Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-16
PUNCHING A API4NO.
A Wild westerner Playing Before q Culture
VAN N,rE Au.iIeura.

New York Audience.
The following was the introduction 10
concert programme In New York, on Sunday
evening, which attracted a large audience,
many OF whon came no doubt TO scott:
First Sunday recital in New York Of the
Texas cowboy pianist A. Q. Babel, pro-
nouuced, and is indisputably, the greatest
musical phenomenon of the age His execu-
ton IS marvellous; he is perfect master of the
piano; composes and improvises, and plays
over twelve hundred selections His playing
is dazzlingly brilliant he plays with cloth
over the keys Yet has never received any
instructions Nothing like him has ever
been heard"
The programme assertion that Mr.. Babel
had never received any instruction had pre-
pared the critical audience for something ex-
tremely funny. But those who came to
sneer remained to praise. Their critical
taste was overw helmed by their admiration
at the wonderous aud deNterous msuipula-
ton of the keys by breezy and muscular
westerner, who had never endured or in.
flicted the ''melodies" of scales or fve-
finger exercises. More than one-half the su-
dience was composed of ladies. 1t was very
| curious to them to see man like Joseffy
| usurp their domain, but cowboy--a
reyolvered, bowie-kniyed, sombreroed,
whisk y.drinking Westerner riding rough
| shoS over the keyboard was something
! above their mprehension, and hence their
| desire to see this most curious of curiosities.
| So far as the revolver, bowie knife and
whisky were concerned they were disap-
| pointed. Mr.. Babefs only weapon on the
stage was the one we have all become IA
miliar with, but not reconciled to-the grand
| piano
| THE INTRODUCTION.
There was long wait of twenty minutes
| hafnra tho fpptliuhts and the ntyh hnp
turned on. The audience became impatient
and dainty feet pounded the floor after the
fashion OF dainty fingers pounding the piano.
| There was slight suspicion that the wild
musical Texan had got afraid OF his cultured
audience and gallOped away on one of
" Jake Sharp's milky white steeds to his
native prairie. Not a bit of it He presently
| appeared in the company of his proprietor,
| Mr.. l.. b. Pike. The Texan proved to be a
| wiry, deep-chested man, below the middle
| height, with black hair, cut close, a long
| black mustache, and having the prominent
| cheek bones that are said to be indicative of
| musical talent He was hsbited in a boiled
| gray shirt brown velvet vest and moccasins.
| Mr.. Pike was gentleman with black hair,
which We'd in length with that of any male
| musician in the audience. Mr.. Pike made a
staccato speech introductory of the pheno.
menon and then left the " cowboy" as his
friends persist in calling him, to tackle the
grand piano.
| The FIRST SHOT,
Bang 1t was the Texans first musical
shot in tantasie by Kontsky, and every eye
and every ear was strained TO find out where
the first miss occurred. But every shot told,
| and when he made the theatre resound with
the grand finale he received shower of ap-
plause, which he took as If he had been ac-
customed to ii from his earliest infancy The
following was the kind of thing no treated
his admiring fellow-thumpers to:
Carnival de venice-vsriations COWBOY
Grand waltz de Concert. ............... .Lisst
| German Triumphal March ......... .kunkel Bros
Polka de Coneert-Latest composition. owooy
Medley Of National various ComPosers sers
Mazu,sa ,ottschaik
Grand Waltz covering keyboardj w Cole sel
| Home, sweet Home" ttwenty-one
ISIds variations "a duet movement and Cowboy
1t could be seen that this selection was
made 10 suit his peculiar talent The Won
deriul runs, the marvellous shakes, the
quick changes OF right and left hands were
again ana again spplauded. His lingering
appeared to be the result of twenty years
incessant practice favored by unusual
strength, whereas he subsequently told the
reporter he had begun only six or seven
years ago. He gave his auditors musical
| tfeworks without int, and Thalberg q
variations on "Home, Sweet Home"
| which in print look as if a spider
| dipped in ink had walked for several hours
| over a sheet OF music, as young man coming
| down the gallery stairs observed), the cow
| boy knocked into a cooked hat by his own
variations He played nothing to prove that
he was possessed OF taste aud feeling. Every
thing presented was to exhibit his remarkable
dgital dexterity. He received an encore for
his admirable rendering of a medley OF
national airs and for one of LISTS waltzes
For a second number he introduced the
"Last Rose of Summer" which was the
means OF establishing him in the favor of the
audience. "The way he stacked up against
duet movements, three octave skips, seven
octave runs and lassoed whole punches OF
notes, East and West, was the most astonish-
ing thing [ ever saw" said teacher OF
music, "but as to his improyisations they are
truly Western
| A WONDERFUL MEMORY.
After the concert Mr.. Babel said to the re-
porter that he was not exactly tired OF piano
playing, but he would rather be back at
home on horseback. He did not know a
note of music got others 10 play the airs over
TO him, committed them to memory and then
improved on them-that is put variations 10
| them "out of his own head" His pro
gramme consisted simply of few letters
written on a card, which seemed to remind
him OF what he had to play next "That
'Marselay,'" said he, in reference to the
French republican air he played, ~ thought
| would throw me at first, till / got hold of m V