The New York herald., 1876-11-25
AMUSEM ENTS.
sTEINwAY HALL-EssIPoFY.

Nine. Essipon, tho Russian pianist, appeared last
night for the seventh time at Steinway Hall IN ms
cellaneous programme, consisting OF Schumann s
Carnival, Bulow's slntermczzo" .Chant Poonais ("
by Chopin, brought down to piano form by List
schubert's alexander March, similarly treated
by Tausig and nocturne by John Field
Mr Vvicn played Leonards fourth concerto for violin
superby. and Mr. Quicken, the piano accompanist
did much In the work toward making up for the
absence OF the orchestra Mrs. Louise Oliver, the
vocalist on this occasion. sang charmingly But, OF
course. people go TO those concerts, principally TO
hear Essipon, and she is the sole attraction. Few
artists on the piano can make a success in Scau
mann's "CarnivaLn IL Is a kaleidoscope OF tone.
'scenes Migponncs the title the composer gives IT,
and being only his ninth work, tho characteristics OF
the maes.ros style OF writing are not revealed in IL
Yet here the difficulties tnicken around the interpreter
Scenes mignonnes opus 9-Preambue. lquasi macs
toso) Perrot, tmoderato); Arlequin, (vivo); vasc
noble, tun POGO maestoso); Euscbius, (Adagioj; Pap
lons tprestssimo) Lcttres dansantes prcsto); Char
Ina tpassionatol Chopin, tagitato); Estrclla, icon
ahetto); Reconnaissance, (Anima,o) Plantation ct
Coombine, tpresto); vasc alemandc, (molto vivace)
Paganini, tprcsto; Aveu, tpassionato); Promenade,
tcommodol; Pause, tyivol; Marchc des Davidsbdnder
contre les Phistins, ailegrol Those little works
mdssefor they opposite in character tho
masks NJ q Liedcrkranz ball-wl sound ridiculous
beneath The nngers OF ordinary pianist Scau-
mann says that this carnival ''originatei
frame OF mind and under peculiar circumstances"
HIS annotaiors say that he wished TO photograph on
the piano certain composers
!: The characters, OIL course, are typical. They arc
fioresian. Euscbus Chopin, Chiarni lCiara Wieckl,
Estrclla Ernestine ana PaganIni. among whom glide
the typical nasqueraders ferrot Harlequin Pantaoon
and Colunbinc In ''lhe Papons' and the march
OF 'DavIas Allies Against the Phiislinesn We have
before US equally significant "reminiscences Of the
artists life, while his other peces-wc VIII
conhne ourselves TO the utles-snch as .sPre-
dansantcs,n "Promenadc,n 'Reconnaissance, &c,
may be considered as supplements 10 tue whole,
formed to H. and proceeding ftom tho irec play OF
fancy. In klndworth's edition he says the work,
ssur qudfrcs notes. Explanatory of this may
quoe IRON letter from the composer to Moschellcs
about forty years ago:-"ihs was almost all written
for special purposc anc all but three or four
mcn.s are built upon the notes A. s. Z, II, which form
the name OF a little Bohemian town, wnere have
musical triend and which curously enough happen to
be the only musical letters in my name composed
the titles ai.erward. Is not music self suiicienty
Does 1t not speak for itself? Estrce Is
name such as IS put under portraits, TO hold
tho picture las. Reconnaissance lrccognition,;
Aveu tavowal OF love); Promenade thc walls, such
as is taken at German balls, arm in arm with your
partner) The whole aristic value the different
soul-siatcs only are interesting TO me-"
The severe criticism OF the composer on his own
work mas not been borno out by tho experience Of
later musical Judgment The forms of the separate
pieces may be insignificant, but their musical
ton 10 perfectly clear and transparent John Field,
pupil OF Clement, aud yet In his nocturnes tender
and poetcal, found charming interpreter IN Nine.
EssipoG
The iair pianist seemed to be transformed into a
vocalist. The melody was sung, not played, and the
lines OF Schlegel recaled:-
Through every tnne there soundeth
Drawn through edrth's gny creams.
lentc note that's heard alone
by Rim who listens rom altar
Bulow's ssIntcrmeZzo" is mpregnated with the
spirit OF Chopin that as disinterestcd returning
musical board, compelled TO protest on the
of plagarism. Yet, thanks 10 Esspon's finished
playing II was cncored, ana the pianist responded
with Schuberts lies Moments Musicalcs." Nine.
EssipoT appears this afternoon al Stenway Hall in
very interesting programme.