The San Francisco call., 1896-02-22
The Concert Comes to an End
in a Grand Climax of
Applause.
MASTERS ANCIENT AND MODERN
The Pianist Gives a Magnificent Rem.
dering to Long and Varied
Programme.

Is rapidly reaching il-blown crescendo.
There were outward and visible signs of it
at the recital yesterday afternoon at the
California Theater.
The house had been almost sold oat but
an hour before the pianist appeared on the
stage crowds were besieging the theater on
the chance of securing adm ission. The
few remaining seats went off like hot cakes,
and then people came in to stand. The
LETT alsles, both up and down stairs, first
filled with a dense line of music-lovers, for
that vantage ground commanded an excel
lent view OF the keyboard. Then the right
aisles lined up, for from that favored spot
the pianist's facial expression could be
studied. Almost before third of the seat
holders had arrived the foyer was dense
mass OF patiently standing humanity, and
the staircase was rapidly being pre-empted
by enterprising meIomaniacs.
1t was after 3 o'clock when the pianist
entered. He was greeted with what
Italians call discreet applause, for the
audience that by this time packed every
nook and corner of the house seemed more
eager to hear the artist than to spend any
of the minutes that migh ht be radiant with
music in lavishing noisy demonstrations
on Paderewski himself. AS usual, the
enthusiasm grew and multiplied as the
programme progressed, till the recital
eliminated in cries of "bravor'
A singular fact about the hypnotic spell
which Paderewski's marvellous genius
throws over his hearers is that large
number of the people who listen to him
with rapt and delighted attention do not
know enough about the various compost
tions and the styles OF the composers to
follow the programme. One only had to
glance around al the end of a number yes
terday afternoon to see many people who
evidently did not know where they were
at" in the list of works that Pade rewski
was playing.
They glanced at their programmes in a
curious, puzzled manner; murmured,
What was that?" to com panions, who
often knew no more than themselves, and
then lapsed back into the Joy of the music,
without worrying over the question of
who had composed it.
OF course there were MANY musicians
and dilettanti who were thoroughly con-
versant with every number on the pro.
gramme; others knew enough to take
their bearings occasionally; but there
were quite number ot Upfortunates who
mistook the second movement of the
Beethoven concerto for the Paganini-
Brahms number, and when Paderewski
gave one of the Songs Without Words"
as an encore to the real Paganini number
they realized that they had somehow got
TO sea on the programme without chart or
compass, and listened to the rest of the
music, blissfully ignorant of whether it
was Chopin, Liszt or Paderewski that was
being played. Only at the end of the pro-
gramme, even musicians dilettanti and
people who knew nothing at all about
music, of one accord-they wanted more
OF that glorious playing, and did not mean
10 neglect the chance OF getting ii for lack
of asking.
The programme began with Bach
chromatic fantasie and fugue. This was
one of the most delicious morsels for the
musicians. The great John Sebastian is
so full of melody to those who know him
and love him. Paderewski ilIumined the
themes of the work he played yesterday
with a classic glory all his own. The
Beethoven sonata was another source of
great Joy to the hearers, particularly to
those who had wrestled with it themselves
and appreciated something of its technical
and artistic difficulties. To say that
Paderewski played it magniicently is &
platitude. The pale, care-worn looking
artist seemed transtgured with the in
spiration of the Bonn master as he dallied
with the great technical difficulties OF the
sonata az if they had been child's play,
and breathed spirit of beauty into the
themes that made the people who do not
profess to appreciate classical music Won
Ter they had never known before that
Beethoven wrote such sweet tunes.
The Paganini- Brahms Variations '(opus
35) was a tour de force that brought down
the house. Even people who could not
play the pianoforte centered their eyes on
the keyboard, astonisned at the physical
feat which Paderewski was performing.
AS an encore the pianist gave Mendels-
sohn's Spring Song"
The Chopin cluster which seems to fig
ure in all the programmes consisted of
"Etudes" 2 and II, the Impromptu
fiat, op. 43. Paderewskis playing of them
was, of course, of the order which lends
illumination to Chopin. He gave another
"Etude" as an encore to "Etude" No. II,
and as an encore to the familiar A fiat
valse he played his own "Minuet An
tique."
Paderewskrs Legende No. 2, which came
next on the programme, is one OF his most
recent compositions, though it has been
published for some months. 1t is beau
tiful, melodious work, which promises to
become as popular as the "Minuet An
tlQue. Inc programme enueu Win VI &C
Liszt numbers, all of which were played in
a marvelously descriptive manner. They
were: EAU bord dune Source. "Etude
de Concert" in f minor and the 'Campan.
ella In response to a most determined
encore PaderewsKi came back and played
LISTS tenth Hungarian Rhapsodle."
The programme for next Sundays coll
cert at the Baldwin Theater is as follows:
Chromatic fantasia and fugue.. Bach
Sonata appasionata, minor, op. b7.- Beethoven
Allegro assai; andante con moto (variatlons.)
Allegro ma non troppo presto
serenade, 'Hark Hark the LARK
Ioree de Nenne. S..Scbubert-Li List
ErKing.
Nocturne major op. 62.
0ohata, b fiat minor, op. 80, with funeral
atz ID nat major op. 81.
iJsla,znrka, u fiat minor op. "a, No 4.
Il9ionaise, A fiat. op SO.
IIlocturne, Is fiat OBJ l6 No 4 Paderewski