New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-21
YESTERDAY US MUSIC.

The first of Herr Moriz Rosenthals pianoforte 70.
cltals took place yesterday afternoon in steinway
Hall The excellence of the repute which went out
from his first concert last week was attested by tho
number Of listeners in attendance and the musical
character of the majority of taem 1t is not small
matter If pianist attracts say 500 persons recital
in New-YOrk, where so much good pianoforte playing
IS heard all the season through. 1t Is a greater
matter when 300 pay to hear him play and yet
a greater and, indeed almost unheari-of matter,
when their interest Is held by the player from tbs
beginning 10 the end Of the recital Herr Rosenthal
has accomplished all these things. and In themselves
they make up tribute such as has been paid to few
of the piansts who have visited from abroad Of
late years.
The sobcrcr mood which s1ways prevails q . n.
ctal Of pianofors music was IN way Of such
another ebullitiOn Of enthusiasm marhed the oon-
cert of last week. yet Her Roesuthaps unique
abilities did not want recognition onoA
when he wound up ScLunAnns sCArnlvaf With
astonishing speed, power and oriiancy In the March
of the Davdltes against the PhiLsttnes,s md again
when under his hands Liszt:s twelfth Hnnsaha1
Rhapsody exploded in such uaqtdns exhibition o.
musical pyrotechnics made tL' moving marvel
that ten fingers could DO IL Some OF thaB
excitement was felt which had so Dofstcrous n ex-
preston last week. but on the wtle tho recital In
vited the exercise of calmer judgmeAt than before,
In the face of such judgment Herr AoScnth0 heiA
first assault His digital skill is simply tremendous
and his command all the mechanical effects of tho
instrument complete That he always makes visa
of his knowledge and skill can now truthfuIy DO
said. Sometimes the achievement Of his hands
nulifed by nudicous manipulation Of the loud pedal
This in fact seems 10 be the greatest defect OF his
playing, from a mechanical point OF view.
Many brilliantly fingered passage was
blurred Yesterday almost TO the
verge of indstinctness because he was unwilling 10
have the hampers the strings. Since Chopin dis
closed what beautiful effects to be attained by
ingenious Of the pedals, the tendency to abuse
them has grown steadily and is pity that one who
might be an exemplar seems inclined to err In this
direction. Herr Rosenthal has nice sense Of
rhythmca symmetry that one would think he would
avoid all things which tend TO conceal his manifesto
of that To his desire to exhibit the tonal
effects attainable by means of the pedal may perhaps
also be attributed the hypersentimentalty $50 diff
ferent from the heathfllness which characertzes his
sentiment) with which he infused the Dfat nocturne
of Chopin. In singing its melody. very slowly, no
relied unduly the pedal To Offset these few things
OF questionable merit we had from him
startling exhibitions of manipulatve skill.
the most refined ingenuity and prodigous
daring In the preparation and development of cli-
makes. and well-baanced, intellectual readings OK
nearly eli the numbers In the scheme, beginning with
the sonata I'm A-fat by Weber. Great emotional warmth
was not called for by any Of yesterdays compo-
sitions. second recital will occur this afternoon.
The managers and friends Of the Aguilar Free
Library Society, Of the newest Of the phlanthropc
institutions which Hebrew fcllow-citzcns main
tain with Characteristic nberality, are to be consra
ulated the financial and artistic success which
attended the concert given In aid OF NE library a.
the Metropolitan Opera House last night he iaIei'
brought together beginning with Herr Sedl, ,he COP
ductor, hIst-rate as the list VIII snow. ,lh9g
pianist was Herr Ansorge, the vioinist Mlchaei
Banner, the singers Madame Herbert Forester ana
Max Alvary There was also an excellent ochesra
and Mr. Cheshire, a harp player, whose abilities
shine reulgently in the band did all that hsrp, cSn
to make his instrument acceptable in solo liners
was a brilliant and numerous audience present