The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-08-09
LOST SCHUMANNI 1
 CONCERTO NEAR
Resurrected From Oblivion
 to Be Played for First Time in Public

Los Gates, Calf. Aug, 9-(UP)- A violin concerto by Robert Schu- mann, the greatest ambition of his life and the despair of his last mo- rose days in an asylum, has been reSurrected from oblivion and will be played for the first time in pulp lie by Yehudi Menuhin, 1t was an- nounced today. The work was lost for Sl years in the German royal library at Berlin where the com poser hid 1t in despair because Jo- Seph Joachim, greatest violinist of the late 18th century, would not play 1t publicly for him. Joachim was afraid that Schumann would be disappointed by public reaction and out of kindness, rejected it. First Rendition
 The young virtuoso's father, Moshe Menuhin, said the first ren- dition will be at St. Louis Novem- Der i4 when Yehudi begins series of 74 engagements in America and Europe.
 Both the violinist and his father were excited by the discovery. Ye- hudi wept when he practiced the work and he believes that the great romantic beauty 1t contains will disprove the claims that Schumann was insane in his later years.
 The elder Menuhin revealed that Schumann left a will decreeing that his concerto should not be played until 50 years after Joachims death. Joachim died in 1907. Schumann's heirs have given permission to break the will, Menuhin said.
 Reference works contain no mem ton of the concerto.
 Nervous Prostration
 The composer suffered from ner- yous prostration in his middle ca- reer. He imagined that the note "A" rang continually in his ears, and he had c morbid fear of death, heights and metal.
 Menuhin said the unpublished phase of Schumann's life concerned the violin concerto. It had been his great ambition to compose Q work as great as Beethoven's and to have Joachim play 1t with him- ] self conducting the orchestral &C., compartment.
 Schumann directed the Sym- phony orchestra at Dusseldorf.
 Joachim believed the concerto was not as great as Beethoven's and he refused to play 1t. For many years after Schumann's death, the concerto remained e mystery. Fi.' nally 1t was forgotten. Hans Strecker, tho music scholar and composer, discovered it recently and sent photostatic copies to Yehudi for his approval.
 Sadness, Mystery
 He said the work was Filled with sadness and mystery and does not lend itself to vitality and viger. It Is characterized by slow meditation. But what delights me is the spon. taneity of the romantic and lyrical concerto. have found in 1t themes which tell me that 1t was studied by Brahms and became c basis for his great concerto"
 schuinann was born in i8i0 and was one of the greatest of the ro- mantle composers. His great love was Clara Wieck, who married him in violation of her fathers wish and cared for him in his last years. La. ter she was famous as c pianist aS Clara schumann,
 The composer was cured of his phobias temporarily but few years before his death he leaped from bed believing that Schubert and MendelsSohn had visited him in c dream. giving him theme which he had to set down. He wrote five variations of this theme for the piano, his last work. By this time the imaginative note and voices were haunting him again. He cast himself into the River Rhine on Feb. 27, 1856 but was rescued and placed In private asylum where he died July 90 of the same year.
 HIS contemporary. Joachim. a Hungarian had an interpretative genius that is c model for the mod. ernS.
 Long Negotiations
 Menuhin said there had been pro. longed negotiations with 6clu. mann's heirs in securing permis. sion to break the will and introduce the concerto 20 years earlier than the composer wished.
 "A daughter Of echumann'S, who is now 90 years old, finally gave her consent. A host of other relatives was bought off with promises Of shares In the royalties. Permission Of the government was obtained and the work Is in the process Of publication"
 Yehudi has agreed to play the work on condition that the original score Is not altered. The young ar- tist is in retirement at the home of his parents and sisters kcre,