Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1890-11-09
A MUSICAL PRODIGY.
Playing the Fiano Perfectly GO
Five Years OF Age
LAttIs Elsa BFsidt Asteaishes n 1siela..
~ ftsr Ke@sFk-k.s Performance
hsw asr kssnlas Vas D1sessersa
D. Her AstAeF.

neN 4eI AecnlUs " 80 Discoveries
~ her AstAsr.
Dressed IN light blue frook. pretty
straw Bat asd Tiny boots, from the tons
Of which hung golaen tGsssls, Was
gray-syed klsa Breidi, the avs-year-old
musical prodigy and daag u julius
Breidt. OF ssl0 Cottage Grove avenue,
SAYS the Chicago Herald. Ste Was
ready to play for party Of musicians,
and as she ran up 70 The plane IN her
heme she laughed nerrily Al her
mother. who WAS 70 assist her. SPEAK
ing N German, Mrs. Breidt asked the
child 70 play something from Schumsnn.
The child AZ once dashed into The
White norseman," which she playea In
perfect time and tune. The execution
OF the little hands w2s marvellous. and as
the child. played piece after piece, final
~ closing her impromptu recital with =
perfect little melody OF her own com
position, the musicians present wanted
10 catch her up in their arms ana bug
her. Taen she played piano duets with
her mother, and after . time Mr..
Breidt, the matchmaker, came in, took
down his old violin, put on new string
or two, and then father and daughter
plunged into The Boulanger March, >"
the petite phenomenon playing a most
perfect piano accompaniment 10 tho air
from the fathers violin. The march
finished, the father spoke Of the Ave
Maria" and the child, without . word,
began the introduction 70 the Bach
Gounod composition. Although 1t had
been many weeks since father and
child had played together. yet Elsa
never missed note or sounded false
one to the end OF the difficult accom-
paniment. She played the music exactly
as it is written and with wonderful tact
and expression.
Little Elsa has been petted by Sher-
wood and Lilly Lehman, raved over by
D'Albert and marveled at by all who
have seen and heard her. Only once or
twice has she appeared in public, play
ing once for class Of pupils from one
of the musical colleges and again At one
of Mr.. Sherwoods recitals. The latter
often visits her at her humble home,
and D'Albert wants her 10 como At once
to his home in Germany and receive a
thorough musical education.
when Elsa was two years old, ] one
day found her singing the air was play
ing at the piano." said her mother. Il
tried another and found that with little
effort she could follow any air. When
she was large enough 70 sit alone on
the piano stool / would let her strike the
keys, and she Immediately learned TO play
chords, and before she was three years
of age could carry parts of airs correctly.
When three and half years old she was
playing accompsniments to her fathers
violin, and very soon learned TO play the
accompaniment 20 the Ave Maria which
you have just heard. Then l noticed II
played sentimental or lively music IL
affected her strangely. In fact we can
not play pathetic airs, as the tears como
To her eyes and she is much agitated.
She is strong and healthy and has never
been sick day. She is also very full OF
life, and enjoys herself much as other
children do, but II anybody is playing
wherever she is, she listens with mouth,
eyes and ears wide open. She will play
any ordinary composition almost abso-
lutely correct after having heard it
once.
I'VE never have to play a piece more
than twice for her 10 learn 1t, said Mrs.
Breidt while she is taking every
note by ear she also closely watches
the hands OF the player. She does not
seem to care for dance music. We have
not permitted her 70 practice much this
summer on account of the heat, and we
never force her to do any thing.
1T has been about six months since
she began TO compose or inprovise, I"
continued the mother. lone d2y there
was terrible rain and thunderstorm.
and when IL was over she went 20 tho
piano and played the widest sort OF an
air, which she made up. She will
climb on to the stool and begin singing
softly some measure or strain that has
como into her head. and after humming
it over several times sne PLAYS IT,
That's the way she composcs her
pieces"
Julius Breidt is fne-looking Ger
man, forty-three years old lie las
lived in this city since lie was Eve years
old. and has been q matchmaker and
iewelor since he VAS fourteen. SIX
years ago he married Miss Bertha
Schoenield. comely German girl. and
on May IS. 1885. LISA. the little musical
genius, was born. She Is their only
child.