The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-13
THE TOSELLI RECITAL.
Young Italian Pianist warmly Wei
coined mt the Columbia Theatre.

The attitude of the audience at the
Toselii recital at the Columbia Theatre
yesterday afternoon at the conclusion OF
the programme may be cited as a splendid
example of the favor with which the as
semblage regarded the youthful musician.
who was heard for the first time in Wash
ingtcn. No sooner had the Toselli fingers
finished the last note of the "Taranteile'
of Martucci than the audience burst into
ordinations of bravo and no one
thought of leaving the auditorium until
at least another number was played. The
pleasure was Of the genuine variety, and
was excited by the mastery skill of the
young man. who proved to be Temarka
BILE interpreter of some delightful Italian
composers and several of the masters.
One local musician perhaps voiced the
general sentiment of the major portion o.
the gathering by plucking a rose from his
buttonhole, pressing it to his lips, and
tossing it over the footlights to the
Italian, to the accompaniment OF a wealth
of eXtrayagant praise. Toselli picked up
the flower and gracefully acknowledgs I'd
the compliment.
The most of those present regarded he
announcement that ToselIi was entitled
10 II rank WIN lne very iOFtulOSl u Nv 4i5
pianists with not q little suspicion. and
scented the honeyed words of the PRESS
agent, and when in his opening number
the young man failed to arouse as much
enthusiasm as his work really deserved
il was not due to any lack of appreciation
on the part of his hearers. who evidently
wanted to hear more before bestoW in :
their communication. But in the second
selection, two prescriptions of Handel
airs, the excellence of his playing liter
ally forced the audience into expressions
of approval and delight. and from that
moment the Italian was an assured sue
cess. and each succeeding piece was en-
thusia sticaIly encored. At o'clock p. m
Toselli was an unknown quantity so far
as Washington was concerned. An hour
and a half later he was enc OF the greatest
favGTites that has ever sat al a piano be
fore a local gathering.
ToSelli Is a gJod-lOokiug young fellow.
apparently twenty or so years Of age. al
though he confesses to but nineteen. He
has an altogether attractive personality
and manner that is best described as
naive. He possesses none OF the marked
characteristics OF many Of his c0ntem-
pCIaries, and his demeanor al the inStru-
meEt is always unaffected and unassum-
| ing He has 4 brilliant technique, and in
his lighter runs he exhibits a dettness OF
lingering that IS quite phenomenal. one
might look for mental and tcmperamental
limitations in such a youthful performer,
but these were lacking yesterday. and the
entire programme was rendered with an
understanding and total lack of superb
| cialty that were very surprising. He played
| little things like the Handel Martucci
''Musettc" end "GayOtte" daintily and ele-
| gantly. and the more ambitious Bach
| Tausig "Tocatta" and "Fugue" were rem
Gered swiftly and clearly while in the
! Rubinsteln major etude his fingers
! swept over the keyboard with much power
ard authority.
The programme was as follows:
| Zach .'ra;lgi.,. .......... .Toccats and Fugus
| Handel Nartucci... Musctte No 3: Gay0ltc. Nc.
| nchumann. ....-.....-. "E'i ri. iI"ih.t
| Chopin. .... "B,rccu7e." OPP. 81; P1onaisr, \ fat
up. IS.
| Rubiu,tcin. .............B arcaroe; Etude major
! LisZt auilqur d Aiuu
Martuc,i. .Toccata, Op. 81. No. 2; Tarutcllc
Up. a, No G.