The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-14
WOMEN ViOLINISTS.

WOMEN vlOLINISTS.
"Gently beneath her perfect, rounded cnm I'm
The instrument is clasped' as 'no'hers
Across their breasts a much-loved
II from world Of misery and sin.
She draws the bow across the strings to
To life the tones. now soft. now strong
and bold,
But ever breathing some grand truth un-
That dormant lies within the VIOLIN"
Twenty years ago the list of woman
violinists would have occupied very
little space. but today. the difficulty hes
in doing justice to the vast numper Oh
eminent soloists in the columns OF q
newspaper. In hygone years. it was
considered decidedly risGue for girl
to play a violin, even in private. and the
masculine element was wont to argue
she was physically incapacitated for so
difficult an instrument. 1t is not neces-
sary to enumerate the reasons why g
woman is physically and intellectually
better adapted to the violin than to the
piano. All that is required is to visit
the concert room and listen to the SOUL
full, poetic playing Of q graceful woman
to realize how potent Is her sway over
bow and strings.
To Camilla Urso, the first great wo-
man violinist. be all honor! She was
the first to take her place, side by side
with the famous men Of her profession
and today she dwclls among MS. living
example of what q woman can achieve
over obstacles fortunately, belonging to
the past. TO her we owe the opening OF
the Paris conservatory to women and
the countless throng of girls who have
studied there should call her blessed.
When as a tiny child--a wonder child
she sought admission to its classes, she
was refused on account of her sex,
though 1t was acknowledged that her
ability was far beyond that OF the boys
who applied at the same time and were
permitted to enter. Nothing daunted
she tried again and again until finally
genius won the victory over prejudice
and the little Italian girl threw open
the doors OF the great conservatory for
all time.
Camilla Urso is to violin playing what
Rosa Bonheur is to painting. and the
women who follow her. owe her much
for her careful, rigid unfolding Of the
standard Of violin playing.
Among the younger women violinists.
every 10
Moravia has two, Sadly HALT Norman
Nerudn the friend Of Joachim and his
coad1utor in his London seasons, and
Marianne Eissler. who Is q popular
favOrite in England, as well as a pet
Of Royalty. Gabrielle Wirtrouetz is
Austrian by birth; twice winner Of the
Mendelssohn- Bartholdy prize, her
career has been most successful Dem
mark IL proud Of her famous daughter,
the beautiful Frida Scotia, whose mar
velously lovely tone and broad interpre-
tation place her in the front rank She
has the distinction of playing regularly
at the Richter concerts In Vienna and
has appeared alsoat the Lamort aux con-
certs In Paris. The famous schools Of
Belgium have many distinguished wo-
men among their pupils, one of the best
known being Julette Folvllle, of Sieje,
who Is not only an accomplished violin
ist but u composer of q successful
opera and symphony of great merit.
AS ] have said, the list is endless but
we naturally turn with more interest to
THE AMERICAN GIRLS.
Who are winning fame with their
viollns. Maud Powell's clever. piquante
face Is well known throughout the
United States and her strong, virile in
depreciation of such masters as
Brahms, TschaiRofsky and Bruch, is
most admirable. She is genuine and solid
in her work and carefully avoids any,
thing akin to clap-trap. She does not
confine herself to solo work and her
string Quartette Is recognized for it's
musicianly playing. Geraldine Morgan
has not been before the public so long
as Maud Powell, but she is growing
RAPIDLY into favor. She was the favorite
pupil Of her master, Joachim and was
brought out by him In London at the
Crystal Palace. She has also the great
honor of playing with Joachim the
Bruch Double Concerto for two viollns.
Unquestionably, the most talented of
the younger generation Is Leonora Won
Stosch, the Washington violnist, who
unfortunately for art. has abandoned
her career. since her marriage. She is
q fine exponent Of the Franco Belgian
schools (founded by De Beriot and
both Marswick and Ysaye declare her
genius. Possessed Of O. superb physique,
her tone Is magnifcently broad and her
playing Is marked by great individual
ity, with vim and esprit fascinating
In the extreme.
Nettie Carpenter Is another WHO en-
joyed a series Of triumphs, only to retire
after very brief career. Revered by
many who recognize O brilliant artist.
In New York. no one Is better known
than Jeanne Franko, while Dora
Becker. Wlnifred Rogers. Martina
Johnstone and a score of others are
laboring faithfully and we'll for art Per-
haps no better proof Of the strides
women are making can be found. than
the string orchestra recently organized
there: composed wholly Of women ar
lists. Such an organization would not
have been possible O few years since,
but with such material. and Camilla
Urso at Its head. who can doubt its sue
cesar
~ - JULIA CLAPH ALLEN.