The San Francisco call., 1903-01-25

{ - ,
~ OR twenty years Wenzel Koptah
4 violin has lived the life Of re-
I c.-se Now. all of sudden in
rrls year Of 1879 81 has taken q
vh.m that il viii be heard once
more.
LNer> body thought that 81 had retired
permanently. Wenzel Kopta is IS years
old H.s cay. SO the world thought. was
r. quarter of a century ago when he was
Concerts. when Strakosch toured him over
-he~T United States along with Clara Louise
Kellogg. tLe great Niolinist and the great
singer d-zz't--E audiences wherever they
Nrrr- IN those dag the name of N0pta
was one 10 Coniure by and the wizard
-Vsy that he had of drawing music out Of
strings was known the country oyer
Their all Of 2 sudden he retired from the
American public eye. What became OF
him nobody knew and probably few in
CURED. The American public loves well.
but ft forEets.
Now we are hearing his name once
more. Il is all at once announced that
Re Is 20 play, this hfty-hve-year-old vio-
l,rtst who has not been heard Of for twen-
~ years. II is like a reincarnation. one
feels that he has been dead and has come
20 lie again. and il is natural TO wonder
whether he viii be the same in this life
that he was in the other VIII the wizard
be the same wizard? VIII he draw the
same mad, merry, tender music from
. those strings that he used 10 draw?
The story OF the old violinist's strange
disappearance and temperance is like
this.
Wenzel Kopta was & Bohemian by birth.
Nowadays We hear much OF Bohemia and
trs ART We have come TO know 1t
through Jan kubelik and a plenty Of
others who have travelled here and taught
Us. But years ago we fsncied Bohemia
tie land OF gypsies end America was to
tally ignorant Of the achievements that
the people Of that little land have accom-
shed.
We cid not realize that one Of the finest
cClserY at0ries OF music in all Europe was
located there. We expected, rather, to
hear the lawless ballads OF a wandering
gypsy tribe coming from those forests.
kopra home was a picturesque house
trat had been the home Of a priest many
a. 81. ~ = snF llafnf
mia
-opta was born fun OF music and It
I'd 70 come out AS he grew UP he had
instruction and he went al last TO the
conservsf CRY and had a thorough educa-
fiou He studied under Erasmus and
Ferdinand Laub and Mildner. who wal
Taganirrs friend. He was still young
when he brought his fiddle and his faith
20 this country.
He was 2 novelty 10 America a Bo-
hemian was looked upon as a new thing.
That fact created comment about him.
Bur The comment would have died quick
D. enough If he had not played his way
iIfC peoples hearts.
There followed a brilliant career of
touring under Thomas ard then under
S-rskCsch. The vioiiuists name was
made. But sickness came upon him. and
just as he was upon the eve Of better
things yet he had 10 give up the daz-
zIfne public nfe and retire 10 the clois-
ter life Of q professor Of music.
70 was from 1856 10 1858 that he made
90 DIS name in this country. Then rheuma-
r-m attacked him violently, the wonder
fl. supple wrists and fingers that were
r him what his hair was 10 Samson
gave Cur. became twisted and painful,
and he had 10 rest entirely for a time.
r was ir 1863 that he was enough better
rC 50 no work at the wesrisome task of
teaching others 10 DO what he had begun
3. I'D himself
Is p dreary matter TO patiently plod
s.rE day after day fitting others for
the brilliant career that YOU want for
yourself The life Of the teacher is all
e.frEis-iC. But 10 Kopts this life had its
Consolation. In fact. he is extremely "
glad trar he took the position as direc-
tcr tr the American Conservatory al