Scan 34
Musical Courier 1902-02-12: Vol 44 Iss 1142, 1902
36 lines. Read by computer on 22 September 2026. Printed page 35. See the scan on archive.org.
1Florizel's Success.
3At his first matinee recital at Carnegie Hall last Saturday afternoon, Florizel Reuter, the gifted boy violinist, again astonished musicians with his skill. An army of small boys and girls, accompanied by parents and guardians, were there, and from the rapt attention of the little folks it was evident that many of them were students of music. It only needed a glance over the audience to be convinced, for many of the youngsters carried their violin cases, doubtless in the act of going to or returning from a lesson. Then every other grown up person in the house was either a violinist, 'cellist or pianist, not to omit the vocalists. Thus it will be seen that the assembled audience was a musical one with a vengeance, and therefore when Master Reuter played those familiar compositions like the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, the Rondo Capriccioso, by Saint-Saëns; a Tarantelle by Wieniawski, and "The Legende," by Wieniawski, as an extra number, one-half of the house applauded because they were listening to favorites in the repertory of all modern violinists. The boy surmounted all technical difficulties with marvelous ease, and he accomplished it all with the dignity of a man. Who can solve the mystery of this child's extraordinary genius? It has never been solved in the case of other "wonder" children.
5Miss Lucy Gates, who assists Master Reuter at his recitals, sang the Jewel Song from Gounod's "Faust"; a "Nightingale Song" by Liebling, and "You and I," by Liza Lehmann, and she was favorably received, the audience demanding an encore after the Lehmann song. Adolf Giose, at the piano, made his musicianship felt, particularly in the excellent accompaniments for the Concerto and the Rondo. Master Reuter makes his first Brooklyn appearance Friday evening, February 14. His recital will be given at the Academy of Music, on Montague street.
7FLORIZEL IN BOSTON.
9To get an idea of Florizel Reuter's entrée into Boston it will be necessary to read this report from the Boston Herald:
11A DIMINUTIVE BUT VERY PRONOUNCED AMERICAN ARTIST HAS ARRIVED AT THE LENOX.
13Any supposition that young Florizel Reuter, the violinist, is suffering from his appearance on the concert stage would have been instantly dispelled by a sight of the entrance of his manager, Major J. B. Pond, and a Herald man into the lad's room at the Lenox last evening. As the door opened and Major Pond's stalwart figure appeared in sight, Florizel, who was curled up in a big chair, made one bound and landed well up on the major's shoulders. No one need be told that the lad is American born after being with him five minutes, for he is alive all over, as irrepressible as a Western whirlwind, and as quick as a flash to grasp the situation, whatever it may be.
15The major had planned to take the lad and his mother to the theatre, and, like the old campaigner he is, could not see why Florizel, who had only been off the train long enough to dine in his traveling suit, could not start immediately. The boy thought differently and very politely, but none the less positively, declined to appear in public unless he could do so in proper garb.
17His luggage arrived at the moment and he shoo'd the major and the Herald man out of the room without ceremony, his boy-like impatience to see the first American theatre in his experience overcoming all other inclination.
19In a minute or more he popped out into the adjoining room, and, with a twirl upon his toes, remarked: "Here's a lightning change artist." He chattered with boyish freedom, and yet with all the good sense of a man grown, while his mother completed her toilet. He is a very positive, self-reliant youngster, and delights in telling of having earned over $6,000 during his last concert tour in Europe. He speaks of ex-Secretary of the Treasury Lyman J. Gage as having been very kind to him, but he presents the idea that he is a protégé of that gentleman, as he has a true American desire to win his own way.
21That he is not urged to his artistic duties was made very plain when Major Pond suggested some diversion for him this morning. He promptly declined to consider any such use of his time, saying that whatever time he had after rising—and the boy sleeps like other boys, as late as possible—he wished to give to practice at Symphony Hall in preparation for his concert there this evening.
23The boy is delighted with his success in New York on Tuesday evening, and is very proud in telling of the furore his playing created there. Whatever he is as a musician, he is a boy in everything else, and one that has a fascination for anybody who loves a real live boy such as there used to be hereabouts a long time ago.—Boston Herald, February 6, 1902.
25The "Listener's" column in the Boston Transcript, written by E. H. Clement, contained this estimate of Florizel and his career:
27What an unhappy lot the critics' is, and what a discontented lot they are! It is their business to be. While other people are enjoying themselves, they must be on their guard against enjoying themselves. It is no wonder that, with such a function abnormally developed by constant watchfulness, wariness, weariness, they come to find themselves at last in the state of the worn-out matron who dispatches her servant to see what Teddy is doing, and tell him not to. One cannot envy the state of mind or the routine of duty that requires a man to find fault, as critics must, with such gifts as come to us in the fine arts, such mural decorations as we have at the Public Library, for instance; such delicate, dreamy expressiveness as Kubelik shows in his playing, and which they find fault with because it has not Kreisler's virility; such wondrous gifts as the still younger violin prodigy, Florizel von Reuter (only half the age of the latter, and yet with three concertos for violin and orchestra, orchestrated by himself, in manuscript); or the rose fresh voice and style of the beautiful Mormon diva to be. Natural solicitude is expressed by the critics for the health especially of the virtuoso of ten, but if everybody could see how real and simple a human boy he is; how he scampered the other night from the stage door to the greenroom after the last encore to pound the big Major Pond's broad back; how simply he otherwise expressed his hearty, boyish spirits; how intelligent and devoted his bright young German mother is to him; how carefully she has laid her plans for ten years of absolute rest, normal life and development upon the proceeds of his year or two of touring as a marvel—they might spare themselves some of their low feelings as to the fate of the new Mozart. Mrs. von Reuter, though new to the show business, has not failed to note that, while the critics are shying stones into her garden, the musicians (and such musicians as Mr. Gericke and the leading Symphony Orchestra players) are hailing the child as something surpassing all experience of theirs.
29He is a wonder child, and he has made a success as emphatic as it was deserved.
31FLORIZEL
33Will Be Heard in RECITALS in the Astor Gallery of the Waldorf-Astoria, On February 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21, at 11 o'clock in the Morning.
35HIS PROGRAM WILL BE CHANGED AT EACH RECITAL.
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