Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-11-16
Rubinitein's Playing.


From scribncr's Monihlyl
And, finally, with his shy, awk-
ward bow, like schoolboy doing
obcissance to committe man, and
his long, unlsompt black hair strag-
Cling over his Slavoninic features,
the great Rubinstein steps on the
stage, and without predatory glance
or gesture drops on the piano.stool
and p,ungcs into his work. For n
single evening, either through per-
sonal mood or unfavorablo position,
wc were at some trouble-lot us
now confess ito judge how great
he actually is. But q second hear.
lag dispelled ell doubt. Rubinstein
is not only the greatest pianist we
have had hero, but almost out of all
comparison great. Facile princepS,
haud simiie aut secuhd,um, or any
other weil.worn phrase which the
reader may marng" to pick ont Of
his dog cared old Latin grammar,
becomes literal in his case. In
brief plain English, there is nobody
like him, or who comes near IL. OF
course, tho most Immediately ovi
don't feature of this GREATNESS is his
mechanical command CT tho instru
ment, imprimis, the amazing hard
work Of which he is capable. The
nero labor of playing-wcll or i'll
the four tremendous numbers on
the last programme in which we
heard him, would have reduced an
ordinary day-laborcr to syncopo
and q strctcher. But when wo re-
fleet that every note was played
with the most exquisite and con-
scious discrimination, with the
most admirable weighing of power
and selfcommand, that, every stac-
cato was as sharp and clean cut,
every trill as liquid and resonant
as if he had bo en- doing nothing
else but practice them for an houi'
before, we begin to realize his pow
as mere mechanism. But be-
hind this lies the taste, and, still
further, the soul and the imagina.
ton. With most pianisLs, even Of
the better class, the piano is, after
all, rather an obstinate and un-
grateful instrumental little wood
en-, n little mechanical, even little
| tin kettlish on occasions. But with
Rubinstein it absolutely gives up
all resemblance of being q machine
at all, and becomes y living agent.
intcrpenetrated by and responsive
to the spirit OF the master Undor
his wonderful finger it sings or
thundcrs, murmurs or ting|os,
laughs or weeps, in apparent free,
dom from all physical law but that
which puts it in immediate relation
with the soul Of tho performer.
Such soft dying iosohancc of sin.
glo chords, such microscopic dia-
mond dust of trill or pcarl-drop Of
cadenza such infinitcsinal dlmind-
tion Of fairy like pianisSimo, it will
never probably be our fate to hcar
again That any mortal fingers
can strike numbering, resistcnt
relient machine like u piano key
with the absolute sell command
and nervous discrimination, tho in
finite variety of shading and f1ow-
cr.like softness of Rubinstcin; that
any kIinan power of combination
can blond 4 series Of percusSions to
the liquid resonant chant and spir-
it.iko murmur OF his cantGbiie is
thing which--wo bog pardon for
the trite phrasc--must be heard to
be believed. Ifany ono is inclined
to deem these moro technical NOR
its to be acquired by tho Average
pcrformos through nero length and
assiduity of practice, let him hear
tho tragic intensity of expression,
the picturesque NATURALIZATION
ia Rubinstein's "Erl-Konig," tho
dreamy melancholy pathos and po-
ctic sweetness of his Romance and
barcaroles, and repent.
But why should wo waste words
in dong that for our reader which
ho will surely do for himself? Suf
fec it, that, so far as we can Judge
at present, Rubins!ein is the king
pianists, royalty arrayc& in al!
the apparel and insignia-rich in
all tho gifts and graces of his pre-
eminent ENTHUSIASTICALLY
great aliko in power, intensity,
delicacy, sweetness, and imagina-
tive expression. His advent here
will form an epoch in instrumental
art !; from his achievement our
own pianists must take new de-
partnre, and from the study of his
transcendont.a must draw at once
reproof instruction and inspira-
ton. '-'-