The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-09
HOFFMAN is REALLY GREAT.
Master of Piano Delighted Many Peo-
pie Last Night.

pie Last night
Hochman IS great. The Wichita folk who
last evening at the Toler Auditorium lis
tened to Arthur Hochman's performance
on the piano, left the building convinced
that they had been in the presence of a
master, that they had heard genius.
che whose youthfulness gives promise of
! q development as great as virtuoso ever
attained. No audience mas lately paid an
artist as great compliment as the one
did last evening. After his conclusion the
people refused TO go but insisted on an
other number. Encores all during the
evening were frequent The drst was
given as Brahm $ melody. But Hickman
did not reaveal his great power until he
reached Sauers etude. Then the poetic
fire in him began 10 burn. An encore
brought the Sixth Rhapsodie. 1t was
never better played. more passionately
rendered. more broadly conceived than
lasto night by the young man. The same
fash Of genius came in the Polonaise and
in the Waltz given in encore. The con
clusion, Midsummer Nights Dream,
vas the climax of the evening. Its inter
rIetation was that Of an artist of pro-
found inspiration and placed HICKMAN
il his hearers minds. in the front rank
Mr.. Hochmans program was out of
the ordinary in that il opened with selec-
items which are far from being hackneyed.
The program opened with Tschaikowsky'
Theme and Varia ton" next followed
Ballet music from the opera Alceste-
Saint Saems. Then a Brahms melody; a
barcarole by HOFFMAN himself and a
Sauer etude. The familiar number fol-
lowed the intermission. Four Chopin
selections came in. a prelude an etude.
nocturne and a polonaise-the whole
concluding with LISTS arrangement of
Midsummer Nights Dream The pro-
sram made a departure in not designating
in the usual way. the opus. the presump-
tion apparently being that the audience
would know it from long familiarity,
presumption not at all warranted.
There are hundreds and thousands Of
piano players in this country, said
Arthur HICKMAN. the young pianist, last
night, but YOU could count the real art
lists on the piano on the fingers of one
hand and it is because they lack tempera-
ment. soul and musical feeling Tech
nique is necessary, but it is more ac-
CURED than natural and does not enter
into the playing so much. A real artist
on the piano is a dramatist His music
tells and pictures 10. his audience the
feelings which influenced the composer
and those which influence him while
playing.
II began playing in concert when 10
years old. 1 was musical prodigy then.
| had no feeling for my music 1t was
all mechanical yet the people who heard
me said Wonderful: such expression
such feeling. Until 1 was IS years old |
cid not realize my sense Of che artistic in
music I played but IF there was any
feeling in my music did not experience
IT, do now however and my music
is much better. As play now my whole
soul goes into the music and I am able
TO picture 10 you from a dry old key
board and some strings the inner sensibui-
ties in my own ana the composers soul.
Assuming rhat you are on the road
TO the highest station as q virtuoso when.
at what age does musical artist frst
feel the ambition TO succeed2" was
asked
Wei. in my case whom I was is years
OF age replied the artist u had been
Tlayins for eight years bef9re highs crit
icaI audiences. before had any ambi-
licn 70 become q yirtuoso Not until /
had some feeling of the music I played
cid / want TO become an artist Before
that -ir,e my playing was mechanical
] vas s prodigy Il was q development
with ne As I studied I came more and
more 10 realize the feeling 70 he found IN