New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-06
MUSIC,
DIR. Won BuELow's BEETHoYEa REcTTArN

by DR. Hans Won Buelow at the Broadway Tneatre
yesterday afternoon have bean revelations in mors
than one sense. So far as the public q copcernsdi
they have been the most eloquent exposition Of tAs,
principal pianofcyfe souatas and variations of the
composer that has been vouchsacd thon o. vssD
as the most comprehensive. So far Is DR.. Buelow
"a concerned they have been the means Of enablira
him TO study the depth and sincerity Of the musIexs
culture Of the Nev-fork public, and the progress
made in this direction since his visit hers In 1876
That he has sstonshed and delighted at Whist Aas
been disclosed TO him in this regard all know who AAss
mai him since the first recital last Monday. Applause
"a NOT always a criterion of appreciation admire
don. Too often thu attitude Of the public tosam ~
artist of congratulated and worldwide repute b
only n modification of that Of the Hindu toward hss
idol. who knows that 10 ugly, but
feels that 4. Is great; they testify
their conviction Of the artists greasness
hv rob,,st, applause and comfort themselves VIII
ne rejection that thereby they have certified 70 ths
own discernment Especially Is this true u tho
artist like Dr. Won Buelow, comes IS the preacher Of
AN art-eyangel which has had httle or no plsce In
conventional musical thought But the week has
brought many evidences that tho appreciation DO
slowed on the distinguished visitor was srounoed on
knowledge and sincerity. One bit OF PROOF may %
cited: The most spontaneous ousDdfst came on
Thursday afternoon after the Sonata, op. D. IL wa
q performance that deserved It, Of course, his pisy.
ing OF the Aretta being epitome of all thas die
t,nguishes Won Buelow from the pisnoforts vtftioa
with whom in ordinary musical talk, he associated
IL is not long since even this exquiutely beaut-
full and soulful tone poem was looked upon by some
critics and musicians monstrosity. Even Lena
who was certainly an enthusiastic admirer OF Beet
hoyen, lost his temper when no came to discuss ia
Iythmical peculiarities How in the second varia-
ton six seml-quayers and the same number Of deni-
scmi-quavers were to be played in bar supposed 70
contain six semlQusvers passed his comprehension,
nor did he believe that any pianist could play re-
spectably1 tn etrpiets IN the fifth variation IN 91e
time. He made arthmetoaf problem out Of IT,
which recalls tho fsvorite amusement Of provincial
newspaper writer's during Patti season-that OF count
ing the notes she sings and calculating the sum which
her manager is Obliged TO pay her for each note.
LEM found that there are no less than 1,e44 demf
semi-quayers In this awe-nsprng series Of riplets.
and the number convinced him that the task Of playing
item was beyond human possibility. ouiibichef TO
cords that two pianists Of his acquaintance schf and
Balalnref, In the habit Of playing the
Sonata and sparng not single triplet putsng every
of the 1914 notes 10 the sword without mercy We
doubt whether anybody who heard DR.. Won Buelov on
Thursday afternoon gave passing thought to tho
number Of notes In tho Arietta the rhythmcal Diff
culdes which terrified the timid soul Of LEM. All
lost in contemplation Of the beauty Of the music
and the exquisite exhaation OF melody which rose Ike
incense nom those trplets. 50 again yesterday after
noon, Wneu no rc4CDcd inc s4uc iOi9 uctkit III NV
regions Of purest poetry in his Interpretation OF thss
most colossal of all soDatas, the OPP 1o6 Here more
over he showed himself virtuoso Is well 40
musician. After he had mellowed his hearers ahd
excited the warmest feelings By his poctzing In the
Adago sosenuto he whirled them OF into profoundest
amazcment by such q display Of memory, diptal SKID
and analytical power In the finale as perhaps the
majority Of them had never even dreamed of. THAI
tremendous three-voced fugue with some hbertes,'
svhla oh IL vat
mentators was dashed OF as II 10 were
only child'splay, It's contours sharply denned.
its runs crisp and sc,ntillant its rls corscaans ios
q moment like . drop OF dew In the starlight and them
exploding into a shower Of Offering notes, svef1
phrase standing out strongly, brightly, ss-rehsnty
against the background of voices, the whole 90 oeao
fully symmetrical, reposeful and equipondersnt-ns
wonder that even though the tie itself may not have
been recognized by many beautiful music, tho psrs
Torrance carried all OF their feet by its amazing ds
play Of virtuosoship. Then followed sometains yer
moro amazing for the doctor. as though disssasnea
with the achievement, responded 10 tns
recalls by playing the fague over sSins
and more brilliantly, firmly, amazingly tass
before II was Q feat Of stupondous mag
pitude yet the spirit that vitalized IL was not ths
spirit Of the virtuoso who wishes to bsvdcr. bot OF
the disciple who wishes to expound.
without intending In any way to depreciate me
beauties which marked Dr.. Won Buelows playing Oh
OF tho s0nataS WHICH DclonB W Nhos - sk''~
OF IN the books as Beethoven's second creative period,
notably the Characteristic Sonata op. 81 a, With ne
descriptive title, f. Les Adeux PAbsence ct 10 He-
tour" (which evidtntly has warm place In Won sue3
lows heart, for he postponed Its performance On
Thursday, It seemed, because all his listeners wers
not yet in their seatg, We think that MS piayms
reached hghwater mark In the sonatss op 100 ana
Ill, and the thirty-three vanstons On "A1 w
DIabellL
Tho latter composition indeed was in one respect
the real sensation of yesterdays recital The word
practically owes a knowledge of Its significance ana
beauty to Dr. Won Bueow: as he plays IL IL os1
comes a Ink which establishes completely the Coz
nect!ou between the classical and romantic scnoos
Of writing for tho pianoforte Its history ought 70
be familiar. The music publisher, Disbelli, conf
posed a waltz (comm place enough it is, tool. and
invited forty or fifty popular planists to write vsrac
atoms on It. The result OF the experiment pleased
him. He commissioned Beethoven to try his skin
an Ss Ss a tS snd he offered 70 pay eighty daes
Beethoven undertook the task SnSo e
that marvellous Imagination which. when once 10
became fired, conld not remain near the ss0rn9 m
sSe number was thirty Three and out Of the eysry.
dav dance tune arose series OF fantastic pemreSS
fun Of beauty and poetry %sso los sSs or me am
bilious virtuuso, music, which tas Dr Won eo,srs
programme and playing agreed In dlscos'a t. 4 re-
NAMED ma ed" for Dr. von Bueiew to disclose this; yss
not so after all, Tor one must ny % Nv
wings Of love II ono wishes 10 penetrate 70 tns
heart Of o great artwork, and ell but true pe sc,
are dissuaded from esssying the digit oy ne nJs
that sometimes the e1tornals are INCONVENIENCE .ss
we have heard of pianists attempting 10 play pess
Variations and being compelled TO desist by inc M
patience Of The listener That aaoS Ru. T pays
1 pTocramme in the style 81 sc6umanns CARNIVAL J.
Gers is another Illustration OF the proper use "a
dScr,ntive titles Beethoveu loft the variations villa
ont designations other than the numerical one ss
Won Buelow puts q brief supcrscnpnon eVett NV
number: sometimes tho utle is = mere nu VI ".
fulness sometimes 1t is merely suggestive 2, ~
style OF the writing; always IL hts on .ne ~ ssnsy
N. music and Axes starting place Tor ~ ssS ~
on the hesfcr More Is not necessary hereasat Sc
music viii tell It's tale. u does no. -, ~
titles to make e beautiful, but tho utos ivy AsT
| an appreciation Of Its beauty.