, 1876-09-24
MUSIC.

TIE WORK or PREPARATION

THE WUEk OF fREfAHA1lO13
for the musical season may be observed on every
hand. We have already noticed the remarkable
success from q financial point Of view with which
the Apollo Club has entered upon It's work.
Mr.. Wolfsohn, having returned from his sum-
mer vacation, is as busy as bee getting the
Beethoven Society to rights and collecting the
members together for the first rehearsal on
Tuesday evening Of this week. The general
outline Of the Socicty's work will consist, as
usunl, Of reunions, concerts, and Mr.. Wolf
sohn's piano recitals. The first Of the reunions
will take place shortly, and will introduce new
trio Of Raff's. The programmes for the regu1ar
concerts arc full OF attractive and tempting
novelties. Four new and ambitious works will
be given. Ver1i's "l1anzoni Rcquiem," Rhein-
thaler's cycle Of Ballads C*Toggenbu1g y;
Nicls Gadc's cantata of "Comala," based
upon ts Ossian " (which is now in course Of pub
licat,on in D.rght's Journal Of Mxsic) and Helm
rich Hoffmann's "Fab1e OF the Faircst Mclu-
sine" ALI these are works arranged for solos,
chorus, and orchestra; but upon the principle
that good piano is better than bad orchestra,
they will probably be presented with the for
mer for accompaniments. Not one Of them has
ever been given here, ind for this reason alone
the musical public will owe the Society debt Of
gratitude for introducing them to SO many new
comers, In addition to the reunions and con-
ccrts, Mr.. Wolfsohn will present to the patrons
4 the Society, commencing in the spring,
OF PAno music during the past two centuries
and .a1f, commencing as faf back as 1920. For
this purpose Mr.. Wolfsohn has collected not
only stal1ard samples Of the old composers
to;-a 1o5 II e9e piano, but also rich reper-
ters Of pEonaence In addition to play
ing these wols, he will issue q little
historico Biographical pamphlet devoted to the
composers whom he ILLUSTRATES, which viii
will thus be seen th.t the Society has laid out d
rich variety OF proghmmes for tue entertain
ment Of the members There are other signs
Of the times in the hape OF priva1> recitals
which indicate ths early opening OF ths t1ncert-
last Thursday evening by
EMIL L1EE11No
to members Of the press and few musical
friends, at Kimball's piano warerooms, it being
his first appearance in Chicago since his two
years. absence abroad.
Mir. Lieb1ing's programme consisted OF the
organ Prelude and Fugue in G minor, arranged
for piano by List; prelude by Chopin; the
well-known waltz in D flat by the same author,
arranged by Tausig, who gives to the right
hand an unbrokcn series Of thirds and sixths,
instead Of the single notes Of the original; the
most difficult Of the four Chopin Schcrzos, one
very rarely heard; three songs without words
by Mendelssohn; one Of the "Soirees de
Vienne,' Schubcrt-Liszt; and q gigantic oc-
tave study by kullak- This was the regular
programme, to which the pianist afte5ward and
beautiful study IN E by Chopin tOp:
10, No. 81. All these were executed
amid the teartiest applause OF those present,
who, We doubt not, we're OF one mind tn &C
cording to Mr: Lfebling very y high position n
equal to the utmost exactions Of piano-forte
music, whether Of the old polyphonic school or
tile modern bravura style. His musical taste
stands in the proper relation to his mechanical
into his rendering OF music, but not such rs TO
carry the performer too far away from that care.
full and panstaking consideration OF mechanical
details, without which the best music becomes
nonsense in the ears Of the listener. Mr:
Leblings unusual acquaintance With classical
constantly near him, is another claim to dis
tiuction as pianist which we must allo"
work of great author without an extensive
acquaintance with his writings. 1t Is generally
considered impossible that the mind and fingers
should combine har1noniously in @pir'tMat rem
de5ing Of, for instance, q Bach suite, until both
have become thoroughly familiar with the
peculiar musical locutions, so to speak, of Bach,
through long and various experience in them:
The pianist in programme made up OF
widely different styles Of music Is really secure
only through this e1tentiye and intimate &C
Bulow used plainly to show his effort to thus
surround his mind with the sphere Of his author
by his mastery preludes to their compositions.
His delicate Introductory hints at the more