The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-01
MRS. ZEISLERS PIANO RECITAL.

An Interesting Personality and . Sus-
ceptible Audience.
Mrs. Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler of Chicae 20
gave yesterday at Mendessohn Hall the
piano recital which she WAS obliged some
time ago to postpone on account of the
sudden illness of her husband. Her reputa =
ton as the foremost woman pianist Of the
country and an artist OF striking indi-
viduality called to the hall one Of the largest
audiences Of the season. 1t was a very
responsive assemblage and the pianist
played upon its susceptibiities more sue
cessfully than she did upon her instrument.
II was a very warm afternoon and Mrs {.
Zeiser's fiery spirit seemed to droop under
the willing weather. No doubt, too, her
technic suffered somewhat from the tenn
perature. for what pianist does not know
the troublesome effects Of humidity when
it causes moisture to intrude between the
finger tips and the keyboard?
The happiest moments OF the recital
were at its beginning. The two numbers
at the head of the list were an andante and
a minuet by BeethoVen. simple, song-lke
compositions, without any, demand upon
the technical resources or the strength Of
played beautifully. Her treatment of
them was marked by the most exquisite
daintness of touch, Of graduation and
accent. Withal it was perfect In mood
gentle, caressing, continent in color and
restful in its mental equilibrium.
Schubert's "Erl Konig" Here the pianist
showed the first signs Of weakness. She
played most of the work deliberately and
with an analytic care quite foreign to its
turbulent nature. When she did essay to
let loose the torrents Of her tone. she de-
Iva rod , in, clr lad
style. This is unusual for Mrs. Zasler,
for she generally plays crisply. Schumann's
IEtudes Symphoniques" she performed in
very uneven manner, and II must be con-
fessed with little charm. The whole thing
seemed to drag and to lack ebuliiency OF
not Of the class which one expects from an
artist of Mrs. Zeisler's rank.
The Chopin numbers, which were next
on the programme, were marred by man
familiar D fiat waltz was dissected in a most
provoking style. Its pretty whirring figure
was distorted to make rubato effects alto
gether out Of place, and in one part the
pianist actually introduced into the ao-
compartment the Viennese Tilt which Is
Strauss family. This exaggerated treat
ment carried the responsive audience
away, just as Pachmann's reyisions OF
Chopin used to do, and the little number
had to be repeated.
Surely both Chopin and George Sands
little dog, whose futile pursuit OF his own
tail is said to have suggested this compost
ton, would have been astonished at the
entire proceedings. The matter, however.
is a small one, The D fiat waltz, like the
hard-lved animal" and will survive many
twistings of its caudal abbreviatlon. But
Mrs Zeisler's performance of it was Of
piece with some Of her other playing, save
in the first two numbers, and it all went to
show that the artist was not at her best
She has been called the Sarah Bernhardt OF
the piano, but there was little of the sleek
subtlety, the half suggested passion and the
crafty intellectually of the Gallo actress
in Yesterdays performance.