THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 21720, 15 May 1934, Page 19

THOUGHTS ABOUT MUSIC

[By L.D.A.] “ Music gives tone to the universe: wings to the mind: flight to the imagination : a charm to sadness: gaiety and life to everything.”—Plato. In employing the terminology of criticism it pays one better to be parsimonious rather than prodigal, lor if the incautious critic, intoxicated by the exuberance of his own verbosity, draw extravagant cheques upon the bank of eulogy, sooner or later he will find his vocable account overdrawn. In other words, after all superlatives have been unwisely lavished upon comparative mediocrity, what is the foolish virgin species of scribe to do when confronted with sterling merit? Let us say, for example, that someone describes a Dunedin orchestral performance as “ masterly in conception and treatment —the finest rendering imaginable.” That particular critic must inevitably be at a Joss if shortly afterwards he hears the same work executed by an orchestra of world-wide fame. Experience demonstrates the wisdom of maintaining reasonable reserves of approbatory adjectives. * * * * These remarks are engendered by two dogmatic assertions appearing recently in British papers; the first being to the effect that young Yehudi Menuhin, the precocious violinist, is “ the greatest prodigy since Mozart”; whilst Mr Neville Cardus, the critic of the ‘ Manchester Guardian,’ goes so far as to call Vladimir _ Horowitz “ the greatest pianist alive or dead.” This offers material for a little dispassionate inquiry. Comparison of “prodigies” is no easy matter, but only . a tyro , would cite Mozart in such a connection, because every musician knows that in one direction viz., composition little Wolfgang Amadeus has had no peer; before he was ten he had written several symphonies, an oratorio, and many other works, and at thirteen he composed a successful opera. Besides this his pianoforte playing, when only six years old, was described as miraculous —a term which, in those days, implied a good deal more than it does now. * * * * Even Schubert and Mendelssohn, the nearest* rivals of Mozart in regard to juvenile creative talent, wrote nothing of much consequence before their twelfth or thirteenth year, though, even so, they should both take precedence of Menuhin—who is now six-teen—-not only in point of age, but because creative musicianship must ever rank higher than mere executive ability. In any case, it is just as unsafe to cite ancient analogy as it is to prophesy—unless you know. _ And how can one know without a reliable musical dictionary, or other reference guide, at one’s elbow? Obviously, the scribes above quoted could not have searched very far. While, as I have indicated, Mozart is unique among child compos-* ers, musical history abounds in examples of juvenile instrumental precocity ; and, though the piano has claimed most of them, several cases may be given of violinists more vouthful, and quite as striking, as that of young Menuhin. * * * * To begin with, there is little Reggiardo Ricci, now only about eleven, who surprised the German cognoscenti over two years ago, and who was then hailed as “ the greatest ever.’’ If I mistake not, Dunedin’s distinguished musician, Mr Charles Martin, heard this boy whilst abroad, and pronounced him superior to Menuhin. But let us go back further into history. What about Paganini himself, the unsurpassed violinist of all time ? At nine years of age his father decided to place him under the tutelage of Alessandro Rolla, a celebrated violin master then residing at Parma. Says the ‘Chronicle’: “ They found Rolla ill in bed, and, pending his wife’s inquriy as to whether he would see them, they were ushered into an adjoining room. On a table therein lay a violin and Rolla’s latest composition in manuscript. At a command from his father little Paganini picked up the instrument and played the music at sight with such wonderful precision that Rolla —his indisposition completely forgotten —sat up in his bed and loudly demanded the name of the professor he had just heard. When told it was no professor, but a mere child, he refused to believe it until young Paganini was brought before him; and then, learning the reason of the visit, ho said: ‘I can teach him nothing.’ ” * * * * Next we have the careers of the extraordinarily gifted sisters, Teresa and Maria Milanollo, who just about a century ago created quite a furore by their astonishing violin playing. Teresa, the elder, began to appear in public at the age of six after only a few lessons. 1 ( or many years she toured Europe with her sister, whose style of performance was entirely different, though no less brilliant. Maria’s career was cut short at sixteen by rapid consumption; but Teresa continued to play with enormous success all over Europe until her marriage in 1857, the London Philharmonic concerts being among the scenes of her triumphs. She reached a ripe old age, dying in 1904. But I wish to emphasise the fact that these ladies took all Europe by storm as children of tender years. My next example is the famous Lady Halle, who, as little Wilma Neruda, astounded the musical world in 1849. There was a trio of Nerudas— Wilma, Amalie, and Victor, violinist, pianist, and ’cellist respectively—their ages being nine, twelve, and eleven The English debut of this precocious trio was made at the London Princess Theatre, and this is what ‘ The Times said of their abilities: . “ A remarkably clever trio of children appeared here yesterday (May 7, 1849), and obtained tumultuous applause. ... Little Wilma is undoubtedly the star, and her performances require no apology on the score of ago; they arc wonderful and quite unprecedented in our experience.” Later in life the young lady became Madame Norman-Neruda, the most renowned feraalo violinist of her generation. After her second marriage, to Sir Charles 'Halle, in 1888, her artistic reputation increased by leaps and bounds, and it is doubtful whether any performer of her sex has since equalled her achievements. My chief point, however, is that at ten years of age Wilma Neruda was an artist of exceptional powers. About the same time, too, she had a formidable male rival in young Joseph Joachim—a very famous violinist of the Victorian era, and a man who, by precept, example, and attainments, left an indelible footprint on the sands of musical history. When only seven this boy astonished all hearers; indeed, there has never been so accomplished a violinist at such an early age. But Sarasate at fifteen was the equal of any of the foregoing; thus we have quite a number of youthful prodigies in history to set against the achievements of Yehudi Menuhin, and there arc others whom I cannot recall for the moment. * * * * Space will not permit me io enlarge upon the array of precocious pianists

and other instrumentalists. Of these, William Crotch must rank first m point of age, since he gave public organ recitals in London when only four!_ But, of all musical prodigies in history, Franz Liszt was, as an executant, quite the most phenomena], a fact easily verified by anyone interested. Nevertheless, Horowitz is unquestionably “the greatest” of present-day pianists. Even on the gramophone this assertion may ho corroborated. Rut to call him the greatest “ alive or dead ” is just another of those unwarranted euioginnis which 1 have been deprecating.