re seems to be a wide
difference of opinion between various commentators. He was a man of
warm, impulsive nature, whose playing was distinguished by great
boldness in the execution of technical difficulties of the most
hazardous nature. His tone had a peculiar charm, and at the same time
his fiery, impetuous nature and uneven disposition led to certain
occasional errors in technique and faulty intonation. Nevertheless, he
was one of the most welcome performers in the concert halls of Europe
for a number of years. He was a thorough musician and a good composer,
though his works are so full of technical difficulties as to be almost
impossible of performance. Indeed it is said that some of them contained
difficulties which even he could not always overcome.

Born in Moravia at the town of Bruenn in 1814, he entered the Vienna
conservatory, and in 1830 made his first concert tour through Munich and
Paris. Paganini was at that time travelling in Europe, and Ernst, in the
desire to learn something from this great artist, followed him from town
to town, and endeavoured to model his own playing upon the style of the
Italian virtuoso, an effort which seems to have brought down upon him
the censure of some critics, but which others have considered highly
praiseworthy.

In 1832 he settled in Paris, where he studied hard under De Beriot, and
played in concerts frequently. After 1844 he lived chiefly in England,
where he was highly appreciated, until the approach of his fatal
disease made it necessary for him to give up, first, public
performances, and then violin playing of any kind. He died at Nice after
eight years of intense suffering, in 1865.

When Ernst died the critic of the _Atheneum_ compared him with other
players of his day in the following words: "Less perfection in his
polish, less unimpeachable in the diamond lustre and clearness of his
tone, than De Beriot, Ernst had as much elegance as that exquisite
violinist, with greater depth of feeling. Less audaciously inventive and
extravagant than Paganini, he was sounder in taste, and, in his music,
with no lack of fantasy, more scientific in construction.... The secret,
however, of Ernst's success, whether as a composer or a virtuoso, lay in
his expressive power and accent. There has been nothing to exceed these
as exhibited by him in his best days. The passion was carried to its
utmost point, but never torn to tatters, the freest use of _tempo
rubato_ permitted, but al