The New York herald., 1875-11-20
ADJUSTMENTS.
HANS vow Bu1ow.


The .ninent pianist who has created such marked
sensation by performances IN this country played
last night at Chickcrng Hall before immense au.
dience the following works.-Concerto No. 8 in fat
opus 73 Beethoven; Concerto No. l. in + nat, Lszt i;
preudes and fugues-Bach-in minor piano arrange
ment by Lszp Mendelssohn In minor, NO. !,
opus s5; RaG from the Suite, opus Y The orchestra
played Cherubni's overture, "Anacreon," and the
andante from Mendelssohn symphony The Beetho-
ven concerto was the one in which Bllow made his
debut In this country month ago II is accounted by
many as the Ultima Thule or the great COM
poser's piano works. In the opinion OF others
II inferior attractiveness 10 the first in and TO
the fourth in G. To this Judgment we incline most
heartily II may be that the formidable difficulties that
the pianist has to the dfth concerto give
il a degree Of prominence over It's fellows But mus-
clans inclined TO dispute its title the emperor
concerto. The first movement is very long and not
whstanding the grandeur Of the motives and the in
finite art with which they are placed before the mus-
can Kaleidoscope changes and Of transformation
of instrumental coloring, there is a sense of
WEAKNESS generally felt before the conclusion OF this
movement No higher praise be bestowed upon
Bllow than to say that the exquisite manner in
which he interpreted the Introduction 10 this work
made its extreme length scarcely felt The opening
passages for the piano. declamatory even in their inn
accomplished beyond the ordinary kind, were delivered
with power, intelligence and effect The first emphatic
motive martial in spirit and decided enough charac
ter 10 give coiorlng 10 the entire movement, was
spenddly rendered by the orchestra All subsequent
shortcomings by the body of instrumentasts subject
10 DR. Damroschs baton might be excused
to certain extent, in view OF the
hearty manner in which they attacked the
introductory movement of this concerto. The task
signed TO them by light Across the
flashes OF light-c8lcum like, II one that
preston in reference to piano eecs-came the sturdy
rdS al he hest In yHi igb 1nya.
tion from time would destroy the effect But the
chestra obeyed DR.. Damrosch implicitly in this
menL The playing OF Bulow simply marvellous.
His phrasing his dgital power his rendering Of this
most difficult of piano works, showed that profound
king OF instruments The second movement,
Addgto an POGO mosso, was another triumph
for the pianist de played II SO much better than when
we heard him in Boston that IL would be difficult TO
recognize the same performer. While the orchestra
gave forth the theme Buow embroidered it in the most
artistic The roRdo which concludes this
work not any satisfactory, far the
piano was concerned, than when had occasion to
speak Of it in Boston. The spirit Of decacy and
poetry with which II is generally associated gave
place to robustness and a sort of military spirit
which, although effective In the highest degree violated
the very ideas OF the composer There is poetry, not
blatancy, in this ro'ado
The Liszt concerto a revelation to those musi-
Clans present who regard it, individually, private
property; Who,i among pubic pianistsl has not
played this con3rtof Mis, Krebs Mehlig, Rive
Bonantz and ttlh greatest the lastl Rubnsten, have
been heard in IT, IL is sensational TO the EXTREMIST
degree. But there Is not dull phrase in it. The
orchestra is called upon for many things that the
average members of q band cannot very well
fuall The piano part of the work is
always full of interest The motives
not particularly grand, but they are, nevertheless
emphatic and ineligible. Bulow played this work
with degree Of fire and dash that only truly great
artist could communicate to it, With Liszt work
tand what queer representative school of piano
position Is conveyed IN the term y the individuality
Of Bnlow shines in its brightest light No one has
played this extraordinary work IN this country
with the effect that Bnow communicates TO
il. The orchestra played terrible pranks with this
work OF Liszt II seemed at time 10 be all skies
and sevens and the pianist evidently felt it, to judge
occasion which the orchestra behaved 80 badly in
this particular work There an entire absence OF
promptitude to the conductors baton and want Of
promptitude in this IS death to the work.
The rendering Of the preudes and fugues from three
composers so widely different in style and thought,
thoroughly artistic and worthy OF the fame Of the
great artist who interpreted them. The mistake made
on the programme was IN placing Bach beside two other
composers in this species of composition. Although
lsZt has with his iconocastc hand brought forth for
the piano what Bach intended for the organ, yet
no fault be found with the transcription,
especially when such player as Balow essays IT. Ii
is hard TO give organ pedal passages satisfactorily
the piano. and yet this Bdlow accomplished The pedal
passages beneath the the electric touch OF bis left
hand distinct and emphatic if
Dachauer or Berge had emphasized them with their
feet The Mendessohn work fell flat after the king OF
preludes and fugues, and still more ineffective was
the selection from the Raft S1ite despite its terrific
technical difficulties, which would any less
resolute than Hans Won Bhlow.