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The Austrian violinist, Walter Barylli, studied at the Vienna Music Academy with the Wiener Philharmoniker Konzertmeister Franz Mairecker, and in Munich with Florizel von Reuter, a violinist who had achieved outstanding success early in life. Von Reuter took the 15-year-old boy into his own home at Munich so that he could continue his studies without excessive expense to his parents.
In 1936 Walter Barylli gave his first public performance as a soloist in Munich, and made his first gramophone recordings in Berlin. Over the next two years he made an international career as a soloist. F. Mairecker advised him that in autumn 1938 a first violin desk would become available with the Wiener Philharmoniker. Travelling to the audition at Vienna by train from Stuttgart on March 12, 1938 he became aware of the preparations for the invasion of Austria and realised he must make his career with an orchestra rather than as a travelling soloist: he won the place and became a member of the Wiener Philharmoniker and its as Konzertmeister.
During World War II, Walter Barylli first brought the Barylli Quartet together. He re-founded it in 1945, but its life in public performance lay mainly between 1951 and 1960. The group became the 'home' quartet of the Vienna Musikverein. They performed in Europe and overseas, and made several appearances at the Salzburg Festivals. The group concentrated on classic repertoire, especially L.v. Beethoven, W.A. Mozart, Robert Schumann, Schubert and Johannes Brahms. They collaborated with Antoine de Bavier, Jörg Demus, Paul Badura-Skoda, Edith Farnadi and Wilhelm Huebner.
Walter Barylli won the Kreisler Prize of the City of Vienna twice. He retired in 1973 and taught at the City of Vienna Conservatory from 1969 until 1986. He celebrated his 90th birthday in 2011. Walter Barylli is the father of actor and playwright Gabriel Barylli (b. 1957). Among his students: Robert W. Eshbach, professor of violin, University of New Hampshire. |
