Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-06-14
CAMILLA URSO.
RANKS WITH THE EARTH'S GEL
EBRATED WOLIEiSTS.

Her Appearance Many Years Ago in Columbia
halI-Then Approaching the Climax Of Her
Wonderful Career-Opinions Then Expressed
She Plays on a Guarnerius del Jesu-
Some Facts About the Famous Make OF
Vioins-Tourte Bears the Palm as Bow,
Maker.
Martha Scott Anderson in Minneapolis Tribune
The early career of this great musi-
clan gave promise of the mature de-
velopment Of the perfect artist Ma
dame Urso is in her branch of the
profession.
When she entertained her aud ience
nearly n quarter of century ago, in
Columbia hall, there were some of her
auditors who had heard the harmonies
produced from the violin by Ole Bull
and John Kelly, who predicted for the
charming musician a leading place,
equal to if not ahead of, the world
renowned masters OF the bow. Her
exquisite touch and graceful bowling
were but part of the innumerable
graces which characterized her play
ing and constituted technique of
perfect order, and it is probably not
too much to claim that some of the
delicate shading OF the grand harmon
les owe much to that inner conscious.
ness which elevates and radiates the
soul of the fairer portion OF the human
family.
Madame Urso is quite different from
many great artists, in one respect at
least. While her music is selected
mainly from the great masters, her
dignity is not of the order of smaller
artists who disdain to present the
many charming melodies that cluster
around the heart, simply because they
are old and well-known. So her audi
tors may not be surprised to hear the
hallowed harmonies OF the Last Rose
OF Summer" or Comm Through the
Rye" on an encore. And although
she plays upon a $4,000 Gaurnerius,
it may be that repetition will be exc
cuted on Sc "store fiddle" as was
done here On her visit in the 7Os, and
it is scarcely any disparagement of the
quality of ear possessed by our people
to state that the possible few who de-
tected the substitution said nothing, SO
much of the difference was made up
by performance OF the great virtuoso
Martha Scott Anderson, in Mime
apolis paper. published the following
facts cleaned from an interview with
the great artiste:
Madame Camille Urso, the foremost
woman violinist. whose fancy for Min
neapolis led her to take up her resi-
dence here for the time being, is costly
settled in apartments at the Hamp-
shire Arma where she has many visi-
tors whom she enjoys very much, for
she is not in the least recluse. While
her life has been devoted primarily to
the development and perfection of her
musical gifts, che has found abundant
time and opportunity to keep in close
touch with ordinary humanity, and its
foibles afford her much amusement.
During the past few years, Madame
Urso has been employing her leisure
in writing her memoirs. The portion
already written is record of her odd
experiences, in which some of her irri-
tating encounters with hotel keepers
have conspicuous place. Her travels
have probably been as extensive as
those of any woman living and quite
as varied, for she has played in courts
and musical circles Of the highest cul-
ture and she has also visited the rough,
new regions in which money flowed
freely and music was loved, if not alto
gether intelligently appreciated.
Before l close my memoirs 1 shall
probably write the most interesting
portions OF my professional experiences
and my recollections of famous artists,
but the book is chiefly of personal
experiences rather than my art"
Madame Urso concluded.
Reference having been made more
especially to herself. Madame Urso
exclaimed playfully but with serious
undercurrent. "Oh," don't ask me
about my life and my childhood.
Everybody has heard enough about
that. People scarcely know anything
about violins, however, and l would
enjoy talking to you about them.
"The usual question when the SUBJ
ject is mentioned is Have you Gre
mona and that proves at once that the
person knows little about violin max
ers, for Cremona is a place you know,
not fiddle maker. To be sure the
greatest violin.makers lived there, but
their instruments are known by their
own names, not by the name OF the
town. When this point has been ex-
planned the questioner takes a fresh
start and says blandly Then l sun
pose that you play a Stradaverius.'
Well, might play Stradverius and
have done SO many times, but even
these instruments are not the acme OF
the art for use in concert"
"What do you play, them"
al am the fortunate possessOr OF a
violin such as every vionlinist hopes
some day to own, but very few ever
| can, for the number OF such instru-