Observations placeholder

Séance given in Liege on March 30, 1912  at Madame Veuve C... B...

One day, I received a letter from Mr Gabriel Delanne from Liege, in which he asked me if I was in a position to make the trip to Belgium, in order to give a special séance in that city.

On my affirmative answer, he set me the date of March 30.

It is in this charming locality that I met Madame Veuve C... B... who received me at home with all kindness and who is the reason, by the letter I quoted in my dedication, that you can read this whole story.

So, on Saturday, March 30, 1912, around two o'clock, the many people invited by Madame Veuve C... B... came.

Among them there were several of the main members of Belgian Spiritist Societies and several talented and authoritative musicians .  I will mention a few of them.

• Mr. J. Lebert, piano teacher at the Conservatoire de Liège.
• Mr. Bernaert, gold medal of the Conservatoire de Liège
• Mrs. de Nabokoff, laureate for piano at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
• Mr. L. Alexandre, medalist of the Conservatoire de Liège.
• Mr. J. Van den Schilde, Deputy Secretary of the Conservatoire de Liège.

So it was in front of these musicians who wrote the report, which you will read later, that I  handed myself over to the friends.

It was a wonderful séance.

The very friendly and well arranged environment, the musical atmosphere, extraordinarily favoured the productions of the spirit-musicians.  This séance lasted about one and a half hours. Once completed, all these gentlemen met and prepared the following report:

PROCEEDINGS

On March 30, 1912, in a meeting held at Mrs. Breusing's house in Liège, Mr. Georges Aubert, improvising medium at the piano, was heard.  Among the listeners were:

1° Mr. J. Lebert, piano teacher at the Royal Conservatory of Liège who declares.  "Mr. Aubert's technique is phenomenal; all the pieces he performed have a real musical value; the modulations were perfectly brought; the accompaniment was original, very varied, always harmonic.  I'm really amazed by what I have heard."  (s.) J. Lebert.

2° M. A. Bernaert, gold medal of the Royal Conservatory of Liege, who declares: "The pieces I have heard have a strong character, well in line with the author's genius, indicated at the end of each audition.  There are particularities in Mr. Aubert's playing that indicate that he is not a pianist; however, the playing is always correct and he manages, through his virtuosity, to produce surprising orchestral effects.  (s.) A. Bernaert.

3° Mrs. de Nabokoff, laureate of the Conservatories of St. Petersburg for piano and Parma, for singing, who declares:  "I have always perfectly recognized the style of each of the pieces played and especially that of Beethoven; the richness of the playing could be found in the instrumental intentions designed for an orchestra; the pedal effects are right, even unheard-of.  I was struck by the immobility of Mr. Aubert whose hands and forearms alone participate in the play, even in the most difficult and animated passages, thus requiring considerable physical effort."  Signed: O. de Nabokoff.

4° Mr. L. Alexandre, medalist of the Royal Conservatory of Liege, who declares:  "Each of the improvisations I have heard has its own character that continues from beginning to end and thus forms a perfectly homogeneous whole. I could not classify Mr. Aubert as a piano virtuoso because of certain technical imperfections that never affect the results obtained."  Signed: Léon Alexandre.

5° Mr. J. Van den Schilde, Deputy Secretary of the Royal Conservatory of Liege, who states: "What struck me most was that in Mr. Aubert's performance we perfectly recognize someone inexperienced at the piano; he has a fingering that is often in opposition to the most elementary principles of a pianist, without however that this defect never impairs the performance.  The experience is substituted by an extraordinary dexterity.  Signed: Jean Van den Schilde.

The minutes were drawn up in the presence of the following witnesses:

Signed: GABRIEL DELANNE, WIDOW C. BREUSING. KNIGHT LE CLÉMENT DE ST MARCQ, M. COLLIN, VANDEVELDE, AUG. HORST, S. DARTOIS, C. DARTOIS.

For conformity of the copy.

KNIGHT LE CLÉMENT DE ST MARCO.

What conclusion should be drawn from these minutes?

It is simple.

From the statement of the above-mentioned clearly authorized listeners, it appears that I am not a pianist and that despite this, the phenomenon is progressing at a higher level.

I can therefore only end with traditional C. Q. F. D. (as something that had to be said).

I would like to thank Mrs. Veuve C... B... first of all for her very cordial hospitality and also for the opportunity she gave me to have a protocol signed by musicians capable of judging the value of the pieces that the spirits of the deceased musicians make audible through me.