New-York tribune., 1900-11-15
MUSIC.
MR. DoHNANYrs RECITAL,

Mr.. Ernst Won Dohnanyf won the hearts OF Ioc.t
music lovers 50 completely when he arst vtsit.d
New-York last spring. and rapturcustv r.
ceived at the concert Of the Boston Symphony Or
chestra his return last week that it was zur
prisIng TO note the comparatively small nurpb.- A,
people In attendance his first recital Of plano
forte music in Mendessohn Hall yesterday altar
noon No would benefit from attempt to
account for the circumstance. simple record OF
1t is made. together with the that thoss
who did gather to hear him were mostly amatsur
and professional musicians. whose applause was
well worth winning, since IL bespoke intelligent ap
probation
Mr.. Dohnanyf's programme while Offering only
one novelty-a set OF variations a theme by an
anonymous friend. who was indicated by the lnl-
tials "E G"-was not a hackneyed one. II began
In the conventional style with Liszts transcr1p-
ton OF Bach's Fantasia and Fugue in G minor
and ended with LISTS transcription OF the Ra-
koczy march tricked out with few addittonaI
brass ornaments but the audience was spared thA
customary group Of Chopin pieces in the middle
In order that Chopin should not be entirely iz-
nored however. he played a waltz at the end when
recalled after the march. which is one of the few
pieces which Mr.. Dohnanyi utIlizes for technical
display. The numbers not yet mentioned were
those whose performance gave the keenest delight
-Beethoven's sonata in z fat major. op- q. No 3:
Haydn's Caprice In F minor and No. 4 OF the schu-
bert-Liszt ''Soirees de Vienne. The sonata Is ons
of the happiest Of Beethovens creations It's skies
all sunny It's grasses lush and all bedight
with smiling flowers. In II Beethoven is young
again. and let's the world feel the gracious warmth
of Mozart's kiss Fairies trip 1t with a no, no.
through the scherZo and amid their trippinx
those whose tuned Alright may hear the
horns OF elhand. family blowing" The mlnuet Is
almost pure Mozart though the large. deep eye OF
Beethoven looks out from the Trio. The Haydn
Caprice-a series Of variations beautiful and
pregnant melody. while preserving a record OF
the old harpsichord style. is yet amazingly fresh
and modern-the utterance Of a heart that never
grew old or aWeary OF the world
With this music Mr.. Dohnanyi warmed the hearts
Of his hearers by the devices OF the virtuoso
which becoming all too common. but by
not a few in his performance, and than the
usual number OF crudenesses which seem under his
hand be the results OF a careless attitude toward
p!anoforte playing an art. but there were also
luminous proclamations OF beauty which more than
made amends Mr. Dohnanyi is frequently neglect
ful OF the proprietiss in The Use OF the damper
pedal, and his Indifference to the shifting pedal
amounts to contempt yet his production os toCaI
coors by dint Of touch merely Is marvellous. Be-
ing personal, individual product f-ee
from what might be called mechanical alloy. Il IS
sane, sound. and healthy His performance
of the Scherzo in the Beethoven sonata yesterday
will long live in the memory OF those who heard
it-much longer than the Hungarian pyrotechuics
at the end OF the programme his original varia-
tions which admirable but would beneht by
pruning. for there in them much reiteration
OF mood and phrase