Evening star., 1932-12-04
HE OST of us have had our
|" childhood days darkened
hu M rental in acictenca thu

py paItIlbdl IIlSlStcilCt tlidt
AA genius was but the capac-
fly for intensive application. Com
monplace little mortals have been
harassed with the thought that
they were not doing their duty
by the world in not digging out
from some place in their resist
ing inner self the makings of an
unusual parsonage.
The subject of the how and why
of genius has been given long and
profound thought by scientists
who have tried to develop a work
ing basis. The partisanS of eu-
genicS have formulated theories
and tried to prove them. Yet,
when all is said and done, the as
.toniShing fact remains that genius
arrives at most unexpected mo-
mentS and springs from most un-
productive soil. Clever parents or
proper training and environment
are not an assurance that it can
be developed and it's presence and
growth are often a source of
anaZement to those who would
have a hand in its making.
For the last quarter of a CEN
tury we have had an epidemic of
predigies which is the rirst symp-
tom of genius. Why this unusual
ability should take the form of
violinists is difficult to under
stand, but certain it is that child
prodigies Of the violin have moved
and enraptured the world more
than any Of their elders have ever
done. One after another they
have come, each more brilliant
than the other and each new
conner seeming to eclipse the pre-
ceding star.
Kubelik was the first in this
century to amaze the world. Such
yirtuosity, such technique had not
been equaled since the DAYS of
Paginini. The purely virtuoso
compositions that had been al
most forgotten were resurrected
TO furnish a proper medium for
his extraordinary talent. He was
Q comet whose passing left a
shower Of sparks that ignited the
dormant possibilities of many
youthful musicians who otherwise
might have been content to fol-
low the prescribed paths.
Franz Won Veczey, MiScha e.
man. Jascha Heifetz, besides less
or lights, we're, in turn, enthusi-
astically applauded and marveled
lt. Fond parents with precociouS
children made the lives of cele-
brated violin teachers miserable
in their belief In the genius of
thNtr offspring. There were many
1s1e ups, but few steady fires.
. score Of years Of solitary fame
for the boy, Jascha Heifetz, and
then his supremacy was chal-
lenged by another little boy, who
played the Mendelssohn Concerto
in San Francisco at the age of 8
years. Yehudi Menuhin inmedi-
ately attracted attention, and
when he wassi0 he was brought
East for the Judgment Of New
York. When the public heard
him they cheered with uncon-
fined enthusiasm and stampeded
in their effort to get near to the
1dt ntbiV wy WllO -COulu pay "
diyinely. Sour-mouthed old wise
ones said, wait" and shook their
heads orninously, meaning there
by that time viii tell If this Is
something genuine or only fash
in the pan.
Recently Yehudi, who is now 16
years old, gave q recital In Ber-
hn.- It was the occasion, long
awaited, to Judge how this process
OF growing into young manhood
would affect his art. The critics
OF this supercritical city exhaust
ed all the superlative several
words-in-one adjectives In de-
scribing his performance and the
sum total OF their opinions ceded
him definitely the place Of Won
der of the century.
Days In advance the Philhar-
naonic hall was sold out. The
audience listened in rapt wonder
at q technic that knows no OBJ
steele and q perfection of style
that has matured and deepened.
So HawIeSS in every reSDect is his