16 THE BATON(composed of seven harpists). That organizationalso toured the United States from coast to coast."1919—In August. Appointed Chairman of theCommittee on Constitution and By-Laws of theNational Association of Harpists."1920—In <strong>January</strong>. Elected President of theNational Association of Harpists, Inc. Re-electedannually in that capacity."1920—Organized the Franco-American MusicalSociety with E. Robert Schmitz and a groupof prominent French musicians. Annually reelecteda member of the Board of Directors ofthat Society."1920—In October. Appointed Editor ofEolian Review, now Eolus."1920—In <strong>No</strong>vember. Formed the Salzedo HarpTrio with the two first players of my Harp Ensemble,Marie Miller and Elsie Sorelle."1921—Assisted Edgar Varese to organize theInternational Composers' Guild."1924—Elected Vice-President of the Franco-American Musical Society."1924—Appointed member of the Board ofDirectors of the International Society for ContemporaryMusic."I am the only harpist who has been engagedto appear as soloist with the leading symphonyorchestras of America, such as the PhiladelphiaOrchestra, the New York Symphony, the BostonSymphony, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra,the Friends of Music, the Syracuse Orchestra.I have also appeared several times with theleading chamber music societies of the UnitedStates."My compositions number about twenty-six,besides transcriptions of works by nearly all themasters.""Mrs. Bergolio, you haven't said a word yet,"exclaimed someone."<strong>The</strong>re's nothing to say," replied Mabel Bergolio."I was born in Boston, studied with Joseffy,came to the Institute, found it a nice place, andstayed!"In a moment that lady was at-the door. Turning,she said, "I feel like the Fisk babies in theads. It is time to re-tire. Good night!" and shefled, without another word."<strong>No</strong>t a bad suggestion," murmured several asthey rose to go upstairs in spite of Molly's protest.Her disappointment was so evident at nothearing every story that Mr. Edouard Dethierwent to his suitcase and brought forth a book."Here is a bound copy of our Institute magazine,and in it you will find biographies of someof us—enough reading to keep you up severalhours longer," he laughed as he bade Molly andMrs. Pearson good night."Oh, mother!" exclaimed Molly a few minuteslater, "here are pictures of some of them."Occasionally she read portions aloud. Hermother listened attentively, taking pleasure inher daughter's enjoyment."This is an interview with Franz Kneisel,"read Molly."Roumania was my birthplace. My father was a militaryband conductor, a leader in the musical circle,and was my first teacher. My three brothers all playedviolin. One of the greatest advantages in that formativeperiod, was my teacher in Bucharest."I started playing" at the age of seven, and at ten,entered the Conservatory where I studied with Mr.Wist for four years. From there, I went to Vienna andstudied with Professor Grim for two years. <strong>The</strong>n Iconcertized."One of my most cherished recollections of thoseearly days, is the friendship of Johannes Brahms, thegreat composer. Although still a pupil, I had the greatpleasure and good fortune to play under Brahms'direction."Many years later, in 1893, I went to Ischl, a resortwhere Brahms spent his summers. From that time on,he was the center of our social gatherings."Whom else of interest did I know? <strong>The</strong>re wasSarasate, Joachim, Dvorak. <strong>The</strong> first, Sarasate, wasa very reticent man, but had a keen sense of humor.Joachim, an important figure in the lives of several ofour teachers."Joachim was a tremendous personality and verygood-natured. Dvorak was a child at heart; he had nosuspicions nor cynicism. It has been my observationthat the greatest artists are too absorbed in their art,and its ennobling influence to stoop to even think ofworldly, petty things."I first came to this country in 1885, and resided inBoston for twenty years. While there, I was concertmeisterof the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and conductedthe orchestra during the absence of Nikisch, andafter he left. Major Higginson, who founded that organization,also started and supported the KneiselQuartet, which existed for thirty-three years. AlthoughI concertized for many years, it was a relief to give itup. Too much traveling and too many hardships areinvolved. One must be young and enthusiastic to standthe strain. <strong>The</strong> Quartet also visited England twicewhere it met with great success."New York has been my home for seventeen years,and I have been with the Institute of Musical Art sinceit opened."Mr. Kneisel has been for twelve years President ofthe "Bohemians," a musicians' club interested in philanthropy."We meet every Monday at the Harvard Club, andevery month, we have a musical program. Its membershipcomprises all of the artists, such as Kreisler,Heifetz, etc. <strong>The</strong> purpose of the club is social and ithas established a foundation for needy musicians."<strong>The</strong> Degree of Doctor of Music was conferred uponMr. Kneisel in 1911 by Yale University and in 1915 byPrinceton University.
THE BATON 17After a pause, the girl continued. "Here isan article about those two gentlemen who spokeFrench so much, Gaston Dethier and EdouardDethier:"Situated on a high bluff overlooking the Meuse, theriver of romance, Liege guards the surrounding mountainsand fertile valleys. This was the birthplace ofGaston Dethier in April, 1875 and of Edouard in August,1885. <strong>The</strong>y come from an exceptionally musicalfamily.Gaston is the oldest and he began his studies at theage of seven under his father's supervision. He wasextremely precocious and took his first organ positionwhen eleven years of age, at the church of St. Jacquesin Liege.At this time, Gaston entered the conservatory ofLiege and studied with Daneels, a pupil of Mailly. Ofespecial interest is the fact that he became a violinist ofconsiderable accomplishment. To put it in his ownwords. "But I was then a chunky bit of humanity andas stubborn as a mule, and practising violin made meperspire so! To this day, I deeply regret not havingfollowed the violin of which I am passionately fond."Upon graduation from the conservatory at the ageof 17, Gaston was awarded the gold medal "by accla-. mation" for organ and piano, the highest distinctionthat can be bestowed. It is the only time it has beenwon in both subjects the same year. He also receivedthe first prize in harmony and fugue writing. He becameorganist of the Church of St. Christophe in Liege,but his career was to have been that of pianist. Hewas engaged to play as soloist with the AmsterdamOrchestra when an incident occured which changed thepath of his musical destiny toward the organ, almostexclusively.Father Young in America* cabled to Guilmant for apupil. <strong>The</strong> eminent organist had none ready but hadheard a young man in Paris who had impressed himhighly—this young man was Gaston Dethier whoplayed for both Widor and Guilmant when he made atrip to Paris with his father. <strong>The</strong> outcome was thatGaston came to New York before he was 19 to fill avacancy left by Bruno Oscar Klein, as organist of St.Francis Xavier, a very important post. He held thisposition for fourteen years until the Pope changed theedict of church music. Mr. Gaston was not in favorof the new regime and resigned.Mr. Dethier has given many organ recitals throughoutthe country. He opened the Newberry Organ atYale, the organs of St. John the Divine, Roman CatholicCathedral of Pittsburgh, Williams College, the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo. He has often beenrequested to conduct master classes during the summerin various cities, but has declined "because", he says,"to accept would interfere with golf, you know!"Dr. Damrosch told Mr. Gaston of his plans for anInstitute of Musical Art, and asked him to be head ofthe Organ f Department. He has become a prominentfigure in the Piano Department also.He has attained considerable fame as a composer ofchurch music and organ numbers.Edouard Dethier received his first violin instructionfrom his brother Gaston.At the age of eight, Edouard entered the Conservatoryof Liege where he later graduated with first prize.He then went to the Brussels Conservatory. At theconclusion of his first year, when he was only sixteen,he won from among a class of thirty-six competitorsthe "premier prix avcc grande distinction." This contest,known as the "Concours de Violon" is held in anauditorium larger than Aeolian Hall and the jury iscomprised of eminent musicans from Paris, Berlin andother continental music centers. Shortly after theselaurels were awarded him, Edouard played at the palaceof King Leopold II.Joachim came to Liege at that time to play. Uponmeeting Edouard's father and hearing of the boy's honors,Joachim asked Mr. Dethier to bring his son toCologne where he was going for a few days. This requestwas eagerly complied with, and all the way toCologne in the train, Edouard practised diligently.<strong>The</strong>y spent a whole afternoon with that King of Violinists.Edouard was not embarrassed before the greatman, as Joachim was a very kindly gentlman, exceedinglygracious and encouraging. <strong>The</strong>re was great joyand pride in the Liege home of the Dethiers a fewdays later, when a letter full of praise was received, inwhich Joachim asked Edouard to go to Berlin to studywith him. As Edouard had just been appointed teacherin the Brussels Conservatory, and he felt as if he shouldbegin to support himself, although but seventeen,—hedid not accept Joachim's offer.<strong>The</strong> ensuing three years Edouard spent in the beautifulcity of Brussels. He was engaged as soloist withthe "Concerts Populaires" and in addition to his teachingat the Conservatoire was a member of the YsayeSymphony Orchestra (Edouard's father and Ysaye wereboys together in Liege) and was engaged as first violinof the orchestra at the <strong>The</strong>atre de la Monnaie, thehome of grand opera in Brussels. Mr. Edouard firstmet the young Polish violinist, Paul Kochanski, in theautumn, when each went to reside in Brussels. Suchan attachment immediately took place that they livedtogether for three years. <strong>The</strong>y began in an attic intrue Bohemian style, but instead of burning music forfuel, they were kept warm by the necessity of blowinginto the stove in futile attempts to make it operate!In 1905, Mr. Edouard Dethier at the suggestion ofhis brother Gaston, came to America. For severalyears he concertized with enormous success—first inCanada, then in New York, where he played as soloistwith the New York Symphony Orchestra and five timeswith the Philharmonic Orchestra. He was soloist alsowith the New Haven and Montreal Symphony Orchestrasand the Hartford Philharmonic. He gave recitalsin all the principal cities and annually at Aeolian Hallin New York. He toured the country with his brotherGaston in Sonata Recitals, during a period of eightyears.In 1907, he accepted the offer to become a memberof the Violin Faculty of the Institute of Musical Art."And here is a picture of that jolly one, whosename appears to be Willem Willeke," criedMolly.Willem Willeke was born at the Hague, Holland;his mother was French and his father Dutch. All of hisfamily had been very musical though not professionals. Hestudied one year with Hartog and three and a half yearswith Eberle.At the age of fifteen, he was engaged to go to Russiaas first 'cellist of the Riga National Opera Company.He spent a half year there and then toured Russia.Upon his return to the "Baltic States" he appeared assoloist with the orchestra. <strong>The</strong> conductor was takenill during the program and the manager was desperateto find a substitue when Willeke, who had someknowledge of conducting", offered to come to the rescue.He led the Beethoven Eroica Symphony with such successthat he was retained eight months in Riga as leaderof the orchestra.He received an invitation to go to Cologne, Germany,where he was engaged as head teacher in theConservatories of Dusseldorf and Cologne. Whilethere, he was a frequent visitor at the Castle of CountHoensbrock at Geldern in the Rhine Province, whenthe other guests invariably included Otto Neitzel thecomposer, critic and pianist,—and Friedrich, laterCrown Prince of Germany, who was then a student atthe University of Bonn. <strong>The</strong> latter was quite a violinist,and many pleasant hours were passed in which he,Neitzel and Willeke played trios.With Richard Strauss, Willeke toured Russia, Ger-
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