The sun., 1907-11-03
Mr.. PADEREWSETS CONCERT
ME PLAYS 10 a GREAT AUDIENCE
AT CARNEGIE HALL.

Mak0 WpeuB th0 RtnHhlmhWb-OMhas
mllIar BepthOven Sonata -CharACteFis-
ties Se the Great ArtistS Performance.
Irnaco Jan PadSrewslu. the most famous
living pianist. gave the first recital OF his
current season and his first here since
March IS. 1905. at Carnegie Hall yesterday
afternoon. HS'Was heard. AZ he always 10.
with rapt attention by an audience occupy
ing quite all the house. His programme
began with his own variations and fugue.
opus %, a composition which was intro
duced to this public in piano recital given
in Mendelssohn Hall on January ~ last by
Sigismund Stojowski, a pupil OF Mr.. Pade-
rewsk Az that time the work attracted
attention and invited further considera-
ton It was interesting. therefore. to hear
1t again and at the hands Of its maker.
II sa good piece of music. in field cul-
tivated by the most intellectual masters, q
ield affording soil from which TO raise some
Of the choicest flowers Of the tOnal art.
The theme which MIR. Paderewski has ex-
pandcd il pregnant one. broad. virile.
elemen ntary tune in the style Of a chorale.
The variations are worked out with ade-
quate but unobtrusive. learning and with
that uufailing taste for the more gracious
utterances Of the piano which never deserts
Ihis composer.
The fuGue ispsrtiCulsrly beautiful. being
not only a remarkably closely knit piece of
polyphony. but also warm with sensuous
charm. The stretto. which gives out the
theme in its original form In the bass as
counterpoint to the fugatO itself in the
right hand. is a mastery exhibition OF con-
struciive skill in making climax, and
-. nYaH
ance on the part OF the pianist.
Following this number Mr.. PsdeTewski
presented another which was unfamiliar to
his programmes. This was Beethoven's
sonata in f fat. opus "a, No. I. The COM
position il seldom performed. DR.. Won
Rnlow played II together with tse No.
If the same opus vulgarly called the
moonlight" sonata-in the second pro-
Cramne Of his celebrated Beethoven "cy-
clus' in April, 1880, In the Broadway
Theatre. but since that time it has usually
been in retirement
just why Mir. PadereWslli elected it to
a place iQ his list il difficult to conjecture
noubtlcss the simple. singing melodies
Of the initial movement went far 70 win
his favor, but lovers of the proROunder
-ide Of Beethovens genius will not care
TO lnger over il. The mixture OF sonata,
rondo. fantasia and cavatine in it create
want of formal unity, a fragmentary
impression. and a suspicion that perhaps
the master was in the mood for experiment.
The sudden transitions OF mood, TOO.
are startling. Possibly this work had
an emotional programme in the inner life
of the composer. and equally perhaps any
attempt to reconstruct it might in the
end cover the commentator with ridicule
ike that which has fallen upon the romantic
expounders Of its so-called moonlight"
companion.
However, the quiet song theme with
which the first movement begins provided
the pianist with opportunity to display
his command of vocal tone. According
to Marx the second theme of this move-
ment is more rapid and stirring, but Mr..
Paderewski made it exquisitely tender
and simple and. given thus, it carried its
own conviction with IT,
The restless character of the second
allegro was disclosed to the full by the
pianist, but doubtless some hearers would
have been grateful for a less eager treat
ment OF the finale. for a deeper regard
for the dianified accents of the melos.
But after all the sonata is not one of vital
import and no one need seriously query
Mr. PaderewskFs reading
After the Beethoven number came a
grou,, Of LISTS tinted Venuses and three
Schubert songs all powdered up and
modernized for piano matinees Many
persons prefer these things to real piano
music while others regard them much as
they would Greek statues dressed in French
lingerie Bus. II such arrangements
must be played 10 make a careless publics
holiday then let US hear Mr.. Paderewski
Uiay them - - e
Not to be sure: as ne played the ~ErllSing"
yesterday for he has given us many times
greater beauty and variety Of tone. more
tragic accent. more poetic insight and
a deal less Of the elateer Of the good steed's
hoofs but rather an he sang out the ex-
quistey rippling roulades Of the -Soires
de Nienne' in A major making of it a
prismatic arch OF suniit scales. "a veTitabls
rainbow Of the keyboard, In the mar
velous preservation OF the melodic curve
, throughout such fluid passtge writing as
! this Mr. Padere~ski has always been the
first OF masters. and his hand has not lost
its cunning.
The Chopin group consisted Of the
sharp major nocturne. the tenth and fifth
ttudes from opus 10 and the B fat minor
scherzo. The greatest pleasure was here
afforded nv the pianist's delivery Of the
tudes which were showered upon the
\ listeners in a burst of frosty, sparkling
|l notes every one as crystalline as loo and
II as shining as a sunbeam.
N For his presentation Of the soherzO yester-
day comment must be more reserved.
Tonally it offered material for questio on.
Mr. PaderewsSi has in recent years thought
much IN terms OF the orchestra, and il
almost seems as il sometimes when playing
the piano lie yearned for the changing crash
Of forte from the brass. But good wine
needs no bush. pianos need no brass
How entrancingly Mr.. Paderewski can
ding on the piano he showed In his per
tormsnce Of Stojowsti's Chant d'Amour."
In the final number. Liszt's thirteenth
Hungarian rhapsody. the player again let
bose his wonderful finger technic in runs.
and in this number. too. he for the first
time In the recital equalled his former
achievsments in the department Of beautiful
tone. II was a superb performance.
worthy Of the fame Of the artist. At the
end OF the recital the old familiar scene
Of excitement was repeated and the pianist
a. Il a