Willy Burmester
Burmester was born March 16, 1869, at
Hamburg. He was a pupil of Dr. Joachim in Berlin, with whom he studied for many
years.
In 1885, however, he seceded from the Joachim
school, and commenced to develop his technic with a view to achieving virtuosity
rather than a classic purity of style.
He is a well-developed artist, however, and
his taste is broad enough to include all schools of composition in his
repertoire. His is at his best, nevertheless, as an interpreter of the works of
Paganini, and his rendering of the classics is said to be somewhat cold and
devoid of feeling. On the continent his reputation is very high. He failed,
however, to make a great impression on his first visit to England and America,
though his audiences were compelled to admire his marvelous technical feats,
especially his left hand pizzicato, and rapid runs in thirds and tenths. His
faulty intonation, however, interfered with his success somewhat.
In later years this defect has been improved
very considerably, and we are told that those who have heard him play at his
more recent concerts have been much impressed with his sterling musical
qualities. He has been somewhat hampered in his career, and has been a
considerable sufferer from having worn the end of his first finger down to the
nerve.
