EXPERIENCES OF THE LATE SULTAN'S PIANIST.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 179, 27 December 1876, Page 2

EXPERIENCES OF THE LATE SULTAN'S PIANIST.

The La Liberia announces among- its musical items the arrival in Paris of one Donizetti, professor of piano music to the late Sultan Abdul Aziz, through whose death the musician has lost his situation. Donizetti, who, it appears, is a nephew of the author of “ Favorita,” describes bis experience thus You. are summoned at 8 o’clock in the morning to play fokthreo hours. You must bo in full uniform ; you wait for seven hours in an elegant gallery, where you arc forbidden to sit down. From time to time they come to toll yon what is going on in his Majesty’s apartments. “ His Highness is going to arise.” The moment you hear this you must prostrate yourself. “ His Highness is going to the" bath.” Again you prostrate yourself. “ Mis Highness is dressing.” You - prostrate yourself lower than ever. And so (he intelligence continues until yon are wearied beyond endurance, and the Sultan is dually ready. Then an immense grand piano is brought in without its leg's, for the floor of; the gallery is a precious mosaic of the rarest woods, and may not bear the weight of a piano even. The immense instrument is placed on the backs cf live wretched Turks suitably placed on their hands and knees. “ Put,” say yon, “I cannot play on a five Turk piano. Supposing you complain that tiie instrument is not level, they gracefully place a cushion under the knees of the smallest Turk and tell you to proceed, without suspecting- the sentiment of humanity that has occasioned the delay. The Sultan appears, and, after all manner of prostrations, you ask for a chair. There is none ; no cnc ever sits in the presence of the Sultan. You protest you cannot play unless you sit, and the Sultan finally ordered a chair to be produced. You play for an hour or so, and after the Sultan lias watched the effect on his followers until he is weary, lie rudely thrusts you aside and takes your place. The eunuchs and the rest awake and applaud his discords •’ with rapturous exclamations, and after he has amused himself thus until he is satisfied of the superiority of bis music over yours, you are dismissed. And this is to be a pianist of the Sultan.