The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-05
PIANO and CHAMBER MUSIC.
OSSiP GiBRILOWITSCH HEiRD
ar DAYS THEATRE.


Daniel Frohman began yesterday after
noon at Days Theatre u series of musical
matinees. The Offering of this initial after
noon was piano recital by the Young
Russian Ossip Gsbriowtsch. Daly's
Theatre i not an ideal place for a piano
recital. for il il altogether too luxuriant
IN it, tapestry eXfolhti ions but the piano
sounded Unexpectedly well. and here
could not be- IN. least doubt tina, he Young
gentleman's manipulation nightly excited
the nerve centres Of his hearers
This was partly because of the unique
character of the audience II was Thur
day afternoon and theatrical Bros way
had day Of So the act r"sses who suffer
from musical temperamen,s turned matinee
girls themselves and went To applaud Mr..
Gabrilowi'sch. 1t became a sort of semi
professional affair Mrs Thomas Whiflen
who IN brave days Of old was singer and
whose departed husband played the violin.
sat in an upper box and seemed To presiie
over ~" ertert ainment with some hing Of
that same gentle dignity she il wort 10
show upon The stage
over the rail of TN" opposite upper box
hung Ethel Barrymore. who PLAYS the
piano the least little bit in the world her
self, " hiic in a lower box was Lillian Russell
whose vocal method has never yet perfectly
domicied itself In the musical AZ mo-phers
of Weber 4 Fields
Other act ress.es were scattered about the
house among the members of the general
public. who showed no cognizancc Of the
fact that they vera in such interesting
company. 1t was a large audience, and one
IA. "a "A, tau Va nj
entertainment this season. Whether the
actresses really enjoyed the performance
or not is -ometh hing which only they
can tell ], was a solemn thing for them
10 hear tho music of Brahms and Beet hoven
But they showed Mr. Gabrilowitsch pro-
fessional courtesy of respcct for his efforts.
and they We're openly gl.eful over Henset
and his little blrule
The programme consisted of the familiar
Brahms variations and fuguc on a theme
by Handel, Beethoven, + fiat sonata.
ypus 81. Mendels-ohn's "Nenetian Boat
Song" opus o. H,nsolt = Isl oi~cau let ais.
the Glinha-BaIakir"f "LAlouette." the
pianist : own Caprice Burlcsque," opus
3, Arensky's Pres de la Mer," and Rubin
stems lie Bal" valse It was a petty
programme. varied and we'll contrasted,
and without anything of sufficient weight
recitals
he crisp Clcarness e Mr. Gabrlnwitsch'-
technic was especially notable Yesterday.
His performance of the Brahms number
was in this ro,peCt admirable. particularly
in the fugue, which was made a. trans
parent a. the proverbal crystal The
whole number was carefully thought out
and read with interesting feeling II was
good piano playing The Beethoven sonata
was also we'll interpreted especially the
first movement, in which the pianist OBJ
taired from his instrument good quality
of tone.
He was least successful with the Chopin
scherzo Mr. Gabrilowitach has not yet
left far enough behind him his tendency To
frank analysis TO play such passionate
music well. He still is too anxious about
the cutting of his cameo phrases lie still
fears lest single note shall fall TO the
ground unnotiCpd. In some music this per-
fection OF finish Is to the point. but when il
calls for the sacrifice of storm and stress II
will not do for the great y minor scherzo
At the end ui the programme the pianist
seemed to be little tired. and tho Rubin
stein number was not played with absolute
certainty. nor with az much hriliancy ar il
demands The audience insisted on more
and got Schumanns "Nachtstuck " Then
the actresses went home 10 get some dinner
before their own more or less musical
irala