Famous musicians amongst early victims of war

Paris, 2 October 1914 - The renowned Austrian violinist, Fritz Kreisler, who is serving as a lieutenant in the Austrian army, has been wounded in the right arm and it is reported that he will never again be able to play the violin.

The careers of other musicians have been derailed in other ways. Ignaz Friedman, the pianist, was to have earned £7,500 for a concert tour of Germany, but this has now been abandoned as he did not wish his Russian wife to be subject to insults.

Ferruccio Busoni has had to cancel engagements around Europe (© National Portrait Gallery, London)

Ferruccio Busoni, the Italian composer and pianist, has also had all his continental engagements - amounting to some £10,000 - cancelled and there is no suggestion that a regular programme of music will be possible in the immediate future.

[Editor's note: This is an article from Century Ireland, a fortnightly online newspaper, written from the perspective of a journalist 100 years ago, based on news reports of the time.]