The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-06
PUGNo, FRENCH PIANIST
AMPHION CLUB WILL HAVE HIM
HERE UNDER IRIS AUSPICES.
The First Great virtuosO OF This
school to BE Heard in
This Country.

The Amphion Club will bring Pugno.
celebrated French pianist, to this city on
March % in a recital to be given at Plym-
outh Church. Every year Europe sends one
or more of its prominent artists to America,
till the principal cities of this country have
heard nearly all the pre-eminent fayorites
of the continent Two years ago Paderew-
ski was the great attraction. Last year
might have been called a violinists' year,
Caesar Thompson, Emil Sauret and Ysaye
all having made tours of notable artistic
interest. The only pianist OF real note was
Rosenthal, whose tour was prematureiy cut
short by Ill health. This year the con-
spic9ous personalities that have occupied
tine attention of the leading musical CEN
tiers are Ysaye, Belgian violinist and Raoul
Pugno, French piano virtuoso This year
indianapolis will have an opportunity to
hear both of the stars. as Ysaye will appear
at the May festival and Pugno will be heard
under the auspices of the 4Amphion Club
AS pianist Pugno is a peculiarly inter-
esting acquisition to the American concert
stage, for it has never before heard a great
French pianist, the majority of the virtuosi
who have toured the United States in re-
cent years having been Germans and the
remainder Russians, Poles and Italians. As
the FIRST piano professor of the Paris Con-
servatoire Pugno is peculiarly representa-
tive of the French school of plano playing,
school which has many well-defined and
individual characteristics which conclusive
ly distinguish it from the German or Rus
sian schools. The Conservatory, OF whose
plano department. M. Pugno Is at the head,
stands in remarkable way as an exponent
of this school Of piansm. Ever since the
genius placed the institution in the COM
handing position 1t has ever since occupied,
it has been like the other celebrated schools
of French art-intensely conservative, fol-
lowing with answering fidelity the purest
traditions of classical art. Its essence lies
not in the vulgar. if astounding, technical
display cultivated by Rosenthal, Staven-
hagen and some others of that group of
List pupils, who in striving to emulate
their masters overwhelming virtuosity
failed to assimilate his true reverence for
art, but its dominant idea lies rather in the
clOssically pure and faithful reproduction of
the composers thought and the preserva-
ton of that artistic truthfulness which pre-
vents dramatic feeling however intense,
from ever splitting over into the realm of
meretricious tricks or sensationalism. Near
ly all of the critics of the East have COM
Mented upon the entire ard grateful lack
of bragadocio or ranting in M. Pugno's
playing. This is the more remarkable in
view of his massive physique, which might
we'll tempt him to exploit his physical
strength in what the Germans call effek
thascherei On the contrary, M. Pugnos
charm lies in the fairylike delicacy of his
pianissimi, the crystal clearness of his
passage work. no matter how intricate or
difficult it may be, and the rich, manifold
charm of shading and warm consciousness
of tone in his melody playing.