Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-08
M u S [ c.
BY HELEN FETTER.

! of his concerts. His father, Moshe
Menuhin, has been quoted in the
press of the world as stating that
every precaution is being taken to
protect the talented youngSter
from the less admirable effects Of
fame and much publicity, and to
limit the number of his concert
appearances so as to give him
plenty of time for study, normal
play and all the other interests of
the usual boy in his early teens.
Of course, gifted though Yehu-
dis Stubby fingers naturally were
with that intangible genius that
cannot be taught, still he never
could have become the remark
ably artistic virtuoSo and rolled
golden notes from his Stradiva-
RUS with his magic bow had he
not had the patient, intelligent
training given him by Louis Per-
singer. For years this distin-
guiShed teacher, himself a noted
artist, devoted major efforts to
developing and giving musicianly
background to the natural gift of
Yehudi. The MenuhinS, when Ye-
hudi was baby, were too poor to
be able to afford a single dollar
to have some one care for him
while they attended an orchestra
concert, sitting in the cheapest
seats, and so they took the baby
with them. Today they are in
their lovely Summer home in
Basel, Switzerland, and Yehudi is
having seven months of playing,
studying and enjoying living be-
fore he has brief concert season
next year, including a program in
Washington.
At the same time Mr.. Persinger
is indirectly involved in legal
troubles over another youthful
genius he has been sponsoring
under his pathological bow for
several seasons, and who made his
debut in a formal concert this
year. Miss Mary Elizabeth Lackey,
an assistant teacher to Mr.. Per-
singer, was made guardian of lit
tie 9-year-old Ruggiero Ricci and
his brother Giorgio as part Of a
program for protecting the tai
entS and developing them in these
children, who are of poor italian
parentage, yet are amazingly gift
ed as violiniSts. Miss Lackey had
the two children constantly with
her and supervised most of their
studies, although Mr.. Persinger
kept a generally directing eye on
them and was responsible for
whatever public appearances they
made.
Now, the very end of May, the
father of these two little boys,
Pietro Ricci, has obtained writ
of habeaS corpus requiring the
children's guardian, Miss Lackey,
to show cause why the two boys
should not be given into their
fathers custody. The father
charged that the children's health
had been endangered by exploit
tation and attacked the validity
of Miss Lackey's guardianship. He
also said he and his wife had
signed the papers for the chill
dren's adoption by Miss Lackey on
false representation, and added
that as the parents of the chill
dren, he and his wife not only
had not seen the boys for over
year, but they had received no
money from their earnings.
4 r
INFORMATION received direct
= from Louis Persinger recently
mentions the fact that little Rug
giero Ricci has played in public
four times since he came east
from his home in San Francisco.
His debut was with the Manhat-
tan Symphony Orchestra, october
20, 1929. He gave his first public
recital at Carnegie Hall, Novem-
Der 90 following the october ap-
peafance; gave a recital in Chi
cago December 20 and had his
last appearance to date at the
Ann Arbor Festival with the Chi
cago Orchestra, May 16, 1880. His
contract for concerts next year
calls for only 10 appearances.
It Is pure sympathy that one
cannot help extending to this
teacher who himself has re-
ceived little gain and much
trouble when one reads in a per-
sonal letter that within the
past 10 days I have listened to
youngsters flour and five years of
age) who showed every sign of
being capable of development into
MenuhinS and Riccis, but I shall
not undertake anything Of the
kind myself. The job is too un-
grateful and carries in its wake
too many heartaches."