New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-05
MR.. PADEREwsKrs CONCERT.

The simple chroncler OF events would have his
hands than full to tell Of the happenings Mt
Carnegie Hall last night, when Mr. Paierewski
effected his re-entrance the American concert
platform. The reader who recall the Incidents
which marked this artists concerts two and three
years ago will require but little help to call up the
picture Of last night. There was the same brilliant
congregation OF people in the same gladstone frame
Of mind the devout listening to the music as
II were an evangel which hung everlasting
things; the same steady growth Of enthusiasm.
which began in conventional applause and ended in
cheers and shouts, the artist came back after the
performance OF a kerculean task and added first a
Hungarian Rhapsody and then Schumann's "Nacht-
stuck" 10 the programme. which he had already en-
riched with one Of Mendelssohns Songs without
Words" But above and beyond all that there was
the same marvellous pianofort" playing, which,
while Il invited and challenged critical judgment so
that its real value might become fully known. made
the duty OF pronouncing that Judgment wait upon
the record OF the effect produced When begins
to talk about that effect he begins 10 deal with the
artistic moment when music becomes all charm ana
ceases TO concern itself with mechanics and mathe-
mates: and then rhapsody Is In oroer' ana not
criticism For both rhapsody and criticism there is
time enough in the future. 1t seems better TO de-
,o,s the nresent TO feature Of the concert which
has more lasting interest Mr.. PaderewsM played
Chopin's minor concerto with Richard Burmeisters
orchestration) to open the concert. gave LISTS E
fiat concerto IT, and as the last OF his set pieces
nroduced his own "Fantaisie Polonaise."
Nv paderewskis Polish Fantasia" is a compost
ton that deserves the interest which musical peo-
nile have felt In II ever since they heard OF It's
production in England In the fall OF 1879 NO
small portion OF the celebrity which he acquired
az quickly here when he first came was due
10 his concerto which he chose as medium
=, ,ntroduction to the musical amateurs of
Tho United States. and there a natural
our,os,tv 10 learn whether or not he was maintain
ing himself on the artistic plane as a creative
musician which that work showed him entitled to
occupy The demand was not small one. in view
~ the duties which the concert platform exacted
from him, for although those duties are creative
IN a noble sense they are not so much so as those
of a composer. and they require withdrawal from
,he burly-bury Of q virtuoso's and time for
,ntrospection and deliberate utterance. The new
comnosition shows that Mr.. Paderewski has also
something TO say TO us as composer. II is not.
az we were given to understand by OF the
or,,ics who wrote about IL In Europe, a work OF
extraordinary difficulty for the solo performer. De-
ante its brilancy and effectiveness the centre Of
gravity In II does not lie In the pianoforte part
hut in its development OF musical idea This
idea Is essentially national 1t is Polish. the
title of the work indicates, and only those who
choose 10 take q view OF the province
| ~ music will quarrel with 1t on that account
Nationalism is likely for long time TO 10
breathe the breath Of life into music. Without It, In
these days OF technical mastership we are likely TO
have only ingenously constructed but souless
9anisms-the product OF men who, having nothing
10 say. have acquired the skill OF saying 1t por
tentously When the heart is to be reached. how
ever 4, must be done by the of those simple
idIoms which the people created long before they
| dreamed of the artificial structure known modern
music So the spirit OF those idioms inform
work II makes difference whether the vessel con-
tanning II be made old models Mr.
| paderewski has written a work that Is Polish a;
! heart We hear its nationalism in It's rhythms
and in its melodies He has chosen romantic
form for its utterance. and has employed all the In
genultes of modern learning in its proclamation. but
he has talked TO US in the musical language OF his
country In respect, indeed, II could be
scarcey an exaggeration TO say that he has
been a truer patriot than his great countryman
Chopin In the polonaises and mazurkas OF Chopin
We are compelled TO hear Partisan idealization
(sbaI we dare to say conventionalizatonD OF the
Polish dances. II Is the national voice. but mod
ulated to the key OF the salons Of French society
| Mr. Paderewsk is more democratic. In the second
and last portions OF his fantasia the people dance
not In courtly, but In peasant fashion; you near
| The clatter of heavy soles and hobnais Ana this
Is admirable In his fantasia, for II gives us a
deeper glimpse into the national life. which mas ~