CHILD VIOLINIST

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 April 1927, Page 3

CHILD VIOLINIST

GREAT RECEPTION IN PARIS

Something like a sensation has been caused by the appearance in the Salle Gaveau of a 10-year-old American child violinist with the strange name of Yehudi Menuhin. The musical critics are in agreement in hailing him as an “enfant prodige’ ’and a real virtuoso. Yehudi .Menuhin evoked plaudits almost delirious in their ex-

ression by his playing of Lalo’s

“Spanish Symphony,” the “Scherzo” of Wieniawski, and the sixteenth century melody of Joseph Achron. The strange thing about this youthful musical genius is that his parents do not understand music. His father was connected with various schools in San Francisco and the child was taken to concerts. When he was three years old, he expressed a wish to learn to

play the violin, and at five he had a master, Mr. Louis Persinger, formerly solo violinist of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The boy studied with passion. lie is stated to- have received £lOOO for every concert he

gave,-.and his parents declined a contract offered to him for £20,000. -He will remain in Europe for educational purposes for a year, but will continue

his musical studies under M. Georges Enesco.

Yehudi Menuhin was born in New York. His father is descended from a Palestinian family -and his mother's ancestors were Ttartars. His favorite composers are Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach, but lie is keenly interested in the modern school of music. For him the violin is an amusement, and it is the Wish of his parents that he shall consider it as such for a long time to come.