The herald., 1898-05-29
REMENYI
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I knew Edouard Remenyi eighteen
years-part of that time quite intimately
AS natural violnist his only equal in
| this century was Ole Bull. In technique,
| finish of execution, adherence to certain
sacred rules of Interpretation, he was
surpassed by many. But in the human
quality of his music he was without SUI
perior. When Wilhelmj toured this
| country\i; was said to Remenyi:
| He is the greatest"
mo-" was the reply, "he plays from
here" tapping his forehead, but play
from here" laying his hand on hisjheart.
So be it for most of US who wish music
for comfort and rest and not forl brain
racking.
| Remenyi was a vegetarian. He be-
lieved that he might live to be century
old if he avoided the use of meat. His
favorite dishes were limburger cheese,
pumpernickel and hard crackers. Apol-
linaris was his only drink for years.
Many a time after concert hours have
l ordered this bill of fare for him and
listened to him say, for the thousandth
| time:
| my dear, man is bloody by nature,
refined by education. Meat debases.
Could fiddle as l do If 1 devoured beef
like a beast? Impossible. My body
needs little to keep it strong, but my mind
must have every attention. Listen"
Then he would catch up his fiddle case.
bring forth the instrument, flourish the
bow over his head, fix his twinkling eyes
on me and play. What? rarely knew.
Usually something of his own-a fantasy
Of rage, the earthquake, the surf in a
storm, the plant Of a woman's voice,
calling Of hooking birds-all ending In
a sigh.
is "See," he would exclaim, zone keeps
away from meat when he can do that
Remenyi attended the congresses of
vegetarians, followed their teachings.
and died, as we OF every school of diet
must, when the cord snaps.
Our first meeting was over livery
stable in Council Bluffs. concert hall
was there and he was to play. A jackass
in a stall beneath persstently brayed.
Remenyi would not play. I was on my
way to Japan, on thought was, and in
troduced myself to him after his aud
| fence had been dismissed. He begged of
me to find some pumpernickel for him.
I searched Pearl street resorts until ]
discovered some and took it to his room.
He ate with satisfaction and then played
for me, played until, boy as 1 was, 1
cried. That was al oclocss in the morn
ing and in large hotel filled with peo-
pie. We had the halls filled with peo-
pie in their night robes before that pri-
vate concert ended.
His love for the pumpernlckel was no
more strange than that of Janauschek
for stale beer, and I have got many a
pint of that for her after most thrill
ing depletion of Mary Queen'of the Scots.
One of the bright memories of his busy
life that he kept about him always was
that in a private residence in Chicago
after the election of Mckinley to the
presidency he had played for him, the
music being transmitted to the president
by long distance telephone. Remeny
was most jubilant over that feat.
Financially he could not make a sue
cess. Money passed through his fingers
like water. His mania as a matter oil
fact was violins. The last one hlsi ne
gotiated for cost him $1,000, and if ne
cessary he would have mortgaged his
soul to get It, But no matter how great
his income he could not keep a dollar
about him. Advance agents plundered
him and he gave freely to anything he
was interested in.
His frequent disappearances and the
innumerable reports that he had been
wrecked at sea or washed overheard, or
died in some jungle haunt in India, have
always puzzled the public. In truth, all
the time he was wandering in strange
places. alone, unidentified, drinking in
life. His curiosity was boundless. He
wished to know Tired at times Of civil
i3ation, he lost himself where telegraph
and newspaper did not trouble. I have
keen recollection of a number of wild ex-
cursions taken with him to satisfy his
desire to see and know.
Hungary called him home to be her
chief violinist when her 1000 years of ex-
istence was celebrated. He came back
to America determined to spend his days
Iforevermore on this side Of the water
He found the concert stage no longer
profitable and was comparatively with
out capital. He succumbed to vaude-
vile, as many greater than he have been
forced to-for one must live. He died
Just as he would have wished to, could
he have chosen, back of the footlights
bow in hand, fiddle to breast.
|
He often said there were but three
places in the world where a sensible man
ought to finally determine to end his days
Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. He
loved Chicago for its constant whirl
Paris for its color, San Francisco for its
unrivaled front upon the ocean.
! BY birth he came from the people, a
genius from the hot blood of the Mag
var. His heart was always with the peo-
pie and his music for them. His faults
died with him, but he left as perpetual
memory sixty eight years of life in which
all his laughter and music was directed
at and for the human heart. He was a
personality for men and womenkwho live
HI. l. Cleveland, in Chica go Times Her.