The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-27
MASTER OF The VIOLIN
Is HAM Won BECSEY
A Ten-Year-Old Hungarian Lad
Proves to Be a Musical
Prodigy.
is PRAISED BY JOACHIM
Seems to Have Higher Grade of
Talent Than Other Such
BOYS.
is PRAISED BY JOACHIM

Joachim said to me:
II have lived seventy-two years, but in
all my days never heard anything like
Franz Won Becsey's playing-and to think
that he is only ten"
After the concert to-day spent an hour
with the artist youngster who has set all
musical Europe talking.
Were you satisfied with the applause"
asked the correspondent, "thoung' the lit
tie boy who had jumped upon his knee
Yes, they seemed to like me- replied
Franz. but you ought to have heard the
Berliners. Every time 1 played they were
beside themselves with enthusiasm"
And what did the Kaiser say TO you when
you played for him in private?"
He Hsped only a few words. Something
the matter with his throat. 1 think. but her
Majesty was very gracious, indeed. She
took me on her lap and asked many ques-
lions. She wanted TO know where learned
to play so well. but 1 did not know what
TO answer except that playing the violin
Comes natural TO me-"
did you speak German with the EN-
press?"
Yes, though I dislike that language. 1
did not suppose she knew any other"
And how did you address herr"
AT first 1 called her 'auntie do ali
ladies 1 like. but when the other persons
In the room looked queer, | called her
Auntie Empress. That seemed to please
her"
AS the young artist sat on my knee. a
beautiful young woman came up to pat his
cheeks and ask him FOR kiss Franz
buried his face in the correspondents coat
and cried: Please let me alone. hate
When the handsome girl had gone away
after pleading successfully for a kiss, look,
or hand-shake at least Franz Jumped down
afa hi1 al
These aunties make me tired. In Berlin.
too, they would not leave me alone. Always
arms. legs and cheeks. It's awful Only
yesterday told mamma that would never,
never marry no woman anyhow"
maker ! asked.
Papa puts 1t in the bank for me, and
when am big 1 shall buy a Stradivarius,
a house. carriages, horses, and electric
railway. We have horses, carriages and
automobiles and all that at the castle, but
they are not what fancy. i want such as
the Emperor uses.
THREE YEARS TUITION.
For how long did you have a music
teacher?'
"Since I was sevsn-I began taking les
sons three years ago. Teacher says he never
had so easy a scholar. Even while 1 was
still in skirts played the violin better than
teacher himself. but why others do not
play well I seems to know
certainly 1 do not. My performance seemed
10 please people before L knew anything at
ali about the rudlments OF music
They tell me, Franz, that you have
'Well, I memOrized forty-two concert
pieces, and / can learn any piece you like
IN five days"
Learn IT well enough to play and put it
Yes. sir" answered an, we're a the boy simply "and
hxy acrfn fnHC ff1k,
Dances. for instance. II l leave out a
single note. lose. Select any piece; it's all
the same to me-"
A little girl came up and said: Franz.
tell the gentlemen that was mentioned in
"And what did they write about you,
THAT know nothing at all about music"
said Franz's younger sister with an air of
Franz had been watching the walters in
the adjoining dining room through the win
dow. "Ah, there is the ice-oream," he
viii eat all that's there" on he ran, While
the sister remarked: 'T had cream and
am STAYING with you until Franz returns
though he has money In the bank, he likes
nothing better than to play with us chill
dren."
Does he not like story books?''
Yes; story books he likes. too. and tells
us ever so many pretty stories from Robin
son Crusoe."
n bO1.
When Franz returned he spoke enthus-
iastically about Crusoe and Jules Verne
whose books, he said, stick In his memory
like music" But suddenly, in the midst
of chattering. he stopped to listen. Some
body was playing the violin in the next hall.
He plays like a sleepy-head" said
Franz after a while, with an air of au-
thority.
ell nd
do. 1t will be lesson to the gypsy"
mo. no." replied Franz, II am sleepy
myself. Come Maritzka-bed time"
In the afternoon preceding the interview
Franz played Memberships Concerts"
Winiawsky's 'Vieux temps (E-dur)' the
Devils Sonata" by Tartini fugue in
G-moll by Bach, Paganini's Witch Dances
and Variations" and pieces by Hubay and
the same unusual work before his One may
recall the hapless Deugremont, who died
not in the halls of fame As said. they
did the work, but Franz excels in il both
from a purely musical and technical stand
The critics Of Buda-Pesth. Vienna and
Berlin. and the several other musical au-
thorities whom | saw. agreed that no liv-
Ing vionnlSt old or young. surpassed little
Franz In the matter OF technique. His tech
niQue Is phenomenon that strikes the
musical nearer dumb with admiration. And
there is the boys teachers word for it, that
during the three years instruction he re-
ceived. Franz never studied seriously. He
played on the violin and played with IL in
the most childish fashion" said the teacher
Spiccatos, stascatis. hagolettes. octaves,
passages. tenths-the most difficult feats
OF violin virtuosoship-this boy in knicker-
bockers performs with readiness and ease
that in others would presuppose tens of
years of ardent practice. And Franz never
practices; he always performs, while his
every technical performance is of incom-
parable purity Of tone. He never makes a
mishap, never has to commence over again
PURITY OF TONE.
Speaking Of the boys playing in particu-
lar. the grand old violin king. Professor
Joachim. said. II am entirely nonplused
by the little fellows wonderful technique
When l think Of the thirty. forty. fifty years
OF patient drill l endured 10 prepare myself
for performing on the VIOLIN l cannot help
but worship nature that by a within, by a
brain curvature. perhaps, endowed this
youngster with a genius for doing things that
seems 10 mock the uphill work of mere
talents Technique they call it, tell YOU.
this childs great. sweet, melOdiOus into
nation comes from the soul It's like a
crystal brook issuing from a mountain
crevice In the untrod wilderness. You can
say for me that, moreover. there is no drill
or imitation In this. The boy gives himself.
Ia creates while MIA wing or hers notes h,,t