Books › Musical Courier 1907-05-08: Vol 54 Iss 19, 1907 › scan 13
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Musical Courier 1907-05-08: Vol 54 Iss 19, 1907
80 lines. Read by computer on 24 September 2026. Printed page 14. See the scan on archive.org.
1SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT KARL GRIENAUER.
3Wherever the names of the greatest cello virtuosi are mentioned, Karl Grienauer is given prominent place. His charming personality, sunny temperament, full of happy humor and wit, and the bewitching gift of his marvelous art, combined with distinguished appearance, win for him innumerable friends and admirers, and attract wherever he appears. If one looks for the reason of his extraordinary success one comes to the conclusion that it is due to the abundance of poetry in his musical expression. His warm, sweet and large tone, as well as an enormous flexibility of left finger technic, enable him to follow the sublimest impulse of his soul. The wide range of his expression covers easily all the emotions of the human life—love, joy, happiness and humor—and if he desires, he takes his audience floating on wings of music far into a land where palms are rocking in the moonlight and eternal roses exhale their fragrance through the night.
5The confidence his fellow-artists have in his abilities is proved in that he was called upon in 1904 by Leo Stern to take his place, on short notice, touring the country with Susanne Adams in song and cello recitals, with the result that practically everywhere the verdict was, "The greatest we have ever heard."
7In 1906 he was again called to substitute for another great cellist, Josef Hollman.
9In Europe he made his reputation as a great cello virtuoso before coming to America. Born in Vienna, he graduated at the Vienna Conservatory with highest honors, receiving the first prize, the golden medal, the highest award given to any student.
11He became solo cellist at the Court Opera, Turin; at La Scala, Milan, and at the Concerthaus, Berlin, Ysaye being then concertmaster. The Neue Freie Presse, Wien, says of him: "Herr Grienauer is undoubtedly the best cellist heard this season. His technic is absolutely immense, his memory marvelous, and his musical intelligence commensurate with both."
13The sensation he created by his appearances in Vienna, London, Paris, Berlin, New York, Boston and many other Eastern cities, is due to the combination of three elements which are very rarely found together in one artist—tone, technic and temperament. These he possesses in rare degree.
15A few press comments of Karl Grienauer's cello recital tour, season 1906-1907:
17HE SHARED WITH MADAME SCHUMANN-HEINK THE HIGHEST POPULAR APPRECIATION OF THE EVENING.
19Karl Grienauer was heard with great pleasure, and his masterly playing was rewarded with continued applause, compelling him to make repeated acknowledgments. In fact, he shared with Madame Schumann-Heink the highest popular appreciation of the evening. He showed the possession of the requisite poetic and lyric sympathy to bring out the chief beauty of the sonorous instrument, cantabile playing, and over and beyond this Mr. Grienauer proved the possession of the violin technic, if it may be so called, which is the highest point reached technically by modern cellists. This was strikingly shown in his own composition, "Moonlight," and in the "Scherzo des Basques" by Piatti, the first being full of melodious beauty and the second in the more dazzling style of the modern virtuoso. The player's delivery of the greatest difficulties was so easy that one hardly thought of the rapid octaves, thirds, double stopping, mixed staccato and a little clever work in harmonics in the bewitching effect of the whole.—The Milwaukee Journal.
21The universal verdict at the close of Karl Grienauer's recital was that he is the greatest cello virtuoso who ever played in Decatur.—The Decatur Daily Herald.
23GRIENAUER'S MASTERY OF THE VIOLONCELLO IS COMPLETE.
25Karl Grienauer is a cellist of world wide reputation and his mastery of the violoncello is complete. He has every quality of the finished artist and one needs but to see him to know that his heart and soul have been put into his life work with his favorite instrument.—Jacksonville Daily Journal.
27KARL GRIENAUER A GREAT CELLIST. HIS RECITAL A MUSICAL TRIUMPH.
29Karl Grienauer, the famous Vienna cello virtuoso, gave a cello recital yesterday afternoon at the Lyric Theater. He has the genuine musical temperament, and his playing was at all times delightful. With a broad technic, he draws from his instrument a peculiarly alluring and appealing tone, and the program presented gave him ample opportunity to display his versatility.—The Buffalo Courier.
31KARL GRIENAUER'S ABILITY AS A CELLIST EASILY PLACES HIM IN THE VERY FRONT RANKS OF MASTERS OF THAT INSTRUMENT.
33He has every quality that the connoisseur can desire. Nothing is lacking in technical finish or force, and he carries the most difficult pieces with the ease and astounding brilliancy of the virtuoso of the highest class that he is. He is unsurpassed in breadth and wealth of tone and intensity of poetic feeling.—Buffalo Evening News.
35Karl Grienauer's technic is highly developed. He disposes over a large, full tone, and through his warmth and artistic temperament he knows how to hold the interest of his audience with ever increasing enthusiasm during an entire cello recital.—New York Staats-Zeitung, November 6.
37WHEREVER THE GREATEST CELLO VIRTUOSOS ARE MENTIONED KARL GRIENAUER'S NAME IS ONE OF THE VERY FIRST.
39He demonstrated at his recital in Mendelssohn Hall, how he can draw from the cello, with his magic touch, streams of melodies that touch the innermost heart of his listeners.—New York Echo.
41K. GRIENAUER IS A THOROUGH MASTER OF THE CELLO.
43Mr. Grienauer was secured by the Apollo Club in place of Josef Hoffman, who cabled that he will not visit America this season. It is doubtful if anything was lost in the exchange, especially as it was the first appearance of Mr. Grienauer in this city. Mr. Grienauer is a thorough master of his instrument as was shown by his rendition of such compositions as "Toreador and Andalous," Rubinstein and Popper's "Rhapsodie Hongroise."—St. Louis Republic.
45KARL GRIENAUER IS EXTRAORDINARILY GIFTED.
47APOLLO CLUB CONCERT.
49Herr Grienauer, cellist, was placed under the disadvantage of being a substitute, and for no less an artist than Josef Hoffman.
51But no one could have regretted the chance which brought about the substitution, since this musician is extraordinarily gifted. He won great favor with his audience at once. Goltermann's andante movement from the concerto in A minor was played with much feeling and finish; Popper's "Rhapsodie Hongroise," with numerous eccentric passages, revealed an odd sort of artistic abandon.—St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat.
53KARL GRIENAUER'S RECITAL ECLIPSED ALL PREVIOUS MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS OF THE SEASON.
55Mr. Grienauer is a cellist of wonderful ability and his numbers, which were of the very highest order of classical music, were delivered without a flaw. His music was both expressive and difficult and the wonderful feats performed by him are performed with apparent ease. Madame Grienauer is a soprano soloist of marked ability and her numbers on the program given last night were repeatedly applauded.—Illinois State Register.
57THE GRIENAUER RECITAL WAS LITTLE SHORT OF MIRACULOUS.
59HERR GRIENAUER IS REMARKABLE FOR HIS POWER AND TECHNIC ON THE CELLO.
61His playing was characterized by the enormous volume of tone that he was able to draw from his cello. At times he seemed to be playing on a bass viol, and then again on a violin. His mastery of his instrument was complete. Another striking feature was his wonderful technical ability. This was shown in the "Scherzo des Basques," by Piatti. His performance was little short of miraculous. The recital was without doubt the best heard here this season.—The Illini, Urbana, Illinois.
63GRIENAUER'S PLAYING IS OF MAGNETIC POWER.
65Two Evenings of Beautiful Music Furnished by This Splendid Young Vienna Artist.
67The opening number was the well known Hungarian rhapsodie, by Popper, and arranged by Grienauer, a brilliant composition that gave the virtuoso every opportunity for displaying his magnificent, phenomenal technic. His playing is magnetic; his temperament gives evidence in every move of the arm, and in the dramatic passages he fairly pleads with the strings; then bending to caress them as they sing in sweetest harmony the love songs and build up fairy castles and dream pictures as beautiful as unreal. Listening to this man one forgets the limitations of the cello. There seems no depth to the sounding well spring of the G string; no height to which the flute like harmonics could not ascend.—The News-Courier, Charleston, S. C.
69THE GREATEST PERFORMER CHARLESTON HAS HEARD.
71—The Charleston, S. C., Evening Post.
73GRIENAUER CHARMED ALL MUSIC LOVERS.
75VIRTUOSO'S WONDERFUL WORK ON THE CELLO A REVELATION.
77Mr. Grienauer is easily the foremost of cello artists. The larger part of the program is given over to his really wonderful manipulation of the violoncello. He cajoles it, he caresses it, he scolds it, he mildly chastises it with the lashing bow, and all the time it responds in tones clear and ringing. He can make it sob or he can make it laugh; he can picture the storm cloud or he can reproduce the very echo of the patter of the feet of the elves. Mr. Grienauer is the foremost demonstrator of the cello, no one having a more wonderful technic or a more sympathetic accord with the minds of the masters. Mr. Grienauer's phrasing showed individuality in the interpretation.
79The admirable part of Mr. Grienauer's playing is that one, though untrained, may follow the every movement and enjoy his
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