one of the finest violin. players of the\u003cbr\u003eday. His wonderful skill has made him famous, and he is well known and\u003cbr\u003ehonoured for his talent in every capital in Europe.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf in these pages I call him by another name than the one he has made\u003cbr\u003efamous, it is solely on account of a promise he exacted from me, in\u003cbr\u003ecase I should ever feel tempted to make the following strange\u003cbr\u003eexperiences, we shared together, public property. I am afraid,\u003cbr\u003enevertheless, that too many will readily identify the man himself with\u003cbr\u003ethe portrait I am obliged to draw.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLuigi--leaving his professional greatness out of the question--would\u003cbr\u003ehave been a noticeable man in any company, a man that people would\u003cbr\u003elook at and ask not only, \"Who is he?\" but \"What has he done in the\u003cbr\u003eworld?\" knowing that men of his stamp are seldom sent upon this scene\u003cbr\u003eto live an ordinary everyday life. In person he was very tall,\u003cbr\u003estanding over six feet. His figure was graceful, and might even be\u003cbr\u003ecalled slight, but had breadth of shoulder enough to tell it was the\u003cbr\u003efigure of a strong man; a face with a pale but clear complexion; dark\u003cbr\u003edeep-set eyes, with a sort of far-away expression in them; black hair,\u003cbr\u003eworn long, after the manner of geniuses of his kind; a high but rugged\u003cbr\u003eforehead; a well shaped nose; a drooping moustache; a hand whose long\u003cbr\u003eand delicate fingers seemed constructed for their particular mission--\u003cbr\u003eviolin-playing. Picture all these, and if you enjoy the acquaintance\u003cbr\u003eof the musical world, or even if you have been in the habit of\u003cbr\u003eattending concerts where stars of the first magnitude condescend to\u003cbr\u003eshine, I fear, in spite of my promise of concealing his name, you will\u003cbr\u003etoo easily recognize my friend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLuigi's manner in ordinary life was very quiet, gentlemanly, and\u003cbr\u003ereposed. He was, in his dreamy sort of way, highly courteous and\u003cbr\u003epolite to strangers. Although, when alone with me or other friends he\u003cbr\u003eloved, he had plenty to say for himself--and his broken English was\u003cbr\u003epleasant to listen to--in general company he spoke but little. But let\u003cbr\u003ehis left hand close round the neck of a fiddle, let his right hand\u003cbr\u003egrasp the bow, and one knew directly for what purpose Luigi came into\u003cbr\u003ethe world. Then the man lived and revelled, as it were, in a life of\u003cbr\u003ehis own making. The notes his craft drew forth were like bracing air\u003cbr\u003eto him; he seemed actually to respire the music, and his dreamy eyes\u003cbr\u003eawoke and shone with fire. He did that rare thing--rare indeed, but\u003cbr\u003elacking which no performer can rise to fame--threw his whole soul into\u003cbr\u003ehis playing. His manner, his very attitude as he commenced, was a\u003cbr\u003ecomplete study. Drawing himself up to every inch of his height, he\u003cbr\u003eplaced the violin--nestling it, I may say--under his chin, and then\u003cbr\u003etaking a long breath of what appeared to be anticipatory pleasure,\u003cbr\u003eswept his magician's wand over the sleeping strings, and waking them\u003cbr\u003ewith the charmed touch, wove his wonderful spell of music. The moment\u003cbr\u003ethe horse-hair came in contact with the gut, the listener knew he was\u003cbr\u003ein the presence of a master.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLuigi had come to London for the season, having, after much\u003cbr\u003enegotiation and persuasion, accepted an engagement at a long series of\u003cbr\u003esome of the best, if cheapest and most popular, concerts held in\u003cbr\u003eLondon. It was his first visit to England: he had ever disliked the\u003cbr\u003ecountry, and believed very little in the national love for good music,\u003cbr\u003eor in the power of appreciating it when heard. He disliked, also, the\u003cbr\u003etrumpeting with which the promoters of the concerts heralded his\u003cbr\u003eappearance. Although his fame was great already throughout the\u003cbr\u003eContinent, he dreaded the effect of playing to an unsympathetic\u003cbr\u003eaudience. His fears were, however, groundless. Whether the people\u003cbr\u003eliked and understood his music and style of playing or not, they at\u003cbr\u003eleast appeared to do so; and the newspapers, one and all, unable to do\u003cbr\u003ethings by halves, went into raptures over him. They compared him with\u003cbr\u003ePaganini, Ole Bull, and other bygone masters, and their comparisons\u003cbr\u003ewere very flattering. Altogether, Luigi was a great success.","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47145707962608,"sku":"2940013682566","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940013682566_p0.jpg?v=1763584319","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940013682566","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}