New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-01
MUSIC
PIANoFoRTE RECITALS.

Il Is fortunate thing for pianists that the
great recitaI-going public Of New York rs DIVIDED
into congregations whose cult is dictated by the
pianofOrta manufacturers. It always insures an
audience no matter how many recitals chance TO
fall together From general educational point OF
view. however, II might be well if sort Of recital
clearing house could he established. not 10 prevent
two OF more recicaIs being given the same after
noon or evening. but in some manner to effect an
interchange Of audiences that the edlhcatlon
which flows out from the performances OF pianists
Of erniuence might be diffused through the entire
pianstic community and not be confined to the in
dtviduaI congregation for whose enlightenment the
individual pianist has called Yesterday after
noon. for instance II would have been an excellent
thing If the audiences at Carnegie and MendeIssohh
halls could have exchanged places about clock so
that the admirers Nj Lhevinne might have been
thinking by Nj Sauer. q I'd those who had
learned all that vas necessary OF the technical side
Of the art from Mr.. SaUer might have had the
sentimental side OF their nature warmed a bit by
the excess Of soft emotion uttered by NJ. Lhev1nne
There would have been some difficulty in getting
the Carnegie Hall audience into MendeissOhn Han.
but the latter room full a. it could be, and
fancy the apportionneut Of receipts would not
have called for the services Of master OF hlgn
finance
Mr. Lhevinne began his concert with group OF
prescriptions from music Of the harpsichord
period. There was Nj Busonis arrangement Of
the chaconne which Bach wrote for violin alone; a
pastorale from one Of CoreIITs concert grossi.
familiar Taubourin from Ranleau's 'DardanUs
The chaconne. as the world knows, is one Of the
large proclamai lions Of the greatest Instrumental
ist Of his age Like many another Of Bach's
compositions, its contents out of all proper
ton TO the medium Of expression, just as the
"chron1atic fantasia and fUgue' contains must
cal proclamation which the people Of today can
not reconcile with the timid guavering voice OF
the clavichord- the twangiing tones Of the
ha-psichord. Nj. Busoui has rearranged It into
ME and
Vet no lover Of the violin is likely think that its
beauty or its eloQuence has been enhanced by the
thicker integument or the added ad0rnments which
been supplied 10 suit II 70 the modern vehicle
This. however. is question in musical aesthetics
quite Independent Of that Of performance In
respect OF the Interpretation which Il received
Nj Lhevinne's hands Il falls into class with
that Of the transcriptions by Mr.. Godowsky Of
the other pieces mentioned All Of them gave
pleasure TO the audience, but none Of them
breathed the spirit Of the music Of the period
which the originals belonged To the thicker
ing which the arrangers added there came
the opaQue1sss IN the performance which
was the resultant Of Mr.. Lhevinne's abuse Of the
damper pedal Damper pedal effects are not pos
sibe On the violin nor were tey called for by the
style OF composition cultivated by the clavecinists
OF France, the haTpsichordists CT England and
Germany All music Of this kind sounds best when
II Is presented without the burring which results
from Of the pedals-no matter how sktul that
use The trarsference % the idiou from the old
instruments 10 the modern pianOforte works no es-
se7tiaI change Had MI. Lhevinne played these
pieces with the practically fauItless finger technic
which Mr. Sauer displayed IN his performances Of
the Scherzo from B1endelssohns music to a Mid
summer Nights Dream they would have been
1enfod more effective. But save the ChaConne they
are light food pIanoforte recital for groWu-ups.
The best feature OF Nj. SAVERS playing has been
touched upon In this comparison. His readings Of
schuberts Irapromptu IN fat COP. 142. No. 81.
Chopn's Bauade in r. the Nocturne. Op q. No ..
and the so-Called. Butterfly study were rnarves
OF clarity but II too near the clarity Of
icicle Variations Of dynamic intensity cannot
make up for a lack OF eInotonaity and that lack
was as conspicuous In Mr.. Sauer's playing
technical brilIiancy- There dsintiness and
color In much Of Mr.. Lhevinne's work, but his
fancy did not soar high in the 3 minor sonata by
Iiszt H E K.