The morning call., 1893-01-15
Paderewski PLAYS.

The event OF the season has arrived, says
the New York Sun of January s. This was
uncomfortably proven to folks who reached
the Music Hall at a fashionably late hour
on Monday afternoon, and succeeded in
reaching their chairs only after struggling
through an almost impenetrable wall of hu-
manity. Some people, indeed, never got
into the seats they had paid handsomely
for, but stood shivering at the door, trying
to gain an occasional peep at golden
haired young man in the distant perspec-
tive. II was an operatie audience, an audi
ence OF purple and fine linen. diamonds and
musical taste. 1t represented $4,000 at the
boX-office, and something over $1,000 in the
planists pockets. Last year PadeTewSkl
was content with an exceedingly modest
bonorarium, while his impresario became
rich. This season the virtuOSo takes all
the profits in order to pay the doctors bills
incurred by his recent Illness. There is
scarcely doubt that his individual re-
ceipts for the present tour of forty-two con-
certs Will be over $500, 000
THE PIANIST is MODEST
Yet he is an unasSuming genius. His
hair is by no means so eXuberant as lt used
to be when we first became acquainted with
him, but is now chaSteued and OF a Grecian
couture rather than of eccentric weirdnesS.
Surveyed casually as he came out of the
stage door, PaderewSki looked like blond
Hamlet, trifs taller aud more spiritual
than kechter, but not less dramatically in
teresting. The great stage held only a piano
and a chair the lights turned down, the
whole scene one of emptiness and gloom in
contrast with the gayly dressed, eagerly
anticipatiYe mass OF people that was packed
into the auditorium. But when the pianist
appeared he seemed to ill the stage as COM
pletely as it is occupied on OratoriO nights.
He was attired simply in black-a frock
coat. happily not Of the present monstrous
fashion, tightly fitting trousers, Byronie
collar, and flowing white silk necktie. His
cheeks were a trifle hollow; he was suffer-
ing from a cold, which evidently embar-
raised him at intervals. This caused a
number OF sentimental ladies in the par
Quet to manifest some agitation lest he
should go into consumption.
POWERFUL IF PALE.
Pale and delicate though he looked, Pad
erewski had lost none of the power Of his
fingers ThundeTs reverberated from the
piano under his touch. 1t was as eloquent
with splend0r of tone as a full orchestra.
Then. TO show that his finger tips had lost
nothing of their daintiness, he played the
softer measures with q deicacy which
coaxed forth "a sound so fine that nothing
lived 'twiXt it and silence" The vast
audience gasped coDvulsively as the Bach
List fugue was ended. Paderewski. who
had been all fire and nervous energy during
its wonderful performance, now suddenly
relaxed and fell back Imply in bis chair.
His hair still trembled with agitation but
otherwise he seemed in q cOmatOse state,
his hands lying lifelessly on his knees, bis
eyes fixed with a dull stare at the piano.
Then he extracted his handkerchief, and
awakening slowly under the tempest of
applause he seemed for the first time cog
infant Of the audience. He bowed stiffly in
body but amiably in face. Then. catching
hold of the side of the piano, he arose and
bowed again and again to every part of the
auditorium. The applause still continuing.
he put away his handkerchief, planted his
feet on the pedals and called forth the
spirit of Beethoven. When this was ended
be once more sank back Imply. rs that
pose?" asked Philistine man in the par
quet. 'or is he exhausted?" Neither"
said his companion, in a tone Of bOrrifed
feminine TeproOf. 1.-THE fires of genius
have merely gone out temporarily. He will
relight them in a moment at the altar of
Brahms. But I am simply crazy to hear
him in Chopin"
Paderewski is booked for series of con-
ceTts in this civ.