The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-03-21
JOSEPH HOFFMAN,.

The piano recital by Josef Holman
at the Lawton Memorial Tuesday even
ing deserves more than mere passing
most vital and important of all the
arts, and Hofmann's recital was the
most important musical event of Sa-
vannah. since the notable concert of
the Thomas Orchestra two years ago.
The programme, while extremely
varied, was never commonplace. and
yet was not too heavy for the capacity
of a mixed audience. 1t consisted of
Haydn's F minor variations; the APP
passionate sonata. two Schubert
pieces &c major Impromptu and Sol
rees de Vienne" waltzes); three Chopin
pieces, (Balladi in A fiat. prelude in D
fiat and waltz in A. fats Schumann's
fourth 'Nachtstuck: an etude by
Iiszt, C'Gnomenreign'O a Characters
tic piece in toccata style Gle JON
gleur') by Moszkowski: concluding
with the Tannhaueser overture
To faultless technique Holman
adds a profound appreciation of the
score he reads, and the ability to thor
oughly husband and command his
great resources. He was a constant
user of the soft pedal: sometimes. as
in the case of the Chopin prelude, he
held the soft pedal down almost
through the entire piece.
If vote were taken among musi-
clans as to the greatest piano compost
ton, it is not unlikely that Beethovens
sonata appassionata would receive
more ballots than any other work. 1t
stands at the apex of the great mas
ters wonderful Second period" a
noble tragic masterpiece. the sublime
heights and depths of which the ablest
players have striven to expore and in
terpret. Hofmann's performance was
new revelation of its beauties, es-
pecially in the first and last move
ments. In the passionate despair of
the finale, when at the close, the artist
rose to the inspiration of the immor-
tai music, 1t seemed impossible that
anyone could have remain unmoved
even though the hidden mysteries
were a sealed book to him.
Few, if any, of Chopin's greater
works are more universally loved than
the A fat Ballade. 1t is said to be an
or poem about an adventurous boat
man on the Rhine who allowed himself
to be led away to final destruction, by
the dulcet song of a perfidious siren
of the wave. Hoffman, played il SUI
perbly, with delicate poetical feeling
and with all desired fire and passion at
the close. In the repetitions of the
principal melodic subject, the auxiliary
melody in the left hand part was ex-
uuisitely brought out. In the middle
of the piece there occurs a brief cpl
sode marked "sostenuto," which is one
of the loveliest inspirations to be found
anywhere in Chopin. Holman ig-
nored the "sostenuto" mark, which
was a pity, for Chopin evidently in
tended thereby to indicate that the
wonderfully expressive passage was to
be emphasized by a slight slowing
down of the tempo.
1t is often held that the Tannhaueser
overture is not a fitting piece for per-
Torrance on the piano. After all, it is
simply a question of the piano and the
player, for music is music and the
piano is the one instrument capable of
producing or reproducing all kinds.
Therefore, If the instrument has the
requisite tone and strength, and the
player the necessary technique and en-
durance, the Tannhaueser overture Is
all right; otherwise. no. 1t seems inn
possible that any one who heard Hof-
mann play the stupendous Wagner