The San Francisco call., 1896-02-11
PADEREWSN IN THE HALO OF HIS HAIR

chords that Paderewski really began to
conquer and subdue his audience. Famili
arity was making people who had never
heard him before realize the marvellous
singing quality of his tone. So much has
been said and written about that same
singing tone of Paderewski's notes that
it seems work of supererogation to dis
cuss it again, but it has to be heard to
be believed, and last night as the Beet
hoven sonata progressed even people who
did not know much about the pianoforte
began to realize that under Paderewski' s
touch the instrument had new voice-a
sweeter, clearer, more expressive voice
than they had ever heard it speak with
before, and one that expressed more light
and shade and emotion.
The pianoforte- players and students all
through the sonata last night, and during
the rest of the programme for that matter.
revelled IN the pianist's marvellous tech
nique, the way in which he made each and
every note he struck sing, through the
passages OF most difficult execution, and,
as every musician knows, there was some
giants work in the sonata for him to give
them taste of his quality. Pader-
was another matter for admiration on the
part of those who took him as a study.
The majority of his listeners, however,
reveled in the perfect ease of his playing,
the art which concealed art, and left them
free to enter into the Joy of his music
without having to stop to think how he
produced his effects.
How Paderewski played that lovely air
from "Rosamund," which Schubert uses
as the theme of his B fiat major, "Im-
promptu"! So simply, so touchingly he
produced the simple melody that it spoke
with more meaning than any human voice
could throw into its tones.
AS the ''Impromptu' progresses the
theme takes on few embroideries. Pader-
ewski threw them off as easily as one
would shake dewdrops from a flower, and
the lovers of Chopin absolutely Rugged
themselves in anticipation of the Joy
which the melancholy Poles works would
give them performed by such hands, for
there were four Chopin NUM- bers' on the
programme.
Through all the intricacies Of the s'Im-
promptu' Paderewski made that lovely
"Rosamunder" air sing with voice of al
most unearthiy sweetness, and at the end
there was an ovation for the pianist, who
responded by repeated bows, and finally
cut his admirers off short by bursting into
the Mendelssohn fantasie on Midsummer
Nights Dream" The Wedding March"
was q revelation.
Not man or woman there but had heard
it droned on church organs and pounded
into their reluctant ears OH numerous
other occasions. But in Paderewski's
hands the Wedding March became a
fairy-like thlng-something so graceful, SO
exqisite, SO fantastic, that one could
imagine elves and brownies tripping to its
measures.
The wedding March" finished the
hypnotic process. for the rest of the even
ing Paderewski owned his audience. Even
the people who had thought he looked
ike freak atoned for the aspersion by
leading the applause. There was such an
unqualified demand for an encore that
Paderewski, after giving NUMBER of his
quick automatic bows, sat down to the
piano again and charmed his hearers with
the Paganini-Schumann Caprice"
There was an interlude after this, dur
ing which peoples tongues were loosened
The Polish performer was discussed IN all
his bearings. His head, his hands, his
face, his bangs, his expression-they all
came in for share of praise and criticism
But his music aroused only one voice, and
that was praise.
The second part of the programme
opened with rare treat, four Chopin COM
positions all in cluster. And how Pad
erewski did play the works of his great
compatriotl 1t is said that he enjoys
Chopin more than any other com poser,
because Chopin was SO intensely patriotic
he spoke with the voice of Paderewski's
people, and only Pole can thoroughly
enter into the spirit of his works and in
terpret him to others.
This may be true or not, but it is safe to
say that Paderewski played Chopin last