The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-30
MRS. ZEISLERS RECITAL.
The Chicago Pianist Begins the Musical
Season 10 q Large Audience.


The musical season OF 1904 -05 was ushered
in yesterday afternoon with appropriate
ceremonies at Mendelssohn Hall, the doni-,
Gle of many recitals and the grave Of some
hopes. Nine. Fanny BLOOMFIELD Zeisler, the
adored pianist Of Chicago, gave recital
and was rapturously applauded by an
audience which occupied all the seats in
the main hall. spillel itself over into the
little one. and loomel patiently in the
standing spaces. Lovely woman, clad
in her purple and fine linen, composed
the ma jor part of the assembly, and hung
with rapt attention upon the agile fingers
of the performer.
2 Mrs. Zeisler, In the golden fulness Of her
summer, is no longer the fiery. oombative,
neurotic player Of ten years ago. Then she
was scoldeI for her incontinencc; now
she is like to be upbraidei for studied
avoidance of the disclosure Of her own
temperament and the substitution for its
glow and fervor OF something too rice
In the matter Of calculation. Yet in spite
OF the obvious care with which all her eff
fects are prepared, she does not escape
eccentricity She frequently dist rts tie
masters for her own ends, anu she inuulges
in many rhythmic idiosyrcrasies and tech
meal freaks.
If any large end were subserved by these
p rscnal peculiaritios. no fault could BE-
found with them. But Mrs. k8isler sob
does not endure well the appeal from Mrs
Y sler hysteric. rather than this staid
and rectangular method OF nisreaciEg
the prophets, let us have the storm and
stress manner back again. That at any
has much polish. but little glitter, album
dant finish. but no finality,
Why should Mrs. u isler mar an other
wise interesting pc rformance OF Bocthor, n g
E fiat sonata from opus 81 by striving TO
convert the menuetto into slow, move
desired, and IL he chose to write a scher
followed by a minuet he was only doing
what he did in The eight h symphony though
in a slightly difere mt form. Mrs. Nisk RS
reading OF the sonata had some good mo-
me nts,, most Of them being crowded into
the scherzo.
She began her recital with the E minor
pastorale and the Z major capriccio OF
Scarlatti. both OF which she played with
nnioety Of dynamics and m.llownt IS OF CO color
ness. In the graf F minor fantasia OF
Chopin, opus 40. she did some very peculiar
accentine, and the nethodic, ploddin6
style in which she entered upon the finale
we mt nigh to making the composition sound
emasculate.
The sarabande and double from Mosz-
kowskis -laurin ballet she played ey-
cellently, with color and style. and in the
same composers etude, opus "a. No. l,
she gave her admirers a notable exhil ition
Of her. skill in sea e and arpegsio playing
But why play such extraordinary rubbish
at public recital at all? This music is
useful in conservatory courses for develop
ing certain points in technic, but it is not
worthy of the time and trouble Of a dis
tinguished artist nor a cultivated audience.
Thare
Zeislers programme, but further comment
seems to be needless. 1t is pity, since
she is to give no other recital here this
season, that she did not choose more num-
bers Of high import and not consent to tickle
the ears Of the easy going by twiddles and
runs, especially in that long anished child
of Mr.. Josehy's youthful folly, AT the
Spring