The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-04-03
THE MASTERS HAND.
Tested the instruments OF the
Old Violin Maker.
oNpRIcEK IN THE LITTLE SHOP
He Had Read the Post-Intelligencer's
story OF the Seattle s'Fiddie-Maker''
and Called on Him When Here.

The great onarseek has come and gone.
but he has left behind him something that
viii be as long remembered as the beautiful
music with which he easrsrce1 the audi
eace a. tie SEATTLE :heater OF Wednesday
night In a small shop on a side street
he yesterday showed his art with the vio-
lin before a number Of the ioeai profess
xors Of that instrument Among shem were
Dslius. Arthur AID Marsus. and among
the amateurs present we're ex-Aayor
Phelps ard W. W Cakes. who makes she
Instruments the great master played upon.
The gathering was altogether inprompiu.
as was the music 10 which the attle com
pany was so accidentally treated.
IL came about in this way: William Ma
rius, the sheet music dealer has In the
past held intimate professional relations
with Nine. Amalia MatsrEa- the przma
donna On Wednesday evening he called
upon her al the RaiEier-Grand. he was In
PRODUCED 10 the famous vioiinist On9riesk.
ana one Of the first things the master said
after the usual ceurtesies was: Il have
read In a New York journal an extract
from the Post-inteliigencer about maker
OF viOlins. and am interested Are they
goodg''
You can play upon one this evening. II
you WISH" was the reply. One was bor-
rowed from a member of the theater or
chestra. and ondricek tried ii. and medi-
tativeiy said he would like 10 meet the
maker OF the instrument.
Thus II came about that Oniricek. one
OF the greatest Of living violinists. was
yesterday morning giving free concert
In the little shop on Marion street Had
IL been generally known. the street would
undoubtedly have been blocked with
crowd
ondricek speaks very little English.
few phrases merely. His introduction TO
Niolinmaker Cakes was therefore a move
ment without words. Mr.. Cakes seemed
overwhelmed with the honor for a moment.
but he soon found the keys 10 the glass
case in which he keeps his treasures. and
had handed cut his fayorite 10 Franz On
cricek. The yirtuoso drew the catgut
across II with bold strokes. and then lis
tened 10 the tone as It died away. He was
evidently pleased His handsome. but
stern Czech features relaxed and he threw
,on his hat and shook back his long black
hair. He ran the chromatic scale up and
down with meditatiye air. but evidently
deeply interested ard the few persons in
the store were also deeply interested, as
people always are in the least things done
by a master hand Mr. Cakes handed him
another violin. one that he had made
over" II was explained TO Ondricek. This
was produced to prove Mr.. Cakes conten-
ton that he can give tone TO any violin.
Ondrioek bowed 1t and smiled and nod
ded and walked the floor with II. Then
he began 10 test Ire iiS
sonorousness. then its capacity for the
rapid intricacies Of sound. and in this lat
ter test he broke into the Hungarian rhap-
sody No. .. of Liszt. probably the most
difficult piece of music ever written
Snatches of Beethoven's concerts in ID
major, bits of Brahms symphony in f NIL
nor one after another. Interminsied with
these mastery melodies were poured out
and the short. sturdy figure seemed to
gain height and erectness from the mai
esty OF the thought expressed. Probably
Ondrcek never showed to the public his
thorough mastery OF technique and finger
ing nearly as well as he proved il yester-
day afternoon while simply testing vio-
Inns.
He took another instrument from the
case. selecting IL at hazard, ran OFF 4 few
brilliant passages and then made a rush
at Mr.. Cakes. With the violin in one
hand and the bow in the other, he threw
his arms about the frizzled old veteran
and said: Beautiful. beautiful
He drew the bow across other violias
and then said TO Mr.. Marius In German:
II would like to write something. Let me
write something for the maker" Pen and
paper was produced and he wrote some
thing. Then he Warmly shook hands wit.
Mr.. Cakes. whose eyes We're so moist with
pleasure that his spec tacles kept slipping
down his nose and had TO be pushed up
his train
When lie was gone his message was read
and translated to the delighted ears Of
the violin maker. The translation read as
follows:
After I have thoroughly examined the
yiolins built by W. W. Cakes and played
upon them. | am pleased 10 say that nave
arrived at the conclusion that they are
truly wonderful Instruments both in tone
qualities and workmanship, so that | con-
scientiously recommend them To the mn
steal profession. FIR ONDRICF,K
Seattle. April >, 1896"
All day long Mr.. Cakes little shop was
occupied by local musicians talking over
the great event. and telling the fiddle ma
ker that his fame and fortune was made
now. Mr.. Cakes was modest about Il. He
said:
Well don't know about that; but II Is
something 10 have such a man walk into
your shop and write like that. and feel
proud OF it."