New-York tribune., 1889-11-06
OTTO HEGNER. PRODIGY.

The little lad who entertained a New-York audience
for the second time yesterday afternoon at the Bosl'
way Theatre is surely incipient panoforte vrtoso
He has gifts which ht him for the career foreshadow
in sach designation. whether he also has nteilectn
and emotional graces Of the kind whose possesSa
marks the distinction between virtuoso and a.
artist it is not easy to declare. This much may
he said IL he has them they still lying dormant,
The poetic charm which is their expression In artst'
utterance is not a feature in his plNns-cersinv
not in the degree which noticeable in the playing
of his predecessor TO whom he largely owes taS
measure of public attention which he commands
The fact that he is here because the precooou.
child Hofmann preceded him iustifes any amount =.
criticism Tor estimate, the real meaning of criNis"
being so widely misunderstood by comparison Ou'
It IS not necessary to enable the judcious 70 ionn
an opinion of hi, merits. comparison VIII iVN
itself upon the public mind, however, as soon - e
mind ATTEMPTS to discover why musicaly INC ~ '
Polo was HUre engaging and interesting taan -,
talented successor; and the reason VIII p.V,
DO found to lie in the fact that while hoima
precocty that of ld-musican, thai Oh "a "a
ner's is the precocity Of a ild-planisi. ID ~,
cases it is extremely early fruit; the only Qu''
Is as to the comparative value Of the fruit' -,
A little reflection the lines suggested oy -.
a comparison might tend TO lessen inc @'iS'"
nfcance of young Hegner's performances Dut ~ -,
make them less wonderful than they are hi' PrnI,y
Is the product of hlgiN uVNViVPN" AZ.
of imitation coupled with natural aptties oi '
traorlinary kind These aptitudes are predonin,d .,d
mechanical. however. He has great hexiOl' nss
strength of finger and large hand. lie has inc 80
Of time too, and Of rhythm. so far as 'no nm,
manipulation Of the keys goes, ne Is woouo' a.
he Is entirely reproductive Much OF MS Pi''" ma
moro,onous and devoid OF all poetic vitailV -.
raSonrcos ~ tone color limited, his touch' w"
-. =, ,a,;rg soft music unyielding and dry hnt a
no 10 piay ns that he should do what ne does, and
marNonous sha Is not disposed simply 10 cape.
i onghtlessly will be apt 10 nrn MS
Hldr.ci niy divided between the boy and the snr@
pIc.y ye,nsd him. For whatever there Is Oh inosnnced
& VINO o. The boys playing Is obviously the Knows
hea OF ms hconvction OF such fact forced upon IN
how how INC originality OF conception discloses is'A
| spontaneity. .., - ,f,o .nn,v,ne q pretty
/, siandani In reviewing childs pei ~, ,ec{
seves, ,he child Is something more than an " fhs
Out uostv its place Is not In the concert fuo 10
a. ~ AZ musicians go To hear youaS a.
,n 1e he highest degree complimentary: gyaEs ~
~ a. lifted out OF the community OF nLesri yestsr
10 An audience that crowded tho room, nPeethoyen5
, a.x,s CONCERT Young Hegner played ana ths
uSs ~oa,. In c. op SO, Chopin's Beroeu,s, ,aces sup
,slcnsise In + lat op %, as his set Psers waits
i,nuranting The last with the same comPhn ounfee
~ IN n flat The fact that the Menhse,sWen Wendelssohn
club played entire string quints. ~ 10 give
an % aat although It became necesssr sorcsntations
ln " de,a"hmeats Is creditahe T. the eoresIns WAS
nrlonsnsss III Of purpose, but the Concert will
% wall sdyised The next Hegnor conr Trsssisy
be a matinee At tho same tnsaue w
afternoon