The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-06-16

Tonl*hs tho great violinist, Remenyi.
will dslisht an audience as the Seattle
fhease.. The violin Is the king OF all
musics, instruments: the piano is incaps-
bic Of "a prolonged, unbroken strain OF
melody; the wind instruments that are
equal - the u:serance Of eloquent music
lack vpnt for want Of better word We
might scali the versatility OF the violin.
Since ts,e middle Of the sixteenth century
the violin has been the king Of all musical
instruments and Remenyi Is one of the
moderf: masters of the violin.
Who, invented the violin? The vio-
lin ca;a hardly be called an inven-
ton; y 10 rather an evolution The
violin was preceded by the VOL. The
violin sras constructed on exactly similar
PRINCIPLES. but the violin drove the vioi
from tne field. The primitive vic! was
rnodifisit form OF The lutte and the lutte was
an adaptation OF the small Tyre Of classical
antiquity. the name Of which. .fdieuIa. sur
wives III our common name Of fiddle for
bowed Instruments. The Tyre of antiquity
was resonant box having yoke instead
of meek and one string for each note.
The lyye was gradually developed into
the lutf class and into the harp. To the
lutte way added the movable bridge, sound
post ard bow 10 make the viol. This
bridge and bow added to the ancient
Greek raonochord and the fidicuia, or small
Tyre. made the vioI. No pictures Of it
exist OF, IN earlier date than the tenth or
eleventh, century. but it must have been
adoptet as early as the later Roman en-
pire. The vic! of the fifteenth century,
which vas displaced by the violin, had six
or sevey, strings. tuned by fourths and .
third, aad had . soft, penetrating tone,
while TIE violin has four strings, tuned by
fifths, and has . ringing, brilliant tone
The victim drove out the viol because it
had more power and brilliant versatility
OF expression. The violin came into gen.
erai uses in the seventeenth century; the
famous Italian musician. Lilly, was a
famous .violinist of the court OF France in
the days Of Cardinal Mazarin. vino intro
duced she opera to Paris. The earliest
violin Tears date Of 1868. and was made in
Venice, Brescia, Cremona, Mantua and
Milan were famous early for their violln-
makers,. but Antonio Stradivari, i64o-1737,
settled shc Cremona pattern.
The italian, Paginini. who died in his
57th yei r in 1870. was the most wonder
full execsutant on the violin the world has
ever seen bat as composer and artistic
musicias, he has no standing compared
with SIGH renowned violinists as the
German, Spohr, who died in his 18th year
in 1884, or Joachim. Joachim. like
Remenyi. is Of Hungarian birth; he is of
Jewish Lineage. The violinist. vieux-
temps. is native OF Belgium. but the
vast majority of tho great violinists are OF
Italian pr German origin. For centuries
the Gernans and Italians have cultivated
the study and practice of music. and to
them We owe all our great operas and
nearly vi our great singers and violinists.
Ole Bull may seem an exception, but
while hs was a captivating man, Ole Bull
was notsin the first rank of modern mas.
tiers of the violin.
Remepyi is as popular a performer as
ever ws$ Ole Bull. and he Is far more
brillians and scientific musician than Ole
Bull eyer was. From tho musicians
standpoint Ole Bull was not q great mas
ter OF tho violin. A number of years ago
Remensi was reported drowned by ship
wreck 81 the coast Of Africa, and when
the news reached America the expression
Of sorrow was deep and as heartfelt as
when the unexpected news of the grea.
singer Parepa's death reached our shores.
In Rem.snyi and his eloquen, violin, rs in
Parepa and her eloquent. thrilling voice,
thousands had lost something OF rare de-
light that would never come back to them
in this world. Parepa's voice. as she sang
the ''Lass: Rose of Summer" in martha
or II l.reamt l Dwelt in Marble Halls"
in "Ths Bohemian Girl" was so sweet
and pasbetic memory that the eyes of
many Who never knew the great singer
were brsmmed with gush Of fearful light
''only ~ think she came and went" One
OF the 5oices that was fit to "auire i. to
the yoIng-eyed cheruhim" had gone 10
swell tie vast harmony of the ,hrong OF
just spirits made perfect. Something of
this sesse of personal bereavement va.
felt whrn We heard years ago tina. Re-
menyi vas drowned; the memory of his
sweet s:ad thrilling violin notes was so
delightful tina. the news OF his death was
ike acknowledge that we had oil los, a
friend :he lack of whose presence made
life iess worth living. Something had
gone ouE of the world that used to give us
exquisite pleasure. and We mourned
Remengi for his lost music even As We
did rasepa. the dead singer. who would
never nsore delight our mortal ears.
lt is noteworthy that among notable
persons:w no played the violin and loved il,
all their days were the great Thomas JET
fcrson. The grea, Cardinal New man, George
Fourth of England and Queen Victoria.
Cardinal Newman was n man Of musical
genius .nd learning, aud the wor III lost a
great vi;),inss: when he took to the church
TIE onI:y thing that George Fourth did
fairly WELL was to play on The violin, and
caeen y.ctoria. who received excellent in
stsgctic;a on the instrument. is more than
an ordlaayy performer.
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The Kansas City Times tDem., tells
Secretary Carlisle thai Iii he will stick 10
Cleveland and pa, every prop under the
currency, he will do his duty Ia the
country. and il lie will Keep his finger
roiatej. at the sherman act, he wlIl do his
autx q, .hs lb~uoNsystsc rx~4v Tn.