The Story of a Genius

Monsieur Alphonse de Sterny will come to Brussels in November and conduct his Oratoria of "Satan."This short notice in the Indépendence Belge created a general sensation. The musicians shrugged, bit their lips, and sneered about the public's injustice toward home talent. The "great world,"--between ourselves the most unmusical "world" in the universe,--very nearly stepped out of its aristocratic apathy. This is something which seldom happens to it in artistic matters, but now, for a...
More Description

Monsieur Alphonse de Sterny will come to Brussels in November and conduct his Oratoria of "Satan."This short notice in the Indépendence Belge created a general sensation. The musicians shrugged, bit their lips, and sneered about the public's injustice toward home talent. The "great world,"--between ourselves the most unmusical "world" in the universe,--very nearly stepped out of its aristocratic apathy. This is something which seldom happens to it in artistic matters, but now, for a whole week it talked nothing but de Sterny: of his octave playing a little, and of his love affairs a great deal. In autumn Brussels has so little to talk about!Alphonse de Sterny had been in his day a great virtuoso and a social lion. Reigning belles had contended for his favor; George Sand was said to have written a book about him, nobody knew exactly which one; the fair Princess G---- was supposed to have taken poison on his account. But five years before the appearance of this notice in the Indépendence Belge, de Sterny had suddenly withdrawn from the world. During that time he had not given any concerts, nor had he produced any new piano pieces, in his well-known style, paraphrases and fantasies on favorite airs.