New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-11-12
PLAYS NOT FOR EFFECT
zimbaliSt Says He Tries Only
$50 Give the Music"
PLEASED BY. SUCCESS HERE
Violinist Finds American Audi
ences Like Those in His
Native Russia.

\ young man who. i'm appearance, as in
age. is scarcely more than a boy. and who
Is simply. sanely. enthusiastically pleased
over his American succcss-such is Efrem
Zimbaist. the Russian violinist Mr. Iim-
balist received a Tribune reporter the other
day I'm his apartment in the Hotel Prince
George ard talked 10 him of many things
OF his likes in music. of his friends, of his
interest i'm the theatre. And ii was always
a young man who spoke. a thoughtful
young man. Il is true, but none the less
young man who seemed to have forgotten
that he was also a virtuoso. In fact, the
very term virtuoso seemed TO displease
him. 1t smacked of playing 10 the gal
lercs. and this Mr.. Zimbalst frankly. de-
clarcd was the sin OF which he hoped he
never would be guilty
1T has greatly pleased me-" he said, ito
see that the American critics have realized
that have tried to give the music, and
only the music It's so terribly easy to get
effects II one plays to the galleries that it
ought to be beneath the dignity OF an
artist There is no, delight IN praise. at
least to me. unless those who praise know
what they are praising. and the praise that
gallery playing brings comes only from
those who DO not know. But ii has been n
great announcement for me To realize that
my playing is understood. and more than
all because America is very dear to me. II
is the home Cf my best friend, Mr. Fels.
1T was Mr. Fels who gave me my Strad-
ivarius. and il is at his home in London
that I live. London ! now call my home.
though every summer I go to the Caucasus,
which ] think the most beautiful spot in
the whole world Luckily the Car has
absolyed me from military service so that
am free to go and cgme as | wish. 1t
would be ruinous FOR a ViOlinist 10 he
exposcd to the rough work Of an army as
(. would take his fingers years to recover
their supplencss. But i'm Russia the gov
eminent has great interest in art, and.
hence / have been freed from service in
the army.
My favorite composers for the violin are
Beethoven and Brahms and this being so,
people will ne doubt wonder why ] chose
10 make my American DEBUT in the Gaz-
ounow concerto. Well. to be frank, l
did it because Of an idea that had. which
I knew was dangerous and had been told
might be fatal / felt that if ] could make
"a success IN the Glazounow concerto my
Tor it is a very hard composition TO make
effective l simply took the chance, and
seem 70 have won out
'.The Tschaikowsky concerto is also a very
difficult one. but 1 played as rearranged
bv Leopold Auer The original arrange
ment can De played. but at times the
sound becomes anything but beautiful.
Il am shortly to play in Carnegie Hall
new suite Of my own. which | gave for the
first time I'm any country al a recital last
week in Orange. l have also written
Suite Internationalc for violin and orches-
ira. which kreisler has promised TO play In
Europe. II Is composed of five dances
Russian. Hebrew. Polish, Neapolitan and
American. The American dance is founded
on stephen Fosters old Folks at Home.
hone TO play the suite at one OF the
Sunday night concerts.
Another concerto which l shall play Is
nv an American composer. friend OF
mine named John Paul lie is a concert
,iapjst. who is at present living in Europe.
lie &c only twenty-five years old, and as
,..t has written comparatively little, but ]
consider him "a genius. As for the CON
certo. il is I'm my opinion the greatest work
of it's kind since the Brahms concerto. The
orchestration is not yet finished. but nope
that il win be ready few weeks / nope
10 be able to play ii in New AorA so"''
time during the winter.
yet myself am by no means entrelS ue
voted to compositions for the violin nav
written several songs to Russian "oiNS.
though as yet l have not published any VI
them. come probably naturally oy hS
r,usical tastes. as my father was the con-
ductor Of an orchestra in Rostow when l
was born there, twenty-five years ago
beoan nIavinc the violin when / was very
Young. playinC the Spohr concerto IN puoli0
when was nine. When / was tweINe year .
old | began to study with Leopold Auer III
II. Petersburg. Being under him Tor TWO
years when I was taken seriously III anu
had TO give up my work. TWO years idlei'
however. / was well enough 10 renew my
studies with him. and four years ago nlaue
my debut in Berlin Auer is undoubtedly
The greatest teacher of the violin IN the
world. You know that both Mischa Elrnah
and Miss Kathleen Parlow are his pupils
but others OF my family are musical as
well as J. for my brother Sacha Is ~"
Studying the cello IN Germany and WILL
think, become me aTllSt, an" nav 49,
great hopes Of my younger brother who
like myself. has turned to the violin.
"Of the Russian concertos l prefer the
Glazounow OF recent concertos that
shant play this season are the EIgar anu
the Regcr The latter ] heard In Berhh' anu
though il has beautiful passages II seeneo
10 me At times dissonant, and besides us
length is interminabe. Of Russian com
posers prefer Rimsky- Korsakoff, especially
his opera Sadko' and his 'ScheheraZaue
The latter / have always with me ana con-
tlnuslly play IL over 10 myself. khe"
Rimsky- Korsakoff well and often played at
his house for his two sons and daughter
il Was a popularity Of his genius that ne
could write only for orchestra, ana MS one
quartet was never published, he considering
II unworthy Of his talents.
81 am looking forward with the greatest
interest TO the opening of the opera season.
as all the world knows that the Metro
poitan Opera Company is the acme OF the
opera world And then Miss Emmy Des-
tim. whom / admire above all other sing
ers is 10 appear. Caruso I have never
heard, nor Amato. and. strange TO say
have never been present when Toscanini
has led an orchestra. So you see that
there is good reason for my excitement
over the things ! have in prospect. You
may be sure that / shall be at Aida on
the opening night and also at each sue
oeeding performance when 1t is possible
- Tor me 10 go"