Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-15
A MUSICAL WONDER
Rare Ability Of Albert EIkus, Youth Of
Thirteen,

A gifted boy pianist and composer,
who is only thirteen years OF age and
a native of sacramento, VIII give re-
cital In this city on April 2Uth.
His name is Albert l. Ellsus. and the
history OF his wonderful development
is nothing less than remarkable, and
the critics who have heard him do not
hesitate to predict for him a brilliant
career.
The most pronounced feature of his
playing Is its strong individuality.
Though his technique Is good. 1t Is
necessarily unfinished as the time he
has thus far been devoting to practice
has not averaged more than three
quarters of an hour Il day during
period of only four years. His wrist
movement is almost perfect. He pro-
duces most musical tone and uses
the pedals with dexterlty and exact
ness His memory Is said to be mar
velous. He has played all the COM
posers from Bach to Liszt.
This schoolboy is not merely n mu-
sician, but a creator of music. Spon-
taneous, original and yet finished to
degree truly remarkable in the work
of a child. Experience and study
should make him capable OF work
worth place among the compositions
of the famous music writer's.
Not until his ninth year was the lad
permitted to begin his musical studies
~
of rare taste for music, and soon az
ter he began playing he started to COM
pose. At the age of u he FIRST essayed
to write orchestral music, and with alb
solutely no systematic instruction in
orchestration he has written compo-
sitions for full orchestra. He Is en-
gagged at present on the complete or
chestral score of an opera which he has
called Julius Caesar. the theme having
been suggested to him by the Shakes
pearean play.
From time to time he has astonished
his masters with his apparent knowl-
edge of orchestral effects. Where he
gained the information he does not
seem to know, except that In vague
way he attributes II to one book or
another that he has read.
or gentle and obedient nature, young
| Elltus is Industrious, ambitious ana
| persevering in his art; he loves 1t so
well that he Is wiling to live In 1t and
| for 1t.
His musical talent was first discov-
cred by his mother when the child was
scarcely thirty months old. At that
| time Mrs. Elkus. herself n talented
pianist, was taking lessons from Hugo
| Mansfield. She CHANGED one day to
remark to her teacher that her little
| son, sitting quietly In the room listen
| ing intently to the lesson. could name
| all her pieces from memory. The
| teacher called the lau 10 tne piano anu
Mrs. Elkus played n few character
istic bars from score of her favorite
pieces. The child unhesitatingly named
| each correctly. though hardly able to
| lisp the words distincly. Mr.. Mans
feidt was amazed. To convince him
| self that some joke was not belng
played upon him he requested Mrs
Elkus to leave him alone with the boy
During her absence he played the first
measures of number of Mrs. Elkus's
pieces, and the child again called the
correct titles.
on the advice of the teacher the boy
| was kept away from the pianoroon
as much as possible until he was
years old. for fear early exhaustion
might result from such phenomenal
| cerebral activity.
After his first lesson Albert was
asked to play little piece in the key
| of C major. When his mother asked
him to repeat 1t he did so, but in
minor. surprising feat for n chile
who knew absolutely nothing of flats
or minor keys or the laws of compo
sitlon.
Though he studied first under his
mother Albert is now the pupil of Mr.
Mansfeldt.-Sa Francisco Chronicle.