Books › Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904 › scan 360
Scan 360
Grove's dictionary of music and musicians;, 1904
22 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1VIOLIN-PLAYING
3may seem to be insignificant, but no one can say that his fame was undeserved if he reflects that Sarasate helped to make the violin loved and appreciated all over the world by the matchless charm of his tone and style, and that, although other artists have surmounted greater technical difficulties, the flawless perfection of his technique, as far as it went, has never been equalled in modern times. August Wilhelmj ceased to make public appearances after the age of fifty, and ended his days as a busy and successful teacher resident in London. Leopold Auer, after a long residence in St. Petersburg, where he gained a position of great distinction as soloist, teacher, and conductor, has retired and receives a pension from the Imperial purse. He was fêted in December 1908 on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of his first appearance. Among his pupils are Mischa Elman, Zimbalist, and Kathleen Parlow, young people who are now already public favourites.
5The Belgian school can no longer be regarded as a branch of the French, and the marvel is that, with qualities so individual, it ever was so considered, Belgium, especially the Walloon district, being nothing less than a nursery of violinists. There could be no greater contrast than between the styles of such players as Vieuxtemps and Sarasate, or Léonard and Alard. The two leading Belgian violinists to-day are Eugène Ysaÿe, a commanding figure in the world of music, and César Thomson, principal violin professor at the Conservatoire of Brussels. MM. Zimmer and Schmidt have also considerable local reputation, whilst the members of the Brussels String Quartet (leader Franz Schorg) form one of the best organisations of the kind now before the public.
7In France fewer violinists of great eminence are heard, but there are evidences of a reversion to the finer taste of the old French classical school. Less use is made of the exaggerated vibrato which is the typical vice of the modern French artist, whether vocalist or instrumentalist, and chamber music, as in the time of Baillot, is much cultivated in Paris, some of the concerts, notably those given by the Parent and Capet Quartets, being frequently of exceptional, and, in some cases, of historic interest. J. B. C. Dancla (1818–1907) retained his prestige as a teacher to an advanced age, and the staff of professors at the Conservatoire has not lost the reputation gained in earlier days. The most prominent soloist of the French school is Jacques Thibaud, whose fascinating style has gained him a European reputation.
9As an orchestral player the average French violinist leaves, however, something to be desired. A born soloist and adept at every kind of light bowing, he lacks the weight of tone which even the less accomplished players of other countries possess, and which is needed in symphony playing.
11VIOLIN-PLAYING
13Emile Sauret and Henri Marteau are French by birth but cosmopolitan through residence in other countries. French influence is scarcely perceptible in the style of the last-mentioned artist, who was appointed, after Joachim's death, to the vacant professorship of the violin at the Hochschule in Berlin, with permission to retain his rank as an officer in the French army.
15Among the present residents in Berlin are Lady Hallé, Karl Halir, Willy Burmester, Waldemar Meyer, Zajic, Karl Flesch, Karl Klingler, A. Petschnikoff, and A. Moser. One of Joachim's best pupils, H. Pétri, resides in Dresden, and Hugo Heerman in Frankfort. Fritz Kreisler, who ranks among the first of living violinists, has recently taken up his abode in Berlin, but is a product of the Viennese school. Hubermann as soloist, and Grün (now a septuagenarian) as teacher, are prominent in the musical life of Vienna, the pupils of the latter including Franz Kneisel, leader of the Quartet bearing his name, which has done so much for chamber music in America. Another fine quartet leader established in Vienna is Arnold Rosé, but no surviving member remains of the family of Hellmesberger, three of that name having in succession taken an active part, as violinists, in the musical life of the city. Jean Hubay, of Buda-Pest, though at one period in his career engaged as professor at the Brussels Conservatoire, may be described as a musical patriot, devoting himself to the composition and performance of solos in which Hungarian airs and dances form the main feature. Veczey, a young player of much promise, who also studied under Joachim, and has serious aims, is Hubay's most distinguished pupil.
17The Czech school was well represented for a time by F. Ondricek (pupil at the Prague Conservatoire), whilst Ottakar Ševčík has enhanced its reputation by sending out into the world several pupils equipped with a dazzling technique, amongst them Kubelik, Kocian, and Marie Hall. Kubelik travels the world and has galvanised into life the long dormant music of Paganini. Kocian teaches at Odessa, and of Marie Hall it could be said at her début that she was the first solo violinist of English birth to take rank as a virtuoso.
19Besides Sarasate Spain has produced one violinist of rank in Monasterio (1836–1903), a good teacher who also did much for the advancement of chamber music in Spain. In Scandinavia the only prominent name since Ole Bull is Tor Aulin, who is held in esteem as violinist, composer, and conductor.
21Exception made of the ladies mentioned, it must be recorded that the leading positions in England continue to be occupied by violinists of foreign birth. Emile Sauret, an artist widely known, is now, and has been (intermittently) for some years, a resident in London. He occupied the position of principal professor of
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