The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-22
MUSICIANS AND METHODS.
INSTRI MENTAL TECHNICS AND
80 W4GAERIiN alton.

and Heinrich knotcA singer with
the Art OF singing internationally.
It has been week Of yirtuosity. The
Juvenile prodigy has had his day and his
night and the scrape Of the fiddler has been
heard IN the land. On Tuesday Won Necsey,
the young prodigy Of technical achieve
ment PLAYED the Mendelssohn concerto in
Carnegie Hall and Louis Edin, who had no
pEass gent and no manager played the
Vieuxiemps concerto in y minor in Mendels-
sahu Hall on Wednesday Fritz Kresler,
who used 10 be juvenile prodigy himself
in the days now past, played whole bag
full Of violin music in the afternoon, and in
the evening Nine Olga Samaron, n Russian
(by marriage for She was born IN American
girl. rCelcd on two ooncertoS and row OF
solo numbers nj Carnegie Hall.
ON Thursday Mvrcn Whitney reoited
songs il, the. afternoon and on Friday even
ing Wnlmetta Porrine, from Matawan,
down in Monmouth county. where Perrines
and Conover- and Woolleys and Smokes
swell the hard listed, honest hearted popu-
lace, came to show how little girl Of ten
could interpret the subtleqt thoughts and
profoundest emotions of Beethoven, Schu-
mann. Chopin and other such old fol'i
It was a stirring week, for there was 'one
opera and some other concerts. sam
Frankie dug up some more old music, Mr..
Conricd offered the first performances this
season Of "Tosca "Sie gfried" and Romeo
ct Juette and Mr. knote was disclosed as
the forest bantling and forge smasher
The juvenile prodgies on the whole. had
the best Of it. Vecsey came at us again
Yesterday afternoon to wind mp the week.
OF his dongs on that occasion something
is said elsewhere in this issue. For the
present let Us turn first to the case Of young
Edhn.
1t is an interesting fact that the newspaper
men, who had for months been bombarded
with foreign press notices of young Vecsey
and with heated articles written 10y the press
agent on this side of the Atlantic, had never
heard of Edn. Some OF them, when they
walked into the concert of the Volpe Sym
phony Orchestra, did not know that they
were TO hear soloist at all. The result
was that young Edliu received all the atten-
tion tha. vac due him II he had been
heralded by wild accounts Of his wonderful
performances and had played rs he did he
would have received less attention.
All that can honestly be snid of him now
is that il is interesting to find that there is in
the city youthful player Of promise. who
has had toerably good instruction, but
whose method is so faulty that he ought to
be sent abroad and placed under some
eminent master. He seems to be worthy
Of it. He gave evidences on tuesday night
of musical talent. OF feeling for the phrase
and a sense Of line and perspective that
ought to signify something,
Now this does not mean that Ediin 10 n
better yiolinist than yecsey 1t il not
meant for a comparison at all; but for the
sake of those who like comparisons it may
re said that Edlin is not in the same class
as Vecsey as a master Of the technics of
tho violin.
Vecsey : prodig in so far as his COM
mRnd Of the fngerboard and the bow are
concerned. His staocato il of he sort
that it takes most players more years to
acquire Than he has lived. His double
stopping Is sometimes so precise and
facle as to arouse wondering admiration.
His tone Is big rough, but full VI posi-
hilties. 1t will be a great tone some day.
Edlin has none Of these qualities. But
he has the musical temperament and
plays with ertain instructive reaching
out after musical beauty, viii CHI is a price
loss gift of nature. Nccsey does not show
this, so far as THE Suns observer is able
10 discover But there is no good reason
why other Of these children should play
in public They ought to be engaged in
hard study, not simply Of the violin. or
music but Of subjects likely to expand
their young minds and make them capable
Of thinking. Tho truth is that too often
these youthful prodigies ara permitted
to grow up with such one-sided natures
that they never become great artists.
1t may seem strange to some. but il is
none theless fact, that in most cases the
concentration Of the entire inner life Of
student upon music is almost certain to
make OF him, not an artist bur pedagogc
theorist. What the talented child needs
il Ia be pulled away from crochets and
quarers. from dscords and resolutions
and made TO SEQ the big round world to
catch glinipses Of flying clouds and running
waters 10 hear the whisting Of the winds
and the breaking Of waves and, above
all. 10 study humanity and round ont his
own nature with knowledge of his kind
In word a child who has Il great gift
for music should be thoroughly educated,
not drilled simply in the science Of his
chosen art. Heaven knows We have a
plenty Of narrow minded. sordid natures
in the musical profession, We do not
observe them digging away in the earth.
old moles that they are, and wondering
why the sunlight Of universal fame does
not shine upon them.
They are sure that they are right They
lesye and haul Ike cart horses at their
lsbors and observe the rules OF the text
books moro vigorously than Moham-
mcdan observes his prophets law. but
they come TO nothing. for their noses are
buried in the dust. What these people
need is to lift up their heads and look out
into the ether where great thoughts float
Little children who have musical in
cinatons should certainly be taught music
but they should not bc converted into tonal 1
gruhs, Two years on the concert plat .
form with lot Of ezcitable women prais-
ing the little darling because he is so cum
ming and plays - wonderfully are enough .
TO ruin The career Of almost any promising
youngster-
And even If tho chid's head is not turned .
by praise and the spectacle Of an applaud
ing world. all the world it ever sees the .
loss Of proper education and mental disci-
pine is something that can never be made