The herald., 1896-02-07
AT THE THEATERS


theater. There is more than charm in
the announcement. There is magnetism.
There is an inexplicable compelling force
in the simply worded announcement that
will challenge universal attention. The
musically inclined will welcome the news,
for it affords one the opportunity of hear
ing master in his art. 1t is a chance to
hear the greatest player of his time. To
those not musically inclined Paderewski is
no less an attraction, for the curiosity is
presented of one man manipulating the
keys of one instrument through, say, three
hours of time, and thus, night after night,
earning more money than did any previous
artist and more than does any contem-
porary. Paderewski is a name to conjure
with. Rosenthal, d'Albert and Joseffy
have an equal command of the instrument,
perhaps, but no one Of them has the per-
strange inborn compelling power of indi.
viduality. of which Americans have had
only in Rubinstein a similar example.
1t can be said at once that Mr.. Paderew-
ski has made progress in his art since his
visit to this country two years ago. he Is
a greater pianist today than he was then.
He has said himself that he declined to
come to America last year because he had
not advanced sufficiently to offer himself
again to audiences in the United States.
Whether the general public will perceive
that he has advanced is doubtful. Critical
listeners will certainly do SO. He has
gained in finger strength very much. and
this enables him to lmpart not only more
brilliancy to his scale work, but to widen
the dynamic range of those infinite grada-
tions of shading which he knows SO well
how to use. Furthermore it assists him in
the assumption of broader and more
commanding style. Amiability, loveliness.
tenderness were the familiar elements OF
Mr.. Paderewski's style. To these he has
added some accents of high dignity, and
there are moments now when his playing
becomes majestic in its proclamation OF
feeling. His art was many-sided two years
ago; but today it has more depth. 1t
always won love and gained respect. To-
day it commands submission.
1t has been felt by many from the first
moment of acquaintance with this
strange man, this dazzling Paderewski,
that he was not only an interpreter OF the
ideas of others, but that he was a tone
poet with creative capacities of his own.
He had, indeed, in various minor piano
pieces, the Antique Minuet, the Legendes,
and other works indicated subtiety and
flavor, but these were not enough to stamp
him as a composer. In the Polish Fan
tasie, he has definitely taken that position.
and the opera in which he is reported to be
engaged may be confidently looked for
ward to as something quite out of the COM
mon.
The Polish Fantasie is thoroughly de-
! lightful. Though showing thorough mu-
sicianly quality, it is in no sense ''severe."
In fact it has every element of popularity,
and we shall be much mistaken if it does
not speedily become feature of the re-
pertoire of all pianists of ambition. 1t is
full of enhancing melody, evident enough
to delight an audience of average culture.
yet not commonplace, while as a series of
| tone pictures and of illustrations of dis
tinctly localized national life it deserves to
| be placed beside the Polish musical illus
trations of Chopin and the Hungarian pict-
ures of List. How far the themes are
original or how far they may be adapta-
] tions of folk music in the method en-
| ployed by Liszt in the Hungarian Gypsy
| subjects we have no means of knowing. but
that does not greatly matter; their en-
! ployment is the thing of consequence.
The program to be rendered tonight ia
| as follows:
Sonata, major, op. So; allegro con brio.
adagio molto, rondo, allegrctto, moderate.
| prestissimo: Beethoven
Impromptu, b fiat major, op. 142 NO. .,
| Schubert.
Fantasie. Midsummer.Night's Dream, Mem
F, delssohn-Liszt.
Nocturne, G major, op. 81, No p Chopin.
Mazurka, b minor, op 49, No. a, Chopin.
Etudes: major. No. 3; fat major, No. y,
op 25; Chopin.
| Berceuse, Chopin.
Valse, A fiat major. op. "a. Chopin.
Caprice, op. Ia, Paderewski.
Menuet, op. Id, Paderewski.
Rhapsodie Hongroise, No. =, Liszt.