The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-04-14
FRITZ KREISLER IN INFANTRY
HALL.

Fritz Kreisler, who is in America for
an entire seasons tour and who will
appear at Infantry Hall Tuesday even
ing, April 25th, is the greatest violinist
of our time and generation. In the
affections of the musical public he oc.
cupies among violinists place similar
to that held by Paderewski among
piansts. He is, moreover, living refu-
tation of the old tradition that one who
is a prodigy as child will not realize
the promise of his youth when he
reaches maturity, for Kreisler was dis,
tinctly prodigy and very wonderful
one.
He was born i'm Vienna February 2,
1875, and displayed musical gifts OF un'
common order in his earliest childhood.
Fortunately for him his father, one OF
the leading physicians of Vienna, was
also an amateur musician of high order
who instructed and encouraged him to
such purpose that at the age of seven
he appeared at concert for children
given in Vienna by Carlotta Patti and
entered the Vienna Conservatory, where
he studied under Hellmesberger and
Auber. This was a special privilege,
pupils as a general rule being ineligible
for admission in that institution before
the age of ii. He was, in fact, the
Youngest child who ever studied there,
and justified to the full the opinion
formed of his exceptional talents by car
rying off, in 1885, the gold medal for
violin playing at the age of TO-
Passing on to Paris, where he studied
at the Conservatoire under Massart and
Delibes, he there achieved at the age OF
IL another remarkable success, gaining
the gold medal against 40 competitors,
all of whom had reached the age OF 20.
When he was IA years old he made his
first tour of this country as child
prodigy, giving concerts with Morltz
Rosenthal, the pianist. Then for 10
years he gave up his music and devoted
himself to various studies and incident
ally served his time in the Austrian
army, where he became an officer in the
Third Jaeger Regiment of Graz. 1t was
not until lS99-l000 he came to America
again as a mature artist, and he be-
longs to that ever growing class of great
artists whose talents are realized and
appreciated in the United States before
they are in Europe.
His first appearance after his tour as a
child was received with scepticism by
critics and public alike, but before the
end of that season he had secured for
himself hold on the admiration and
affection of American music lovers which
has increased with years. His several
tours of this country have been marked
by extraordinary success, and in the last
10 years he has become as great ia.
vorte in London, Paris, Vienna and Ber-
lin as he is in this country. In these
cities he has only to announce a recital
to have a crowded house.
Mr.. Kreisler's playing has been de-
scribed as uniting dazzling technique
with highest musical qualities which
have given him the foremost place III
the world as an interpreter of the great
classical concertos. His style of playing
cannot, however, be described as acad'
emic. IL is full of glow and high cour'
age, above all intensely individual, his
readings and even his methods of finger
ing being quite his own. He is said to
be hardly less accomplished as pianist
than as a violinist, and with his capacity
for development bids fair to become ON,
of the most remarkable figures in the
annals of modern music