New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-18
MIR. PADEREWSKI.
-, po,usH P1AN1sr,s AMERICAN DEBUT.

:, IN. whites; Of the meEy clever things that
e :. tbe elder Heilmesberger, of Vienna, is his
are w 4, colleague in the orchestra at the close Of
re.-, A critic, only second in local reputation
s,,.,,ct was seen leaving the concertroom. :" Poor
ws remarked Ilellmesbcrger sympathetcally,
H'"~' .,.dIv he would give dollar to know what he
~ :, TTse masel" There is ccntemp,rancous
sn. nosnre in the observation than one is inclined
~, Al frs. blush. and moro than within the
- Years when Nrv-York has suffered erup-
w. :, nansts of stupendous 0ldWorld Npute, Hell
W. remark might have applied rot
~. 90 The unhappy reviewers for the newspapers,
O ser. hound wily-nilly TO think something
,, ,he performance, but TO the majority of
-. rst,ners who could 90 home and make up their
-. deliberately with little assistance next morn
n is therefore a genuine blessing to all concerned
H,s = pe7formance or a performer makes unmis-
80. an impression upon the minds Of his audience
70. ,h.re /. no need OF brain rschng. When this
s,ens In a case where great expectations have been
s.d nv a penitnde Of advertising, the reason for
am peums is all the more obvious. 1t Is really
80, greater pity than one might think when good
s,scs ink and gracious white paper are wasted in
-o-t 10 rive value to nm artist or work OF art
~a,,h n does not in fact possess.
70 couys TO Hecuba without further parey, let us
- ,hat Mr. Paderewski. who effected entrance on
49, American concert stage last night In the Music
,,su WAS dangerously well advertised.
Ma he failed to satisfy the expectations which had
-, aroused among the musieally inclined people OF
,.ryork h., failure would have been nothing short
disastrous TO his future In this country and woul
Isolation 10 his manager Both were brilliantly
...d nv his marvellous achievements. Nobody, not
- IN. most diplomatic OF the newspaper reviewers
,Ns city, who have most need Of conservatism, can
- len the Music Hall last night without carrying
-,sS him most decided conviction touching his
,o,gh,s about the much hcra'ded newcomer. II
..ss in which Caesars boastful motto would have
.,undeo Ike an expression Of modest sclfrcspect In
he month of the pianist He came. he saw. he con-
saerea-
81 complete. indeed was Mr.. Paderewski's success
,.. is little embarrassing t. attempt to Describe
=. N venture upon an explanation OF the elements
,,eb thought it about. The best kind OF criticism.
Ia schunann. critic Of keen dscernment and gracious
.,., Is that which produces in the reader the i'm
-.,.s,,,. made by the performance. In the OF
~ psaerewsM this would compel resort TO some
.t,,r Ike that rhapsodic style Of utteraree which
..0n,rlv IS the bane of all writings art. But 1t
,oud be not only idle but foolish to put such per
.o-nsnos as that which he gave 10 ChOpins Basde
h, r.ms,or upon the dissection table. There would
). M Intellectual gain and the result would disclose
,oh,pr Of the lovely spirit which throbbed and glowed
r. ~. cusic Better 10 let it pass with the observa-
oa that in this exquisite composition Mr.. PadeFewsh
roae procamation which no one could misunderstood
n., Ia is poet-nterpreier Of gracious gifts, per
,-u.r without fault. Only who has mastered the
,,.onsnicsl part of the panOforte playing 50 com
pl.rly that 1t has become the willing and
,sg.r and unerTing servant OF his mind and
Heart could have played this composition as
Mr. Paderewski played IL; only poet accustomed
10 speak in musical tones could have read ChoWns
mem with such consummatey tender and touching
grace.
Yet this was but one Of his achievements and one,
uoroover which, as things go in our concertrooms,
vas not likely TO arouse the greatest admiration.
Those who admire mechanical skill, pianoiorte teen
pjque for It's own sake were given opportunities IN
plenty TO marvel at his achievements in this particular
There was the bewderng crispness and clearnesS OF
the Chopin study which he played, the dazzling
tripancy OF his fnger-work in LISTS "Campanella,
which he played a recall the scintillant scales IN
sainsnenss concerto IL Cminor the Irresistible rush
Of his octave Passages hundred things TO excite
wOider and astOnshment at his merely digtal ab.Aty
But these things would have weighed little had there
not been disclosed back of them all The nice dlsclmna-
ton. the strong. pure senent feeling of the muSi-
clan. Mr.. PadeFewski preached the gospel OF
Chopin With whose music he is In obvious
sympathy by OF racial fellowship and
community OF sentiment. II Ike no other Chopin
playing that has been heard here for years-let us s2S
since Rubnstein. 1t not tie morbid sentmentahst
nor the forced dramatist but sweey zane singer oi
romantic feelings. 1t was musical Chopin CHOPIN
WIN q hnciN pgetce CNanVei WInch NJ pIVOA'h~N "
o revelation ut once OF profound feeling and oil eX
eulslte beauty.
Why ur. Paderewski chose SaintSaens's fourth
concerto in which Introduce himself to an America
audience St IS not easy 20 The work has twice
been played in NewYOrS (by Madeleine Schiller and
Fanny Rloomfeld-Zelssler) but has never yet won a
Mace in the Ikincs of musical public. Even
last night in spite OF Mr.. PaderewskPs
brilliant performance of it the listeners seemed less
Interested in 1t than in the players own concerto IN
A-minor which he played after the set Of short
pieces Had his playing not already made ample
demonstration OF the fact that he IS something Dc
sides vrtuoso the concerto would have established
his right to the title OF musician 1t is full OF youth
su ycor and starts of with good deal of the fire
which burns In work based on patriotic feeling 1t
reflects the spirit OF folk music, the music Of the
people and is dsclOses splendid mastery OF the
technique of writing especially in the orch'stration
and as the first concerto of virtuoso 1t eXcites
wonder that the solo instrument should De ree@a'ed
to the part which IT plays in the work-not subord
nate part yet not dominating part, the part as
signed 10 single important instrument In the IN
strlmental apparatus 1t is a ooncrto when can
be head more than once with pleasure.