The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-22
RUDOLPH CAMS RECITAL.
A Chicago Pianist Who Is Good, but Could
BE Better.

he Better.
Rudolf CAM, a pianist residing in Chicago;
recently made his first appearance in this
city at one Of the concerts Of the gym
phony orchestra, when Felix Weingartner
welded the baton. Mr.. CAM on that
, occasion made a pleasing impression and
yesterday afternoon his first recital in
Mendelssohn Hall awakened agreeable
expectations. These were In part realized,
albeit there were some features in the
afternoons. performance which gave rise
to regret. These were found chiefly in the
first number on the programme, the Sonata
Appassionata" Of Beethoven.
In this music Mr.. GAM was by no means
at home. His style was not suitable to 1t
at all. His feeling for the work was APP
parentiy reverent and sympathetic and
he played 1t with a sincerity that was be-
yond question. But in his search after
expression he introduced uan which
distorted the serene form Of Beethoven
and he poured out upon the composition
such a liberal libation of moist and misty
tone color that the lofty moods Of the
music were waterlogged.
His next number saw him in territory
more to his liking. This was the Brahms
variations n fugue on a theme by Handel,
opus "a. This Is one Of the pet pieces OF
virtuosi with sound musical aspirations.
Mr.. CAM played the composition unevenly,
for some of the variations suffered from
the same sort of blurring that he made in
the Beethoven music. But on the whole
il was a commendable performance, and
some parts Of it were mastery. The
pianist was best in those variations which
lent themsefves most readily to color effects
and at his worst in those calling for crisp
ness and crystalline clarity. These quail
ties are almost absent from his playing
or at least they we're so yesterday.
A group of color pieces by writer's Of
to-day revealed the very best features
Of Mr.. Ganz's art. These pieces were not
Of high musical value, but all Of them
were couched in terms of the piano key
board. Alkan's After the Battle" is one
of those naive conceptions which would
die at the first measure il it were not for
it's use of the latest patterns in harmony
and its employment of the newest devices
in chromatic %iurries,, II this is to be said
Ravel's -Frolics Of Waters" which Harold
Bauer played 80 deliciously2 What sort
Of waters were these? We're they green
vichy or plain settler or just common
Croton, affected by bad plumbing?
QUIZ llOTC lOIHlicSS anu NOlu was tlle SdIIl6
composers "Pavane on the Death Of a
Girl" Why compose a pavane on a girls
death, anyhow? And II one must compose
a pavane on such a sad subject, why make
such a very sad mess of it, After this
pavane, Debusy's prelude in A minor
sounded like a masterpiece in smear-tint.
Harmonies twined around one another
in marvellous complications and glissandi
slid over the writhing mass in lifting glee.
But there were color and piquancy in the
--1 A.
Of it was simply mastery. Az a oolorist
he proved himself to be one Of the leaders.
His playing Of the Grieg variations in
@ minor, which the composer for secret rea-
sons of his own calls a ballade, was also
admirable. Taking 1t altogether, this recital
was worth hearing, and served to demon
strate that in Chicago dwells a very good
pianist, who will probably be a better one
when he has become convinced that clarity
art