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Updated: June 28, 2025
There are, in every city of Europe and in many cities of America, violinists who equal or even excel many of those who are exploited as virtuosi. The great violinists are not to be found every day. In the past twenty years, perhaps, not more than two can be recalled who have visited the United States as mature, great artists, Wilhelmj and Ysaye.
The violin performance of Wilhelmj exhibits this just proportion more perfectly than the work of any other artist of whom we have personal knowledge. Wilhelmj himself has said, 'After all, what the people want is intellectual playing, that is, playing with a clear under standing."
August Wilhelmj was born in 1845 at Usingen, in the Duchy of Nassau, and, showing his aptitude, was placed under Konrad Fischer, a violinist of Wiesbaden, at the age of six. His progress was so rapid that when nine years old he played in a concert in Limburg and received great applause.
Among noted exponents of the French school may be mentioned Alard and his pupil Sarasate, Dancla and Sauret. Among his famous pupils are Dr. Joseph Joachim, known as one of the musical giants of the nineteenth century; August Wilhelmj, the favorite of Wagner, and Carl Gaertner, who, with his violin has done so much to cultivate a taste for classical music in Philadelphia.
And yet he was weighed in the balance with Wilhelmj, who played the grandest and best music in the most refined, musicianly manner, and whose tour in America marked an epoch in the musical life of the country. In his prime Remenyi was the master of an enormous technique, and the possessor of a strongly pronounced poetic individuality.
In the course of time Wilhelmj succeeded in obtaining a concession from his father: he was to get the judgment of a musical authority on his capabilities, and, if favourable, no objection should be made to his becoming a virtuoso.
He is regarded by musicians as one of the greatest violinists who ever visited America, and at the present day visiting artists are spoken of as "one of the best since Wilhelmj," or, "not to be compared with Wilhelmj," and by many Ysaye is regarded as "the best since Wilhelmj."
One summer, during the holidays, she met August Wilhelmj, who was charmed with her talent, and devoted his mornings for two months to giving her lessons daily. At the end of that time he emphasised his appreciation by making her a present of a valuable violin.
The moke struck an attitude as near Ole Bull as he could with his number eleven feet and his hollow chest, and played some diabolical selection from a foreign cat opera that would have been splendid if Wilhelmj or Ole Bull had played it, but the colored brother couldn't get within a mile of the tune.
Dengremont was compared with Sarasate and Wilhelmj, but all that could be said about him was that he might have developed into a player of their rank. As it was, he disappointed his admirers, and died while still quite young.
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