The next morning the New York Herald gave her the first newspaper notice she ever received in this country.
“Little Camilla Urso, the wonderful child violinist, divided honors with the prima donna. Of the same age and country as Paul Julian, whose masterly performance on the violin attracted so much attention here, this new candidate for public favor promises to be a powerful competitor with him. Her execution of the fantasia or Somnambula was most admirable and drew down vociferous calls for an encore which were honored. Several bouquets were thrown to her on the stage and the greatest enthusiasm was manifested in respect to the marvelous little artist.”
Then some one suggested that they try Boston. That city was a musical centre and Camilla would be sure to meet with a good reception there. Accordingly under the guidance of the American the entire party went to Boston. Mr. Jonas Chickering, the piano-forte manufacturer kindly welcomed her and invited her to call at his residence on Boylston street, two doors from the building now occupied by the Art Club. So much pleased was he with her simple manners and her wonderful playing that he opened his elegant warerooms and invited a select company of musical people to hear her play. This private concert first brought Camilla before us. She had, as it were, come before us. Hitherto, it had been a strange story that had been told to us. We could now see and hear for ourselves.
The Boston Transcript and Dwight’s Journal of Music, then our best authorities upon art matters thus spoke of this occasion:—
“Her violin playing is not that of a child,—even a remarkable child—but that of an artiste cultivated and accomplished. Her bowing is extremely graceful and free, her execution neat and clear, her intonation perfect.”
Dwight’s Journal of Oct. 9th says:—
“Little Camilla Urso, the violinist, but eleven years old, announced a concert at the Masonic Temple for last evening, just too late for notice in this paper. But we had the pleasure,—and a choice one it was—of hearing her the other evening in a company of some forty invited guests, in Mr. Chickering’s saloon. Her playing is not only truly wonderful, but wonderfully true;—true in style, expression, feeling, as it is true in intonation and all mechanical respects. She played Artot’s Souvenirs de Bellini, and never have we listened to a long fantasia of several themes, worked up in all manner of variations, with a purer pleasure. It was masterly; the firm and graceful bowing, the rich, pure, refined tone, the light and shade, the easy control of arpeggio, staccato, double stops, etc., were all such as we could only have expected from the maturest masters we have heard. We could scarcely credit our own eyes and ears.
The little maiden is plain, with strong arms and hands enlarged by practice of her instrument; yet her appearance is most interesting; a face full of intellectual and sedate expression, a large forehead wearing the ’pale cast of thought’ etc. Pity only that such fine life must be lived out so fast, and always in the blaze of too much sun for plants so young and tender!”
Then followed two concerts at the Masonic Temple. Concerning her playing at these concerts we may quote from Dwight’s Journal of October 16th.
Camilla Urso. “Two concerts have confirmed all we have said of this wonderful girl violinist. Two concerts, attended by an intelligent, nay, an exacting, audience delighted almost to tears—and yet not money enough in the house to pay expenses! Indifference to flaming advertisements of precocity is well; but it is not well, not worthy of the taste of Boston thus to neglect one of the finest manifestations of genius that ever seemed to come to us so straight from heaven. It was one of the most beautiful, most touching experiences of our whole musical life, to see and hear that charming little maiden, so natural and childlike, so full of sentiment and thought, so selfpossessed and graceful in her whole bearing and in her every motion, handle her instrument there like a master, drawing forth tones of purest and most feeling quality; with an infallible truth of intonation, unattained by many an orchestra leader; reproducing perfectly, as if by the hearts own direct magnetic agency, an entire Concerto of Viotti or De Beriot, wooing forth the gentler melodies with a fine caressing delicacy and giving out strong passages in chords with ever thrilling grandeur.”