A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Picco

PICCO, an Italian peasant (advertised as 'the Sardinian minstrel') who appeared in London in 1856—first at Covent Garden, Feb. 21, and afterwards very often during the season—and performed with immense execution and 'astonishing facility, to say nothing of delicacy, taste, and feeling,' upon a 'tibia,' or whistle, as described in the following article. He was then 25 years ef age, and of very prepossessing appearance, and had been blind from his birth. His tone is described as 'between that of a flageolet and a flauto piccolo; at times somewhat shrill, at others as soft and suave as possible.' Like Gusikow, he was evidently a born genius, and we regret that we can obtain no information as to what happened to him before or after his appearance here.

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