New-York tribune., 1907-10-20
JOSEPH HOFM4NN.
Nezc York to Hear This Prodigy
and Artist AgdiR.

Nineteen years and eleven months ago. on No
vember % 1881. to be exact. the little lad Josef
Hofmann then between ten and eleven years OLD,
sat down a big panoforte In the big Metropoh-
tan Opera House and gave the people of New YORK
something to talk about which kept their tongues
waggng till the end Of the season. In that season
Der Trompeter Won Sakklngen." Spontinis Fer
dinand Cortez," Verdi's "Oteuo' and Wagner $
"Segfred" and G0tterdammerung' were produced
for the first time in New York hut neither singiy
nor combinedIy did they produce tithe of the
sensation caused by the little boy in knicker-
bockers. Seventeen times between November %
and February 70 Josef played to audiences that
crowded the room. and then Of n sudden-but
Jet chronicer of that period tell the story as he
wrote it then:
not worth $50 concert 10 his manager. In Eng
land the love for sensation ana the impulsive
of the approval Of the American newspaper press
gratnitous advertising combined With the same
qualities the part Of our public which made the
English success TO transform the precocious boy
into one Of the biggest money makers in the mi-
steal profession TO the cupidity aroused by TINS
certs week We're given, distributed between New
nor Imor G n, b uT5 5 IN r TgIaTd f sea t s,,s -
was of no concern TO the public, but a matter be
When charlatanry and fraud entered into MS con
and these elements were drawn in when the boy
was paraded a composer for orchestra and con-
ductor. Finally. when the absurd excitement was
at its height. the boys father suddenly withdrew
him on The The plea that his health had become i'm
later the elder Hofmann, having successfully
breach Of contract returned with his family to
Europe, leaving the conviction in the minds OF the
American people that one Of the several offers
made by wealthy men 70 pay for the boys educa-
ances had secretly been accented Tins TtinrIy
ended the most sensa sonaI chapter in the story OF
the concert season Of ISS7-ss.
ha sol,,
fraud" was occasioned by the circumstance that
at the twelfth concert January q, 1855 the
programme contained number which was an
hounced thus: 'Polonaise Americaine' composed.
scored for orchestra and conducted 10y Josef Hof-
mann The Tribuue's music reviewer, having
spent some time with the lad at his apartments
only a short time before. had convinced himself
that he could scarcely read a simple melody knew
nothing about the laws OF composition rules OF
form, but had learned all of the pieces which he
playRl by rote The idea, therefore. that he could
not only set down a Polonaise but score It for
orchestra preposterous.
That, however, is an unpleasant chapter in Josef
foimann's history. and one for which ne in
DO wise responsible Much pleasanter II is to turn
pack and read what the chronicler had 10
say after the boys first concert. Here it is:
Josef Hofmann is wonderful child. The ripe
MS ana maturity OF his pianoforte playing.
The musician with amazement and tempt him
T9giy ehla 10 declare the boy to be genius And
need not be 50 Comprehensive as the stickIers in
Inc use OF the word would have us believe We
have not been convinced by what we have heard
and seen mat this prodigy is at all in the OF
Mozart and Mendessohn, with whose names his
mas lhoughtcssy been associated. He is a genius
1I 'lIoIilei sort; II the dreadful adjective be par
doned he is 'panistic" genius such as I.iszt was
at MS age and Rubinstein. His approximations
Hlo" 10 ue KNOWING that he ought not 10 be
pared with Mozart who when only as old as he
had already composed sonatas, symphonies and
snctiye knowledge Of form full six Years earlier
I4"i WIN ndcissOhn, who older
young Hofmanu when he played Bach fugues and
occasion completed the old poets mVstidcation nv
mig al sight autograph manuscripts by Mozart
ana Beethoven The latter is scarcely ever num-
bered with the prodgies cor. the Germans call
lhein, wonder-chidren') of music, and yet at Hof-
iiarcH py Dressler, two-Voiced fugue and three
planoforte sonatas which have been printed. The
,IiSe ~, ne nom payer and continuing II is one that
all the prodigles on record have done and believe
Win snnch more striking results. for without wish
ing 10 cetfact from his ability mproViser il
ought 10 be said that the power which he displays
IN creating Is not at all comparable with his power
IN reproducing. His genius lies in direction OF
pianofore playing, ard ought TO be an interesting
suDIec: OF study for Psychologists well as psy-
biologists Here Is a child of ten years with unde-
veoped mental faculties with the emotional eIe-
ment Of his nature absolutely uuicscent with i'm
mature physical outfit. who nevertheless performs
chancal point Of view. bewdering josef is
wei born musically, but 1t would as IL hs
enable him to invest his performances with some
~ the highest attributes but also the technical
aDnty 10 give dhem expression. Like List, he has
muscles, nerves and sinews adjusted 10 enable him
10 grasp chords and propel his fingers powerfully
% %aiu ihaepenoently His touch ia truly musical and
ths all musicians know is something else than a
IneIe product Of imitation. No praise that the
~ ~ @SPanets gave 10 the playing OF young Hofmann
was e7,travagaHl except that which fonnd the same
warmth OF fceilng and maturity of expression in fL
'laI marx the work of ripe artist. AS have al