Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-11
PADEREWSKl PLAYS.
THE MUSICIAN CHARMS 4 LARGE
AUDIENCE At THE ACADEMY.
brilliant Tcchnic nnd Marvellous
Pedal Effects Mark the Mastery
Interpretations of the Celebrated
Pinnist-Grcnt Enthusiasm.


The excitement at NJ. Paderewskrs
pianoforte recital was intense Enthusi-
asm rose by leaps and bounds during the
evening, eliminating in a series Of oya-
/ tons for the quiet-mannered Polish art
list. whose calm and unrufiled demeanor
was in such striking contrast to the ex-
| citable behaviour OF many who heard him.
The audience which greeted NJ. Pade-
rewski was brilliant, fashionable. and tho
roughly representative. Society turned out
en- masse. and the Academy was crowded
IN every part with an audience. the like
of which has rarely, if ever before, been
seen in Richmond playhouse.
There are players, there are poets; and
as a poet Padcrewski was possibly never
so sublimely or genuinely inspired as in
that performance, VIII. n remains bright
and precious thirg in the midst Of all
the curiousiy part-co ored recoIections oil
. musical events in this city.
Under PaoercWskis magnetic touch the
pianofOrie sings. dreams. explodes, re-
sounds II denes the hght Of the most
+ skilful forms. IL has, Ike the orchestra,
it, brazen harmonles. like it. 1t can give
TO the evening breeze JUS cloud OF fairy
chords and vague melodies.
paderewsM shows himself and IS APP
piauded: dazzling fantasies grow beneath
MS fingers. Enthusiastic accldmations an
swer them lie sings on the piano, all
hearts tend towards him. all breasts hold
their breath Then come luminous bombs
the banquet Of this grand tirework, and
the cries of the public. and the braves
rain around the priest OF harmony shud-
dering on mis- tripod.
Whereas the deliverer restrained him
self within all the limits that the most
sOher ciassicist could have prescribed. he
stu rose TO q loitne.s-in part ascriba-
bic To the enthusiasm of the place In
part refcrahle To nature chvalresque
proud and poetic In no common degree
I which no other instrUmentaliet has at
tained. The triumph in the mind Of the
executant sustained the triumph in the
idea of the compositions without strain,
without spasm but with breadth ana
depth and height such as made the ge-
MUS Of the executant approach the genius
of the creators.
Rubenstein considered the art Of using
the pedal the most difficult problem Of
higher pano-playing. and most OF Pade-
rewskis beautiful effects are attributable
TO his skill in this branch Of technic. one
cannot ina CINE a more perfect command
Of the keyboard than such planlsuc
Titans as Paderewski. ROsenthal, ana
Joseffv possess. and unless some ''lusus
naturae" OF abnormal digital development
or more than the average number OF mn
gers should dawn on the piano horizon
we must accept them as the highest eN-
ponent Of piano technic proper. The nine
teenth century has witnessed the periec-
ton OF digital technic-there Is nothing
left for the approaching century but the
DEVELOPMENT Of the pedalisuc techhlc' OF
hutn n
stein saws: IF we have not heard the
niano at its best. it Is. possibly, because
we have not understood how to eXhaus
the CAPABILITIES of the pedal" one could
not help feeling, particularly during the
List Rhapsodie. that Paderewsk. II ne
has not attained a complete mastery over
pedal effects. has carried them to hisner
pitch of excellence than any pianist
who has been heard here.
The Waldstein Sonata has never peeH
nlaved here before. except by local pan
lists. and this magnificent composition
held an appropriata musical INTRODUCTION
under the fingers of this first Beethoven
| player Of the world. II IS true that th.r'
was a suppressed excitement ana cohlu'
sion. things inauspicicus 10 the com,
plete success Of a work OF this klhl' pu'
the audience soon settled down anu hsl'
ened with rapt attention. II IS use
]
Of this work. suffice II TO say that fade
rewsN has his own Ideas Of pianisu'
possibilities as for instance, in the pres
/ tfesirno Of this sonata, he played th'
octaves in both hands glissando win de'
| Ncious effect. although Won BuloW eN
rressly stpulates that this rendiuoh ],
impracticabls on pianos Of the present
dav. and gives another reading OF TINS
passage. II.
The two Mendelssohn numbers, beinl
more familiar and easier TO comprehend
were thoroughly enjoyed. The hrst
co,puoulv called MAY BreeZes.' Is
eimrle bit of melody. with an undu
latir.1 accompaniment figure; the second
"The Spinning Song" the best-kno"n Of
all the Songs without Words IS
characterize piece, AID possibly IN NJ
piece was Paderewsk's superior aoil''
more thoroughly shown.
The Schumaun number. also new 10
Richmond audieucc, was, df7p.te u.
significant title, 2 little above TIE heap'
Of the people though there were nj
rerous instances when an irresistibi'
rhythm an ouiburst II drollery. or
snatch Of true Schumann melody riveteC
their attention.
If Il he true that 1T takes a Pole e
NAV Chopin intellieenily." this Is only
one OF the many reasons why Paderew
skis Interpretation Of his works are re
garded as ideal. II Rubenstein drew th'
Grest tone from the piano. II Rosen
thai IS the greatest exponent OF fin de steele
technic: II Van Bulow was tho most scno
larry and analytic Of pianists, Truly
Paderewski towers above them all II
that ne writes i'm a higher degree thar
any pianist all the individual excellen
cies Of this trinity. This coupled witt
his Polish birth. accounts for his dog
matte Chopin rendition. 1t is useless 4
sneak Of his reading Of the nOcturne II
q or Of the other Chopin numbers
though what revelation was the etud'
in thirds, not included in the pro
gramme,
His minuet was played here for thu
first time: also his melody. which requires
moro than one hearing TO appreciate tho
roughly.
OF the List Rhapsodie" one carno
saw too much Paderewski plays Lisz
after his own peculiar ideas, and one can
not but think he improves on them
though il would seem that the tremo
los i'm the introduction would be NOR
effective If h. shaded them more ate
LISTS directions. What can be said
though. OF his wonderful shadngs an'
piano effects that were shown more high
~ in this composition than anything OF
his programme? List has been calle'
the "Poet.of Sound" and this rhapsody
converts one TO this belief, after hearing
II as IL was rendered last night.
At the end Of the concert the audenc
remained in their places and applaude'
,,gorously for some minutes after tn
ceiebratcd musician had left the stage
DISFIGURING