The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-26

ness of phrasing and f1uency of utterance
completely captivating. The rondo finale,
distinguished by the popularity of an in
ing speed. but with coruscating brillliancy
and transparency. The same charming
qualities shone, too, in the Grieg concerto,
opposite extreme of harshness in the loud
passages. Indifference TO the midle tints
of color and nuance is the one disappointing
feature of NJ. Pugno's playing. He is either
purling, whispering, cooling or else max
ing all split. His habit of playing with
the printed page before him also gives an
impression of want of spontaneity, but this
is only seeming, an illusion created by a
habit in which concert goers have become
confirmed In spite of 1t, NJ. Pugno won a
triumph that ranks among the finest in
local annals.
The Damrosch orchestra, Mr. Krehbiel
said, added to the delights of the concert
and introduced a novelty an idyl entitled
Sous Bois.'' by Charbrier. that was Eek
quisitely dainty" Mr.. Henderson, of the
Sun, thought "Sous Bots" was highly I'M
important" but in general he agreed with
Mr.. Krehbiel as to Pugno's performance
He wrote:
I'm the Mozart music his phrases were
too often completed with a snap, a forte
crash at the end In the last movement the
preponderance of tone produced by the left
hand obscured the flow of the sparkling
melody allotted to the right. He was at
his best in the slow movement, yet even
here the lack of nuance, the abrupt transit
forte, spoiled his performance. In the Grieg
number he played the first movement better
than the other two. In the last movement
he forced the tone of the instrument badly
While In the second movement he had no
middle tints. In fact, his entire perform
ance was like a Dore picture in the hard
sharpness of its contrasts of light and
shade"
Of the C,rieo concarto Mr. I,;noL 20 The
Evening Post. said:
Though this composition belongs to an
early period (Opus 16) in Grieg's life, when
he had not yet become a specialist in Nor
wegian color. 1t already shows the best
one of the things Hans Won Bulow had in
mind when he wrote that the sons of Nor
way have "a good deal of what the Ameri-
cans term ginger. Its melody is aromatic,
its harmonies pungent, and these qualities
were admirably brought out by the pianist,
as well as its dramatic climaxes, in which
Walter Damrosch and his orchestra con-
tributed to the effect"
Mr.. Finck does not think much of the
Mozart concerto. He continued:
His songs are for the most part utterly
commonplace, and so are his pianoforte
compositions Considering that Bach
| (whose piano-forte music is almost as mod
ern as Chopin's) was born nearly three
quarters of century before the composer
of Don juan MoZart's piano-forte music
seems slnBularly elementary and empty. 1t
is elegant in form-insipidly pretty, one
might call it-and in playing 1t elegantly
and prettily M Pugno did all for il that
| could be expected"
Cinderella" new opera by Humper-
| dinck, has been accepted for production at
| Berlin. Munich Leipsic and Prague His
| "Hansel and Gretel," of which the German
public never tires, has enriched him with
| royalties.
At Sam Frankos orchestral concerts of
, old music at Days Theater, New York,
| will be beard a Sebastian Bach concerto
| for harpsichord. flute. violin and strings;
| symphony by Johann Christian Bach
| Q735-17S2); a symphony by Gluck, and other
| antiquities. AT the first of this series Of
| concerts Mr.. and Mrs. Arnold Dolrnetsch
| of London, performers of old music on old
| instruments. will appear They will play
| virginals. clavichord, double harpsichord
cithern. lutte, violone. viola de gambia and
| viola damour.
| Richard Strauss, Weingartner Richter
| and Steinbach will be conducting orches-
| traS in London in December