Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-10-30
AN EVENING OF RICH MELODY.

The Musical Recital Given on Friday
Evening at the Home of Mrs. Pollock.
The musical recital on Friday even
ing at the residence Of Mr.. Julius POI
lock on Chapline street was an event
almost without precedence in musical
circles of Wheeling. The attendance
was not so large as expected, and much
sympathy was expressed for those VINO
were unfortunate enough to miss the
initiatory evening. The programme
opened with "Chopin's Ballade," than
which there could hardly have been Sc
lected anything more beautiful, what
melancholy there is, what subtilty, what
fine perception, and above all what art
in the music of Chopin. One could
hardly be mistaken in it were one fami-
liar with but one song, for Chopin
has breathed into all OF his
tone creations, one and the same
life-his own Utmost and individual
life-so that in all unity Of character
prevails, an exclusive mode OF feeling,
that marks II beyond a doubt, Chopin.
1t is impossible TO subject his labors
to an intelligent analysis without find
ing in them beauties Of the first magni-
tude-an expression perfectly new. and
an harmonic texture as original as it is
complete. With him the boldneSs
always justifes itseif-the richness
does not exclude clearnesS-and the
strangeness never degenerates into az
fectation, and the luxury of ornament
never Smothers the beauty OF the main
lines. His best works are rich in COM
binations which mark epochs in the
treatment Of musical style. Auda-
cious, shining, seductive, they elOthe
their profundity with so much grace
their art, with so much charm.
that one with difficulty disentwines
himself from the magic clasp, so as to
Judge them from a standpoint Of theo-
retic worth. But we know we owe him
much-the expansion Of the chord, both
when struckful-when broken into the
arpeggio, and through several octayes.
Those astonishing chromatic and en-
harmonic windings which we find in his
Etudes, and his minute groups Of inter
polated notes which, until he came, be-
longed only TO the older Italian song
school.
From his very nature, being Chopin,
he could rot bind his genius to work by
traditional rule, he could not imprison
the wavering, never-sharpIy defined
outlines which lend his thoughts their
highest charm, within the frame
work OF a precise pattern. He
is not a Frenchman, as is FREE
quently supposed, but Pole, having
been born in Warsaw in 1910. For
twenty years he studied there and then,
DESTROYS of hearing great performances
OF important musical works elsewhere,
he went to Germany. He was in Vienna
in 1880, and was compelled TO remain
there by the revolution which broke out
on the goth of November of that year.
He left Vienna with the intention of
going to London "via Paris" and this
word contained his whole future, for
long years afterward, when he became
naturalized and settled In France, he
used to langhingly say, Il am only here
on my passage through" Everybody
knows of the painful sicknesses and the
many years of suffering that were his
portion, and the romance Of his life, too,
on the little, wave-washed island of the
Mediterranean, where, overshadowed by
citron trees and breathing in the soft
air, he renewed his strength in the
sympathizing and tranquilizing COM
partnership of George Sand. He died in
Paris in 1s49, in Christian peace and
composure, and his earthly resting
place is in ''Pere la Chaise," between
Belini and Cherubim.
The Duo that followed vas charming
Our pleasure in Mr.. Speil's playing con-
stantIy increases, and we recognize the
promise for him OF fine 4 IRE. The
Poionaise of Chopin-the 3 number
WAS magnificent, and itf pom this