Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27

Deen CaleQ Dy MUSICAL duIIhOIl-
ties "the most perfect musical
Il instrument known" is more than
800 years old. There are many
who master the mechanical technique
of the stringed instrument. There are
very few, indeed, however, Of all those
who can also master the soul Of the
instrument Most of those who achieve
sufficient fame to make it financially
possible search out some of the rare old
instruments made by Amati, Strada-
varius or Guarnerius on which to play.
The violin is one instrument OF which
no modern, up-to-date, improved"
model can equal those handmade beau
tiful examples CT the master VIOLIN
makers of Italy in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries.
The year 1880 has seen the decline
of one of the greatest stars ir. the
violin armament. Leopold Auer, who
died in Dresden June is of pneumonia,
has joined the other former masters
Who will no longer sound their A. in
this world. Paganini, Joachim. Franz
Kneisel, WieniaWski and Ole Bull are
of that company of historic masters.
The late Hungarian maestro, undoubt-
eddy the most widely known OF all
teachers of this instrument for recent
generations, was IS years old.
Within this same current year those
interested In the coming and going OF
stars in the musical armament have
seen the star of child genius, Yehudi
Menuhin, glowing ever more brilliantly
and surely Yehudi is now IA years
old. He was IL when he first played in
Washington. He is to be heard here
during the coming Winter, having a
local concert date under Mrs. Greene's
management in February.
Yehudi Did Not Study With Auer.
Yehudi Menuhin is one of the few
violinists on the concert stage today
who did not study with Leopold Auer.
The little Hebrew boy, who first heard
symphC ~ orchestra when he was
year old and grew increasingly inter-
ested in the first violinist, grew up in
| San Francisco, and received his most
valuable fundamental training from
| that famous concertmeister, Louis Per-
singer one of the finest musicians and
personalities in this country.
| More recently, since his success as
concert artist became so firmly estab-
lished, Yehudi has been studying abroad
with a distinguished foreign master,
Prof. Adolf Busch. The boy artist has
| been protected by both Mr.. Persinger
and his parents from undue contact
with gushing admirers or representatives
of the press. He is now living quietly
with his parents and two little sisters
| for seven months at Basic, Switzerland.
His father, Meshe Menuhin, has writ
ten to his American managers that
Yehudi is in robust health and spends
three hours daily in the fields. The
whole family enjoys week end motor
trips into Germany, France and Swift
zerland, all reached easily from Basic.
| Later, with his father, he will 20 to
Leipzig to hear the Bach Festival, and
| in August be taken for an extended
vacation in the high Alps, where he
can indulge his passion for hiking.
| Yehudfs nature is dual. Away from
music the real boy is uppermost; when
| 1t comes to the artistic SIDE he ap-
| proaches things as ripened artist
Meanwhile, in restful retirement of the
Basic home, Yehudi is progressing In
his general studies. Learning rapidly
and easily N all his studies, just as he
does In music, the boy absorbs without
effort. With his French master he
| reads and then discusses the writings
OF Montesquieu, Voltaire and Rousseau;
| with his father he reads English works
] general history and likes to solve pug
! zles in mathematics. with Yehudi il
is not matter Of porting over things
but instantly absorbing them by read
ing, and debating on them.
| Icnuui interested In NEWS.
He scans the clippings which his
father culls from newspapers to en-
tighten him on useful topics; the Geo.
graphic Magazine and the Scientific
American delight the boy. AS instance
of his highly developed intelligence or
the musical side and taste for research
he has thrown aside all editions and
revisionS of classical works, studying
only from the originals Of sonatas and
the scores of concertos. Yehudi has
also had secured for him, following sew
eral years negotiations, the so volume;
of Bach's compositions, reproduced In
autograph from the originals assembled
at great expense by Max Bruch arlt
issued by the Bach Society.
Yehudi's advanced training with Proi
emphasized artistry. The musica
standards of Busch are exalted and un'
compromising. Meeting Toscanini II
London. where he had gone from o con.
cert tour OF Europe to hear his friens
conduct four concerts by the New Yorl
Philharmonic Orchestra, Busch and TIT
Italian maestro talked much about re
hudi's art. Toscanini declared that NJ
worshiped the boys playing OF Bacn
Cesar Franck and Mozart.
prof. Busch. upon returning to Basic
wanted to note the boys progress IN I'M
six months since he had last heard hin
play. So Yehudi, used to wildly entnu
siastic throngs Of from 5000 to 10000
gave q concert in the studio OF Prol
Busch, who made his audience OF one
His enthusiasm even surpassed tnat Q
any of the vast audiences before Wnici
Yehlidi had ever played.
plans for Yehudi's future remain nun
danentaily the same as have heretoiori
preyaiIed /. A few more engagements WI