Bisbee daily review., 1917-12-18
Tuesday Morning, December 1S, 1917.
OUR GERMAN MUSICIANS.

Fritz KreisIers declaration that he will longer fiddle
for American audiences-at while the continues
has had the calculated result agents, friends
and admirers have uneI to make him appear martyr
to art and American chauvinism. says Charles Rose
bault of the vgiantes America is made to look small
and Americans mean Do the facts bear out the i'm
putations?
KreisIer is great vionist and great musical artist
He has large following among music lovers every
where But Mr. Kreisler's following not so large
before the press agent wsxed eloquent over his ex-
perences in the Austrian trenches He had been just
as great an artist earlier but had not been Of
the popular performers and his following limit
ed to the cognoscent What is the implication from
the above? Why did his audience suddenly increase
from a merely respectable size a huge overfowing
crowd filling orchestra balconies galleries and even
packing the stage itself?
This sudden popularity followed close upon the pub
LEGATION of Mr. Kreisers hsrdships soldier of the
Fatherland After these his mere appearance evoked
tremendous ovations The musical epicures were lost
in the throng worshippers and there
even comment upon his paor and the interesting
limp in his gait than upon the character and quality of
his musical performance Need it be added that leu
tonic and the German language were largely in
evidence2
There was no call for criticism all this Mr. Kresler
had done his duty loyal citizen of the land Of his
birth Americans could only be thankful that he had
been saved from Russian shells bullets continue
his admirable art We not at then and he
was not an alien enemy Whatever our sympathies in
the war might be- we had nc animus against the ndi
vidual Austrian who sojourning with us
Even now there no desire crtcise Mr.. Kreisler
personally There is however, very decided reason
for taking exception to the criticism Of America i'm
piled in Mr. KreisIers ettitude-or say the at
titude into which he has by his advisers
This criticism of the country in which Mr.. Kres-
elsewhere had Just this foundation that since
America entered he longer being viewed
entirely as an artist many AMERICANS TAX
ing cognzanee of the fact that he also citizen of
Austria the ally of Germany. This denounced
narrow small contemplate. The finger of scorn
pointed at the narroWEnded creatures who did ap
precate the universally of Fer the retort that art
may be used sympathy for the nationality
scented by the artist there contempt and dersion
The contention that enemy aliens should not appear in
the Iimelght brought forth thunders many quar-
ters
Perhaps these justified Possibly art should be
judged solely mpersonal thing Of beauty and the
artist held superior decisions affecting folk
When all world agrees upon this America will surely
not found lag behind But what is the record of
Mr.. Kreisers country and what is the record of
Germany in respect to and artists?
There is in this country today very wonderful Rus
sian volinst by the of Heifetz This artist who
has been acclaimed by all critics and music lovers.
playing in Berlin when the broke He high
ly regarded by the music there Did the Prus-
SLAMS uphold the exemption of the artist? Mr. Heifetz
spent two years-tVo long valuable yesrsin intern
ment camp.
Joseph Joachim almost musical god in Germany
When he died his place at the head of the Hochschue
given to Henri Msrtesu Frenchman. This placing
of foreigner upon Joachm's musical throne created
furcre- But Marteau had caught the Kssers goodwill
Moreover he had been pupil-and ablest of Joa-
chin. So the storm Of Prussian chauvnism broke
against him Bui what happened, when the war