The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-11-21
MARsICK,S RIVALS.

Those who heard the violinist Mar sick at his recital in this city last Thursday may be interested to know something about his rivals, Ondricek and Rivarde, who are in this country to dispute with him during the coming winter for the popular favor and con- sequent ducats of the American people. These three have all made their debuts and it is pretty easy to judge from their respective receptions how the honors are to be distributed Marsicll had the advantage or disadvantage, as you like, of priority in the field He had shown his mettle with orchestra and in the less eXacting but more per- sonal form of a recital before the others appeared. He had shown him. self to be thorough and conscientious artist, who lived up to the talents with which he had been endowed, but that both in point of technic and interpre- tative ability he could not rank with those great geniuses who domi- nate and sway audiences at will. There fore, although Marsick was welcomed as an interesting new figure in his line, | it was plain from the start that he would not be a great popular success.
 Ondricek, the great Hungarian vir- tuoso, who has been a favorite for some years on the other side, appeared at the first Philharmonic concert, playing a concerto by his fellow country man, Dvorak, a composition bristling with
 technical difficulties and formed on characteristic Hungarian folk-tunes. He showed that he had ample technic and to spare to cover the mechanical difficulties of his task, and the interpre- tation seemed to be to him like the | singing of old and familiar tunes. | There seemed to be a lack of breadth and repose but this was more than atoned for in music of this character by a reckless dash and dazzling verve and elan which completely carried the audience with him. How he will play when we hear him in works of another character, whether he can prove a tenn perament as versatile in musical ex- pression as it was apt in this one line, is question which time must decide. The enthusiasm at the afternoon per formance could not be repressed, al- though he came forward and bowed his thanks time and again, so Ondricek played a transcription of Schubert S ''Erl-king," a composition of such diff fculty that it took ones breath away, but so horribly spasmodic and gaspy, that as musical work it's value is ab- solutely nil. We are afraid that the enthusiasm was thoroughly repressed. Achille Rivarde, the third of the trio, made his debut Sunday night at pop ular concert, playing Saint-Saen's con- certo and the Hungarian airs of Ernst under the direction of Seidl. He 1 showed certainly no lack of temerity in his choice The first composition served to introduce Ysaye last year, and Ondricek had played the Ernst composition but the day before. He had been heralded as new Sarasate, and although the resemblance is strong both, in appearance and style, yet he proved to have considera ble individual ity and great personal magnetism. If the favor of Sunday night audience 1 is sufficiently critical to indicate gener- al opinion, he was a great success. His interpretations were sympathetic, if not deep, and his double stopping was excellent. He is an attractive young person, and may prove the popu- l lar hero among the winters fiddlers. l We fear that Marsick is not destined to make any violent stir with New York audiences, but the appearance of the other two will be looked forward to with pleasant curiosity