Music Trade Review

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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
Raoul Kosczalski a Qirl!
HE startling information has been
cabled from Europe that the celebrated
boy pianist, Raoul Kosczalski, who has
played at all the Courts and in the princi-
pal cities of Europe, is not a boy, but a
fully developed and comely girl of sweet
sixteen or more.
Raoul Kosczalski's secret was discovered
by the chambermaids of the leading hotel
of Duesseldorf, on the Rhine. Armed with
indubitable evidence, the astonished serv- .
ants informed "mine hostess," who mar-
veled how any one dared perpetrate such
an offense in her first-class establishment.
It is certainly surprising that a player
who, patronized by royalty and lionized by
the highest social circles of the larger con-
tinental cities, performed before immense
audiences, could for more than three years
deceive the public as to sexual identity.
Raoul surprised musical experts by her
phenomenal mastership in the handling of
her instrument, though she exhibited some
childish faults.
When, last year, she conducted the per-
formances of a self-composed symphony in
Berlin, musical critics suspected that older
heads than hers aided the instrumentation.
All of her original compositions are consid-
ered equal to young Mozart's earliest efforts.
While in Berlin the prodigy was invited
by the Emperor to give a private perform-
ance for the benefit of his children. She
has received a number of medals from the
Government and from musical societies.
Little is known of the antecedents of
Kosczalski, senior. It appears that three
or more years ago he was living in the
Jewish ghetto of Moscow. He was then
very poor, but is now quite wealthy and
living in comparative affluence, as he reaped
the entire profits of all the tours he
managed.
Some time ago an American tour w-as
being undertaken for )'oung Kosczalski,
but no doubt the strict surveillance of the
Gerry Society had much to do with "his"
non-appearance.
Kosczalski was first heard of in 1892, and
the picture herewith was taken shortly after
T
his first appearance in public. The "boy"
was stated to be twelve years old, and was
able to render the most difficult composi-
tions with marvelous expression. He was
heralded as a prodigy—a veritable musical
marvel. Within a year the fame of the
young Pole with the unpronounceable name
reached all over Europe and to England
and America, wherever, in fact, students of
music were to be found. Great things
were expected of the supposed boy, who, in
the opinion of the famous critics of London
and the Continent, exhibited marvelous
knowledge of technique.
If the real sex of the musician had been
known, such receptions as were tendered
to Kosczalski would not have been possible.
It was more than a year ago that Kosczal-
ski's manager, with a tour of the United
States in view, began negotiations with
various men of money in America. The
Chickerings were asked to bring the virtu-
oso across the ocean, but were not willing
to do so., A similar proposal was made to
Steinway. All this would indicate that
notwithstanding the fame of the prodigy
and the audiences he commanded, no great
amount of money was saved. It was given
out that Kosczalski had postponed the
American tour because sufficient induce
ments were not offered.
The successes of the "child" pianist con-
tinued. Only last fall the journals devoted
to such matters had it that Kosczalski had
made a great success in London. Concerts
were given to large audiences, and the
"prodigy" was invited to play before the
Prince of Wales. In all these three or four
years, as far as can now be learned, the
suspicion that Kosczalski was anything but
a boy was never once published. The
fortune gathered in by Josef Hoffman
encouraged the conspirators to persist in
the deception.
What is known here of the appearance of
Raoul Kosczalski was learned from those
who saw the pianist in Europe. The "boy"
was described as very short for his age.
The face was stated to be an extremely
pretty one, the eyes large and lustrous, the
features regular. It was stated by musi-
cians who had seen the prodigy that Kosc-
zalski would certainly pass for a very hand-
some girl.
Compliments the Strich & Zeid-
ler Piano.
EORGE ESSIGKE, bandmaster of the
West Point Military Academy, re-
cently purchased a Strich & Zeidler upright,
and in a letter which he sent to the manu-
facturers, he expressed his opinion of the
instrument as follows: "The piano arrived
on Saturday, and not only are we satisfied
with it, but we are actually surprised. It
is a splendid instrument, and the tone and
resonance are something wonderful. The
piano is bound to make a mark here."
This is a decided compliment, and it
will be conceded by all who have exam-
ined the Strich & Zeidler pianos, that it is
a merited one.
G
An Interesting Decision.
ARISING OUT OF THE FAILURE OF THE H. D.
SMITH MUSIC CO.
T
RUST companies, although they may
insure indemnity against loss through
the financial defalcations of persons holding
offices of trust, are not insurance companies,
and do not have to pay insurance license
fees, according to an opinion issued last
week by Attorney General Carr. It was
given in response to a request from Deputy
Insurance Superintendent N. S. Walpole.
For some time past the State Insurance
Department has been endeavoring to com-
pel those companies which do an indemnity
insurance business to pay license fees such
as regular insurance companies pay. The
fee is 2 per cent, on the gross income. If
the trust companies were brought under
the State insurance law, a large sum would
thereby be added to the State revenues. It
proved difficult, however, to get a case on
a trust company, but finally a good chance
to test the law was found when the Guar-
anty Trust Co. went on the bond of H. D.
Smith, of Denver, Col.
Recently the H. D. Smith Music Co.,
doing business in the Masonic Temple,
made an assignment, H. D. Smith being
selected as assignee. He filed the required
bond with the Guaranty Trust Co. of Col-
orado as his surety. This company has
never done business under the supervision
of the Colorado Insurance Department, but
on learning of the Smith transaction Deputy
Superintendent Walpole concluded to do
some supervising on his own account.
He found that the State insurance law
says that it shall be lawful for insurance
companies to guarantee the fidelity of
persons holding offices of trust, etc.
Under this section the Guaranty Trust Co.
could be taxed as an insurance company,
he concluded, and he notified President
Nichols, of the trust, to that effect. Mr.
Nichols wrote in reply, stating that he had
referred the whole matter to Earl M. Cran-
ston, attorney for the Guaranty Co.
Meanwhile Lawyer Cranston notified Mr.
Walpole that the trust was not incorporated
under the insurance law, but under the
trusts company law of 1891, which gives
trust the right to insure the fidelity of per-
sons holding offices of trust. On this ground
he claimed that the Guaranty Trust Co. was
not amenable to special insurance taxation.
Deputy Insurance Superintendent Wal-
pole did not agree with Mr. Cranston, and
referred the point at issue to the Attorney
General in the form of a direct question.
General Carr's opinion, which is lengthy
and cites all manner of authorities, sets
forth in substance that a trust company is
not an insurance company, as legally
understood, and therefore need not take
out an insurance license or pay special fees.
THE John Church Co., Cincinnati, are
arranging for the opening of a branch
establishment for the South in Chattanooga.
Tenn.