New-York tribune., 1905-11-24
MUSIC.
M. PUGNo's pIANoFoRTE RECITAL.

NJ. Raoui Pugno. the eminent French pianist VINO
is visiting United again after an interval
OF several years. his first recital OF the sea
in Mendelssohn Hal yesterday afternoon pe-
fore audience which, while It did not completely
I'LL the hail. yet of goodly proportions. and
made up largely OF the most earnest and dis
eliminating among the city's lovers of pianoforte
music. To the thoughtful student and the serious
music lover NJ Pugno's return to New-York is a
most welcome event He is pre-eminently pianist
who does not exploit sef-his only thought and
whole endeavor is to convey the composers mes
sage. convey IL truthfully and sincerely-in
short. interpret beauty in terms of beauty. In
that endeavor he follows the insstent first principle
OF Thalberg. and sings upon the piano. His
technc is wellnfgh hawless. but the listener does
not think Of that technic because his ears are
ravished by the sparkle. the radiance. the sheer
beauty of tone. NJ. Pugno at his best yester-
day afternoon. and his playing fascinating and
delightful Furthermore. his recital was more than
usually interesting by reason Of his programme
That programme of kind seldom heard IN
New-York. 1t seemed as If designed be one OF
set in which the music written for the precursors
of the pianoforte (cavichord, spinet and harpsi-
chord in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
vas TO be exploited. The French school was rep
resented by Couperin Q6ss-T7S9 and Rameau GeSs-
1764 the Italian by Paradies Q710-1790 and Scar
latti 1859 1928, and the German by Johann Seoas
tian Bach 06s-1750) Handel Q6sS-175s), Haydn Q732
1907 and Mozart Q755-17sD. Characteristic speci-
mems OF the styles of these and the state OF
clavier music in the periods in which they were
dominant made up NJ. Pugnos list; the French
represented by dance pieces of the ale
gorica1 kind which came into favor in the time OF
the Grand Monarch when the ballet reigned at
the opera, when members of the nobility danced
ou the public stage without loss of caste. when
Moliere Luily and Quinault occupied themselves
with the invention of pretty shows, when even
Cardinal Richelieu did hesitate to trick him.
self out like Merry Andrew with green velvet
breeches and bells on shoes, and ratified his
tam a
of Anne Of Austria. OF Coupern's pieces NJ. Pugno
favored his listeners with Les Rozeaux'' and the
rondeau lie Revelle-matir of Rameaus. with a
In the Italian pieces of Paradies and Scarlatt the
beginning of the sonata had illustration. it's full
formal development was exempliied in of the
excerpts from Mozart. Bach represented by
pair of preludes and fugues, gigue and the Ital-
ian Concerto. Handel by Gavotte in G major and
gigue in G minor, and Haydn by what might
fairly be down the most modern planoforte
piece of his day-the beautiful andante and varia-
tions in F minor
NJ Pugno is teacher well virtuoso. and
his sympathies extend the whole field Of
clavier music For this old music he has the fit
and essential nimbeness OF finger and confluence
OF style. He always made the charm Of the old
dances felt and bodied forth their graceful spirit
He played most of them with dazzling rapdity.
yet there slurring-every note was gem
crystalline clarity. the end of it all. after
numerous recalls the pianist added a dashingy
brilliant performance of Mendelssohn's Hunting
Song" NJ. Pugno's next recital will be given on
the afternoon of November 2s