The San Francisco call., 1907-03-01
Skill Of Rosenthal
Amazes Students
Of the Piano
By James Crawford

Rosenthal is a strenuous pianist. At
the conclusion of his recital last even
ing in Christian Science Hall his brow
was beaded with perspiration as :e
acknowledged the thunderous tribute
hurled at him by the audience Indeed
the beads We're visible ere he had con-
.cluded his second number and fire.
quently thereafter his pocket handker-
chief was utilized as a mop
Rosenthal is an enigmatic artist as
well. At one moment he is revealed
as an intellectual musician, thinker,
an interpreter who respects the direc-
tions of. the composer. The next mo-
ment he is conveying impression that
his distinction as a virtuoso lies al
most wholly in his technical accom-
plishments-and. they are marvellous.
His is the power to create astonish-
ment at uncommon digital feats and
also his is the power to bring out the
essential musical beauty of a com
position. No wonder he has been
dubbed The Little Wizard 8 of the
Keyboard"
Yet he is not snowy player. Even
in his most strenuous mood he is re-
poseful in comparison with Pade-
rewski playing a nocturne. He lacks
the physical grace of the Polish
pianist. for his stature is short and his
arms are long and his hands large.
He. could not posture prettily however
hard he might try to do so.
His opening number last night,
Beethoven's Sonata Apassionata, ;"
fairly brought out the enigmatical ar
tistry I have alluded to, each of its
contrasting movements being played in
a way that made it difficult to conjec-
ture how any of them could be better
treated. The andante seemed to be
caressingly coaxed from the instrument
and the robust finale came as revela-
tion of sustained power and speed and
accuracy of tone. So it was with the
Chopin Sonata, Op. So, that followed,
only the concluding movement, largo,
was played with even greater poetic
velocity-if the paradox is permissible.
Then he gave us a Chopin -Liszt chant
polonaise (substituted in the pro-
gramme for Chopin nocturne), a
Chopin scherzo in 3 flat minor and a
Chopin valse arranged ais a contrapun-
tai study In thirds by himself. and
which. lost it's charm of swing. by the
arrangement The Schubert-Liszt
"Lindentrce," with its hynin-like theme.
was beautifully treated, and then came
number that fairly set the audience
frantic by the brilliancy of its execu-
tion.
1t was the players own composition,
"Papillons" (butterflies). and nothing
like its Interpretation was ever wit
messed here, because no master pianist
other than Rosenthal would attempt it
in public. His hands flew over the
keys with a rapidity that blurred
them in the vision as they faultlessly
phrased the f1uttery theme, and
while he worked the audience SIT
aghast.
The final number. humoresque
and fugue on waltz themes by Johann
Strauss, was also written by Rosen-
thai. and it, too. is immune from
piracy, for the same reason that ap-
plies to his "Papillons. 1t seemed as
If all the most intricate technical diff
ffculties ever conceived were in the
variations that chased and enmeshed
the themes of Wine. Women and
Song" and die F'liedermausp 1t was
the crowning demonstration of Rosen-
thal's diabolical speed and perfect
mastery of the piano. He played chro-
matte octaves with the same ease as
he can run A scale.
At the Greek Theater this afternoon
Rosenthal wilF interpret two concertos
in conjunction with the University
symphony Orchestra, DIR. Wolfe con-
ducting.