New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-20
MUSIC.
Yesterdays Concerts.

Josef Hofrnann gave his first recital of panoforte
music in Carnegie Hall yesterday afternoon ana
Vladimir de Pachmann his third in Mendelssohn
Hail. In the larger the Russian Symphony
Society gave it's first concert of this under
the direction OF Modest Altschuler IN the evening
There were large gatherings at the three entertain
ments. and if anybody heard portions of them
all he must have heard music enough in quantity
and variety to enable him to enjoy silence Tor
few days. provided he knows where to find H.
Poultices that might heal the blows OF sound are
no longer to be found within the borders OF the
metropolis
The two piansts aroused curious inquiry
Which is the more enjoyable-the fine. playing
or Hoffman,. coupled with that young masters IN
dinerentisn, the eager performances of the vet
eran de Pachmann, with its accompaniment or Iu-
dlcrous antics? The question may be stated as a
fact which presented itself for notice yesterday it
need not be answered here. though 1t may be said,
as matter of record. that the people at Mendels-
sohn Hail. who listened to a programme composed
exclusively of Chopin's music, were kept in more
rapturous mood during the endurance of his recital
than the people who all but filed Carnegie Hall
and listened to diversified programme played by
Mr.. Hoffman,. That the taste understanding and
enthusiasm displayed in both rooms were sound and
genuine is scarcely proposition to be advanced
with gravity by any experienced observer. When
a thousand persons more or less turn over the
lear or the house bill after the first movement of
sonata and calmly set out IN their minds the
next group of pieces printed the page. it
what they had come out TO hear. And II some
| hundreds listen In ecstasy to fifteen of Chopin's
works at sitting and still cry for more. II is not
strange if one should marvel at their power of
assimilation and grow curious it's source.
Mr.. Holman played many things beautifully
yesterday, though he frequently precipitous in
tempo, as in the of Chopins waltz in E minor
and the scherzo in minor. Yet these pieces
SO hearty an approval from the audience that he
repeated the former and supplemented the latter
Aye
reposeful articulation of Beethoven's ''Waldstein
sonata marred the enjoyment of that work for the
cognoscenti. though his technical facility did not
fail him even in the final prestissimo which LEM
once compared as climax to the blowing I'D OF a
ship of the line. The want OF the fine. rich tone
which he was wont to evoke also was felt by his
old admirers. Mr.. Holman creates the impression
that he has weSred of p!anoforte playing This is
unfortunate for his listeners. Yesterday was the
tenth anniversary of the death of his master Ru-
birstein. and a memorial of that lamentable
event he played, very beautifully indeed. Chopn's
funeral march. NJ do Pachmann's success in his
special field has emboldened his manager to an
| nounce another Chopin recital in Carnegie Hall Oh
the afternoon of December g.
There also anniversary feature in the
Russian concert in the evening. though the dates
were not coircident as in the case of the Hofmann
recital. 1t hundred years ago last June that
GIinka who IS looked upon as the father Of Rus
sian music was born. To commemorate that fact
Mr.. Altschuer played the overture "A Life
| for the Gar and followed it with three vocal
numbers sung by Miss Edith Chapman. Edward
! Lankow and Edward Johnson. The performance
was not edifying. and scarcely have added TO
the good opinion in which Glinka's music IS held
| In New-York. The other composers represented on
! the list were Sbelius. a Finn; Napravnik, who
was horn a Bohemian and Rimsky-Korsakow
Sbelius's music made fine impression and so did
! that Of Napravinik though It. like all the rest
failed of its full effectiveness because Of the rather
uncouth and unprecise playing Of the orchestra
The climax OF the evenings offerings reached
in Rimsky- Korsakow's music for the third act of
his ballet ''Mlada' piece which is replete with
! charming as well vivid. dramatic effects and
is miracle of orchestration Its full intention,
and therefore also its full beauty can be disclosed
only when 1t IS accomplished by the scenic effects
| and dramatic action. which the composer had in
view while writing. The Russian society is fulfilling
an interesting artistic. as we'll patriotic, mis-
! Ito