The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-12
PADEREWSKPS RECITAL
GREAT POLISH PIANIsT'S AUDIENCE
FILLED TOMLINsON HALL.
Welcomed His Luxuriant HarmOnies
with Hearty Applause and Surged
to the Stage at RecitaI's Close.

Paderewski, whose other names the null
titude forgot when it raised him from a
person to a parsonage. played the piano for
as many people as Tomlinson Hall would
hold last night. Curiosity, which is made
fresh every day, was as high as if the
pianist never had been heard or seen be
fore. And from the moment when he APP
peared on the stage until his exhibition was
done he displayed with variety of absorb
ing interest the qualities that make him one
of the most peculiar and significant phe-
nomena of the time He seemed youthful
and experienced at once. He struck a few
heavy chords on the piano as if to herald
himself and then turned TO the audience a
Pale, passive face and waited for silence.
The crowd felt at once the dominance that
he has attained after many years of the
most extravagant worship and abnegation
that the most civilized and neurotic part of
the world is capable of.
His first number was a Beethoven sonata,
Opus q, No. 2. and after the tranquil OPEN
ing he treated it with imperious aggressive
ness. From it's intricacies, which are played
usually with the reverence that the mighty
shadow of Beethoven compels. Paderewski
drew fluent melodies quasi-original They
often started as if from far off, and, in
creasing in volume, advanced with a dash.
Heavy chords rumbled loudly TO sink into
softness. It is this constructive ability in
Faderewsl1i. which he increasingly has let
play upon the compositions of others, that
has made him what he is. The mass of the
public, unfamiliar and often contemptuous
of complex, imposing musical literature, de-
mands simple melody; it gets it in the
Callads that are sold by the thousand and
II gets IL When PadereWski takes apart a
classic and exhibits it with the marvellous
shoWmanship that deihed Neutrality-suspicious.
the phrases as ii suits him, embeIshing
each with a luXuriance of harmony so
brave that 1t awes and delights the thou
sands assembled to hear him.
Three of Mendelssohn's songs without
words-No. 3, Opus 10; No. l. Opus g. and a
spinning Song were played with a wav-
ing ripple, and then the pianist entered up
on Schumann'S Symphonic Studies" the
climax or which he manipulated with the
most WONDERFUL skill shown during the
evening. The phrasing was more than
musical, it was almost diction and the ac-
centuation was sharp and stirring. The in
terVal between this point and the LfsZtian
crosse OF the concert was occupied by
Chopins A fiat ballade, @ major nocturne,
a waltz, Chopin-Liszt arrangement called
Two Chants Polonaise'' and a. Rubinstein
barcarolle. The familiar ballade and the
waltz had the gorgeous color that only
Paderewski can give them. The nocturne
anu TIE DdICdTOlle were prayed with a
whimsical langour. perhaps of the mood
of the moment, and the chants with
delicacy. These slighter things, however,
were OF little Importance under the ex-
uberant circumstances and because of the
Liszt compositions that followed them were
the more happily over the quicker.
LISTS Il major polonaise was the last
number on the printed programme. 1t con-
cluded, the audience remained in its seats
and applauded tremendously. The pianist.
on consenting to an encore, gave the List
second rhapsody, and he worked II out with
mighty strength. brilliant frilling, spectacu-
lar ensemble After all ii was the essence,
the ultimate accomplishment of the player
his triumph ~ virtuosity. In List there
is reason to pervert gloriously, for he
says everything there is 10 say on his sub
ject In multitude of ways, and whether or
not the subject is of any Importance the
circumlOcution and verbOsity are Scintil-
lating and impressive in the extreme. Pade-
rewski having thus shown his absolute
command of keys, pedals, orchestral effects
and his audience, retired once more. There
was some hesitancy about the fashionable
thing TO do, and then the crowd, half out
of it's seats, began TO clap its hands again,
and some wild braves arose. Paderewski
came out, and on an impulse half of the
people on the lower floor moved down the
aiSleS to the stage, maintaining the ap-
plause On the edges were numerous youths
in ecstasy over the Observation-Disclosures
might have been the eXcitements cause
and the volume of noise persuaded Pade-
rewsk to play again. He played an un-
familiar composition, and ii hardly could
be expected that in that hurly-burly the
heard it. Then the throng left the hall, hav-
ing heard to safety the furthest eXploita-
ton of the harmonic capabilities of the
piano that occurs in the world to-day.