The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-02

and took up the training OF the voice. You
see. there Is technique even In matters
purely social.
aHdve l ever experienced stage fright?
Never. remember feeling queer once.
Il was ten years old and was going TO
make my first public appearance, plying
with Mikuh, my first teacher, who was n
Of Chopin's scholars. We were TO play
Chopins Rondo in G for two pianofortes,
Il remember Mikuli telling me not to be
afraid and my looking at him rather wonder
inely. not underst lnding at all what he
meant nor what there was % be afraid Of.
Walking along the streets ] saw the recital
adv ertised and my own name in print.
Il stood for n moment looking at il and
a queer thrill came OF er me-, the sense OF
nv responsibility-the first that | ever had
not fear or nervousness, but the kno Wedge
that I had promised to do something very
important and that l must do il. | believe
when that sense OF responsibility first
comes 20 n boy it marks a turning point
in bis life.
Before that, at nine years, l had walked
all tive way from Lemberg 20 Vienna to call
on Joseffy, who received me with some
amusement at first, but afterward under
took my tuition. While was studying
with him l attended, az student. at the Uni
versitv at Vienna. BESIDES practising on the
piano four or five hC urs every day
A Pole by bi-th, like Chopin, IL nav he that
there Is added 20 the musical affinity the
tie OF nationality. Rosenthal In an enthu-
siast In this direction.
yes, / place Oh in on my list OF great
ones. Then core Beethoven. SchuT ann ,
Wafn,r. schubert. Weber. Mozart, Bach
You are surprised at nv list? ] must ex-
plain IL, then. by explai ing my theory that
the who brings the biggest mes
sage, who v Ices the largest view OF life, Is
the greatrft a His ~re-tness is shown
in the variety as vel as in the intensity OF
the emotions he expresses,
-For instance, Bach said not a word Of
human passion, althNurh technically he
1t nod head and shoulders above the others,
and az a methodist very, worry high; but re-
liQious fervor, reh -ious fear, mysticism
tenderress are net all
And WaRn'r? Wagner wrote too much.
TOO abunda' / ., too opulently. A man {
oulpu. must have limitations, else 1t viii
inevitably s~uffer-quar titv will affect quail
itv. regard the music dramas OF Wagner
as colossal at works, but ! believe that In
appealing 10 the dramatic sense he loses, al
one always loses when energy is dissipated
instead of being concent ated.
Personally ! like Wagner best In small
doses. Two acts of nearlv any OF his operas
satisfy me. More | dor't grasp at a time
-Four hours of 'Tristran,' for example, have
been known TO send me home with a strong
anti WAGNER feeling at the foundation OF
nv admiration. Yet three days after
ward a snatch OF his music, a few bars
have set me yearning for more.
-Liszt? Well, List is coming into his
own now after the discredit that always
follows ex cessive praise.
~My own fads? Well, ] play chess, study
PHILOSOPHY, chemistry and medical science
| find time for them all
A last question is asked. Mr.. Rosentha
rerlies:
AWhst FIVE operas would | choose II ]
could hear but Ave this winter? These
because taken altogether they rrvresent
they reflect, a larye part OF the varied emo
tions m experiences that make life
Weher's Der Freischut7,' Beethoven
'Fidelio,' Warmers Sic fried and Die
Meistersinger' and Verdi's Aida