I
Monsieur Alphonse de Sterny will come to Brussels in November and
conduct his Oratoria of "Satan."
This short notice in the _Independence 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
_Independence Belge_, de Sterny had suddenly withdrawn from the world.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.
Now, for the first in that long interval his name emerged, and in
connection with an Oratorio!
De Sterny and an Oratorio!
The world found that a little odd. The artists thought it a great joke.