The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-10
GERARDY AND HIS CELLO
THE BELGIAN PLAYERS RECITAL
AT THE PROPYLAEUM.
Large Audience to Hear ''the Instru-
ment with the Human NOice"-Mrs.
Kiser at the Piano.

Jean Gerardy. a Belgian player of the
cello. gave a recital last night in the hall
of the Propylaeum. He had been playing
in Australia, and before he started from
San Francisco to Boston. where he is to
play with the Boston Symphony Orchestra,
his manager accepted the offer of Mr..
Boone Mckee, of this city, to make the
arrangements for a performance here.
Though Mr.. Gerardy had never played be-
fore in Indianapolis the musicians here
knew him by reports from elsewhere as
'cellist of the first rank. Partly to this
was due the large audience that greeted
him. and the added attraction lay in that
few generally noted players of this instru-
ment have been heard here. Bruno Stein
del, first 'cellist of the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra. had a solo in one of the Indian
apolis concerts of that organization, and
Miss Elsa Ruegger played with the In
dianapolis Symphony Orchestra two years
ago. Many of last nights audience were
musicians, who combined the wish to in
spect a famous players technique with
the desire TO get pleasure from the music
of the cello, which is more exactly within
emotional comprehension than that pro-
duced from any other instrument.
Mr.. Gerardy is a young man, but he has
been devoted to the cello since childhood,
and he made known his thorough education
before he had progressed far into the first
composition that he played-Haydn's d
Major Concerto. He gave two movements
of this, the adagiO and the allegro medera-
10. He was free with his instrument,
he accomplished the most difficult eVolu-
tons, and his tone was strong and, except
at rare intervals, pure. and for these things
he had the admiration of his audience
XXX
After playing a sonata by Boccherini he
began a series of shorter and simpler
pieces. At the close of a Bach aria and
Papper's "Papillon." audience was
stirred to applaud for an encore, and Mr.
Gerardy played Schumann's "Abendlied."
1t had in it the quality for which the audi
ence seemed to be waiting, and enthusiasm
appeared for the first time i'm the evening
group of three pieces, THE Swan, by
Saint-Saens; a Schubert cradle song and a
difficult composition called IAN Spring
brunnen," by Davidoff, which, played with
some SprightlinesS and awakening spirit,
brought a second request for an encore.
Now Mr.. Gerardy and his cello took COM
mand of their friends in front of them.
The piece was the familiar Meditation"
Bach arrangement by Gounod. new
tone, quiVering with life, came from the
instrument. The voice pleaded and prayed.
II swayed the nearer from its high notes
seemed, felt with the audience that he
finally had come to his own, and instead
OF responding TO the terVent applause Dy
offering a different piece, he played the
prayer again 1t was the high-tide and
the music ended abruptly a few moments
later, with a rollickng Pepper "tarantelle,
the joviality of which was lost in the ling
ering impression of the fine incident that
preceded it. When the 'cellist most moved
his audience his tone was most clear and
warm. The less simple compositions were
for him to display the instrument, but they
ended their service there.
XXX
Mrs. S. L. Kiser played Mr.. Gerardy's
piano accomplishments. She was in that
position the delicacy of which is little APP
preciated when an audience is intent on the
sooist-of being ever in danger of swerv-
ing from the way the piano and the instru-
ment it accompanies must go together, the
latter leading. Mr.. Gerardy had been play
ing that music in his own style for years;
Mrs. Kiser had been making herself init
mate with Ii only a few days, and that
without knowing the Interpretation of the
'cellist. When the prOvingtime came her
music was there behind the 'cello's, discreet
and sympathetic, taking its part in every
harmony. And when the cello paused and
the piano went on, the tones came braVely
and finely out into the open. After the
strings final phrase in each composition
the piano closed it so charmingly that the
'cello's purpose was borne out fully.