he was five years old, and was placed under Servaczinski, leader of the
opera orchestra at Pesth. In two years he made his first public
appearance at a concert at Pesth, when he played a duet concerto for two
violins and orchestra with his master, and a solo on a theme by
Schubert, with variations. He was now (1841) sent to Vienna, where he
entered the conservatoire and studied under Boehm for two years. At the
end of this time he went to Leipzig, where he met with Mendelssohn and
played in a concert of Madame Viardot's. A few months later he appeared
as a finished artist in a Gewandhaus concert, and played Ernst's "Otello
Fantasie." Leipzig was then, under Mendelssohn's guidance, in the zenith
of its fame, and for a boy of twelve to appear in a Gewandhaus concert
and earn, not only the applause of the audience, but also the praise of
the critics, was something very unusual. But a still greater honour was
in store for him,--the following year he took part, in a Gewandhaus
concert, in a concertante for four violins by Maurer, the other
performers being Ernst, Bazzini, and David, all violinists of renown and
very much his seniors.

Joachim remained in Leipzig until 1850, studying with Ferdinand David,
while Hauptmann gave him instruction in composition, though during this
time he occasionally travelled in Germany and elsewhere to play in
concerts. Thus in 1844 Mendelssohn brought him to England, where he
played in public for the first time at a benefit concert of Mr. Bunn's
at Drury Lane, in March, 1844, and in May of the same year he appeared
at the fifth Philharmonic concert and played Beethoven's concerto with
very great success. In this year two other violinists of note made their
first appearance at the Philharmonic concerts,--Ernst and Sainton, also
Piatti, the great violoncellist. Joachim visited England again in 1847,
and since that time so frequently that he became one of the regular
features of musical life in that country, where he has been so highly
honoured.

Joachim's first appearance in Paris was made in 1849, when he spent two
months in that city, and began his successes by playing in an orchestral
concert given by Hector Berlioz. About this time Franz Liszt, who had
heard of Joachim's rapidly increasing reputation, invited him to go to
Weimar and lead the orchestra which he conducted. Joachim accepted the
invitation and remained in Weimar two years. He could never be brought
to see the beauty of the new