The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-23
DEBUT OF YOUNG KOCIAN.
4 IIOLINIST WITH ONE NAME
AND wren TECHNIC.
He Riddles a Carnegie Hall Audience Into
Violent Raptures - 4 fmgerbOard
Expert without Briilisncy OF style.

Kocian is the name Of a young Bohemian
violhlist, who appeared for the first time
in this country AT Carnegie Hall last night
no doubt he has another name, but he
must have left it at home for purposes OF
identification when he returns. He may
need to be ideiit fled, for Bohemian yio-
ln.lsis are crowding upon us as thick as
memories of the past and they may get
mixed going home. Mr.. Kocian-he was
BON in lsSi, so lac is old enough now for
young ladies to whom he is introduced to call
him mister. and besides he has not brought
his other name with him-was received
by large audience, which arrived at the
hall ia All ecstatc frame of mind despite the
beating of the rain. IL was ready to ex-
plodc with noisy demonstrations over any
good Old orchestral battlehorse put on TO
fill an interval between solos. and therefore
its state of Mid toward Mr.-or perhaps
he would prefer TO be called Herr-Kocian
may easily be imagined.
When Mr.. or Hcrr-or maybe after all,
Pan would be better when Pan Kocian
appeared upon the stage. he was received
a. long-lost brother. which indicated that
the coasts of Bohemia had shipped their
population to Carnegie Hall for the evening.
Brother hocian elected TO disclose his abil-
ity 10 operate the violin through the medium
OF the sharp minor concerto Of Ernst, who
was something Of fiddle wizard himself III
his day. The youths other numbers were
a "Serenado Melancholique" and "Valse
Scher1o" by Tschakowsky, and Paganini's
"Dan>c DIES Sorciores.'
Those who are acquainted with COM
positions for the violin will perceive that
this young man put himself forward as
technical expert pure and simple. If he
had possessed the solid attainments of
Cesar Thomson, the elegance Of a Marteau
and the musical insight of an isaye, he
could not have shown them in such music.
True for an encore after the concerto, he
played one OF Bachs unaccoinpanied move
ments. but. as Mr. hipling used to say,
that 5 another story.
huo.an has Il tone of no great breadth
and oil little dignity. 1t is lacking in
rounded seniority and in that communica-
tive warmth which Is the magic Of Nlolln's
voice. In stopping the youth showed III
the Ernst number great mastery OF the
fngorboard Of his instrument He cN-
hibited exceptional certainty IN swift flights
into the nigh positions and in double stop
Ping. In intricate SUGGESTIONS of chords and
~ arpcggios he was clear and fluent His
runs, crow dcd with passing notes and little
trl.s, were played With dazzling speed
ana with almost unerrlng correctness.
The CautabIle of the Ernst concerto is
enough TO make angels weep, yet II can
he played with a pure and polished legato.
This, however, il lust what kOCian, so lar
- lie revealed himself last night, lacks.
His cantilena is broken and spasmod.c.
II has audible hinges. II does not sing.
This, OF course, j. Il iamcntable defect IN
violin pla wing. and II may lie that later the
youth will show that he can play some real
music in n moro musical style.
HIS bowling j. fun of Nigor-something
too much of it at tinss. Put youth is
youth. ard the q d r Of an eager young
-virit makes the r-po-e Of the finished
artist hard to acquire. On the other hand,
When a violinist poses n n virtuoso only,
he should hc able TO play with hrillianCy Of
color. AID this il cannot I've said that kocian
did. His tone was at all times deficient
in life ard magnetism. In the Tschai-
kowSkv numbers VI was even more cold
than in tn, Errst nonsense. and. further
more, in these tho players intona,ion was
sadly AZ fault.
Il -No-f, - far a. could he seen las, even
ing, kCsiau j. a fiji ge-lCGrd expert and a
smart maulpulatCr Of Tie bow. His Bach
excerpt was performed with amazing speed
AID porfec, clcarness. but >rherc was no
more bach IN i, than there is in List
Hungarian rhapsody Kocian is 10 give
recital next Wednesday afternoon at
Carnegie Hall Perhaps he will do more
t. e. TO convince music lovers that he Is
pC oscsscd of sound musical gifts. To do
it he must play real Music, not rubbish
He was assisted last night by Walter
Damrosch ard his orchestra and julie
Gcycr, pia- isl Miss Ceyer played Wcher's
"Cont 50 *" in n STYLE which would have
cvcited great admiration in Rugby or even
Manchester.