New-York tribune., 1875-11-16
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
MP HANS Won RrLOw.

49,. hc,utt new han last night for the first time ana
/. orowd Of tho most cultivated people IN NeW-ivN
coxed I'm and filled IT, The puphc Neruo'
unon the building il Of hearty commonua'io"' on
tis haI which satisfies the eye while meets an ''o
roouir,nents of music. The lines are sIaoo'ui' '1o
a,,en,s sro tasteful and appropriate, the stage Is
,tty and convenient, harmonious thts oi coor
ara displavcd on al Sides 'uo ""'o "V''
a. covcrel with crimson cHPe' N"'" $40
,ha room something Of the eueerlu "Spo'' vi
a narlor the light is dused from the celilhg through
rsuul arrangement Of prismatic rehectorS the Vehu
,,ion il admirable aud the seats sloping toward the
,e are so disposed that every spectator has good
80 NJ the performers. 1t is very much smaller
,h,n steinways but for certain class OF
cer. II will be preferred on that account Almost al
o,r promincnt musicians and q brilliant company OF
n Of society were present last night, and certainly
~ van Riow could have made his first appearance
=; New York under more favorable circumstances. The
,,,grau,me was devoted wholly to Beethoven, aud was
as follows:
PART
-. overiure "Consecration OF the House." Op. ia.
d d W'ne'ioTte Concerto No. 4, in major, OPP So Anc
gro moderate. Andante con molo. Rondo'
PART IL.
Q Sonata Appass ssiOnata in minor. Op. 81
Z. iSrghctto from the I'd symphony in D. Op' 81. 80
: Fifteen variations. fugue, ana flnale, Up oo
s. overture " EgmOnt,' Op 81
The orchestra consisted Of IL performers under the
direction Of DR. Leopold Damrosch, with 10 first vions
"a Mfr Edward MolenhaueI for chef d'GttGqUe. There
we're several very good artists in the band, but the
material though the best obtanabe just now, was not
,ha hest that New-York can furnish aud DIR DamrOsch
asseryes great credit for what he accomplished with IT,
The overture appropriately chosen for the h'rouuc
,on was heard with interest and followed by applause
and then without any delay, the slight and nervous fig
ure Of the pianist appeared upon the stage
"A ne advanced 10 the front, hat In hand
nth the head and face OF soldier, TIE
air of one born to command, but the simplicity oi
thorough good breeding, he was received with the hear
,at demonstrations, and he acknowledged them pohteN
y. b.ran the concerto instantly, touching the opening
chords with cOmpOsurc aud hrmness, ana without
anv spparcnt striving for effect, perhaps rather
,r,r;.ing those who expected to be startled
and found they not sDurng the orchestral passage
which follows he paid the strctest attention to the band
marking the GOw Of the music with gentle motOh OF
the head and apparently thinking no more OF the
audience than II it had no existence. He re-
sumei the piano part in the same quiet
and collected spirit. and then began one OF
the most marvellous interpretations we ever lis
tened To- As the development OF the musical ldca went
on We forgot Won BuOw. forgot the instrument 1orRo'
the surroundings the earnest faces in the orchestra 'he
hushed aud eager audience forgot everything Dut the
composer who conceived these thoughts threequariers
of century ago It wa. only in while when for
nstancc Won BTow introduced his admirable cadcnzas
or when no performed an extraordinary ie"'
m pianissmo playing, that We reaNeu 'ne
superb technical ability by which this clarvoy-
ant INTERPRETATION
been said Won BlOw eXccls all other pas IN he
completeness with which he sinks his own indvidu-
Atty in that OF the composer and 1t may he
added that he eXcels al others In the case Win
which be captures his audience and puts tiem
ALSO en- rapport with the master TO whose con
neptions he is giving voice. Far from surprising us Dy
bs pyne he makes it surprising that the passage
ne touching should have been played in any other
uay-or il would seem so IL had time TO stop aud think
about IT, Does any ask how lie rendered this or that
phrase theme, movement, the answer that seems naiu
rally to rise TO the lips is Oh he gave II just as Beeho
ven intended" In the Concerto he was pretty well
,eeopded by the orchestra, which was apparently IN
svmpathy with him, though it may not have been
very highly polished. when re played alone III
the sonata he made stu deeper impression; and
IN made us believe that had never really heard the
Concerto until he played il. he convinced us that
we had never before even conceived OF the
Sonata Here there was a steady ciescendo OF
interest reaching great climax in the Presto,
which darted from his fingers like electric sparks The
Fifteen Variations with Fugue and Finale, on theme
which occurs in the last movements both OF the Eroca
symphony and the PromethcUs" Ballet was probably
siiu more astonishing exhibition Of his power were
there really fifteen of these little variauo'sf IheJ
surey did not seem so many, ana We iouhd
ourselves wishing at the ed for fifteen more. Dr. Won
BHow had been recalled several times after each OF his
iscc but here the audience would not be satisfied with
ont something else, and he played the scherzo rom
Beethoven's sonata Opus 81, No3, in the most marvel
Gus and enhancing manner. When he had hhshou ne
,op hi oat m the piano aud listened 10 the "Egmont"
overture
1t seems 10 IA that there is quality Of good piano
playing which Won Bulow does not display IN very
highwe are tempted while the spell Of the concert Is
tsh upon u.s. to say in the very highest degree lech
osIy nothing could be more perfect ana il possesses INC
highest Of all arts that Of concealng art
The orchestra gave an excellent performance OF the
IArgetto from the Second symphony, and the oordaty
displayed by the pianist toward the conductor was one
If the pleasant features Of the memorable evening.