Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1872-11-06
RubiDstein's Playing.

And, finally, with his shy, awkward
bow, Ikea school boy doing obcisanceto ~
committeeman, and his long, unkcpt black
hair struggling over his rugged Slayonic
features, the great Rubinstcin steps on
the stage, and without predatory glance
or gesture, drops on the piano-stool and
plungesssinto his work. For single
evening, either through personal mood
or untavorablc position, we wcre'at some
troublc-let us now confess ito Judge
how great he actually is. But second
hearing dispcllcd all doubt. Rubinsteinl
is not only thegreatcst We have had here,
but almost out of comparison great.
Facile princeps, haud similc aut secundum,
or amy other well-worn phrase which the
reader may manage to pick out of his
dog cared old Latin grammar, becomes
literal in his case. In brief plain English,
there is nobody like him, or who comcsi
near it. Ofcoursc, the most Immediately
evident feature Of this greatness is his
mechanical command Of the instrument,
imprimis, the amazing hard work of which
he is capable. The mere labor of play
ing, well or i'll, the four tremendous num-
hers, OH tho laat pres-a,..,nv iIiutr- wc
heard him, would have reduced an ortli-
nary day laborer to synqopc and stretch
cr. But when we reflect that every note
was played with the most exquisite and
conscious discrimination, with the most
admirable weighing of power and self
command, that every staccato was assharb
and clean cut, every trill as liquid and rcso-
nnnt rs if lie had been doing nothing else
bnt practice them for III hour before, we
begin to realize his power rs 81 mere me-
chanician. But behind this lies the taste,
and, still further, the soul and The i'm, ri
nation. With most pianistS, even Of the
better class, the piano is, after all, rather
an obstinate and ungratcful instrument,
Il little wooden. Il little mechanical even
little n-kcttlisln, On occasion. But with
Rubinstcn ii absolutely gives up all sub
stance OF being IL machine at all and be-
comes living agent, intcrpcnctratcd by
aud responsive to the spirit Of the master.
Under his wonderful fingers it sings or
thundcls, murmnrs or tinglcS, laughs or
wecps, in apparent freedom from all phys
ical law but that whic;, puts it in imme
diate relation with the soul of the pcrior-
mcr. Such softdying resonance of single
cords, such microscopic dinmond-dust
oftrill Or pcarldrop Of Sadcnza, sucl,
infnitcs mal diminution of fairy like pirn-
issimo, il will never probably be our fate
to hear again. That any mortal fingers
can strike II numbering, rcsistent, resilient
machine like piano-kcy with the abso-
lnte selEcommnnd and nervous discrimi-
nation, the infinite variety Of shading
and fower-likc softncss of Rubinstcin-
that any human power of combination
can blend q series of pcrcussions to the
liquid resonant chant and spirit-iike mur-
muir of his cantabilc, ~ thing which
we beg pardon for the tritc phrazc
be heard to be believed. If any one is
inclined to deem these mere technical
merits, to be acquired by the average per.
former though mere length and assiduity
of practice. let him hear the tragic in
tcnsity Of expression, the picturesque in
naturalization in Rnbnstcin's "Ell
KONG, the dreamy melancholy pathos
and poetic sweetness Of his Romanzc and
barcarolcs, and repent.
But why should We waste words i'll
doing that for our reader wich he will
surely do for himself? Suffice it, that, SO
far as VIC canjudge Mt present, Rubinsien
il the King Of piarists, royalty arrayc'l III
all the apparel and insignia, rich III all
the gifts and graccs of his prc-cminen'
station, exceptionally great alike in pow