Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-17
The Musical World
NlHE long looked for appearance OF
BY Genevrn Johnstone-BIshop

H1HE long looked for appearance OF
Adela Verne, the English pianist
Il occurred last night at Simpson au-
ditorium, and there was but one verdict
on the work of the young lady--great
1t was a critical audience, patrons OF
the symphony concerts, holders of phil
harmonic course tickets could be seen in
all directions. 1t was the lovers OF good
music and their friends.
The curious were not there. The fad
dist and searchers for freaks and celebri-
ties were elsewhere; 1t was the students,
the teachers, the well-to-do lovers or good
things unsteady who had come to Wor-
ship at the shrine of a new goddess or
the muse.
A fashionable audience and numbering
the best posted music critics of the city,
and they all enthusiastically indorsed
Miss Verne as pianistic wonder.
She is only a girl of some % or % years,
but a frank, genuine girl, with grip
like a boilermaker who makes you take
notice when she shakes your hand or
when she plays the piano. A merry,
good-natured girl, who can paint you
picture of the wind so you can hear 1t
whistling round the house tops, or can
play funeral march until you instinc-
lively look around to see the cortege
You look at the grand piano on the
stage and 1t looks thing of beauty in
its wooden coat
This slip of a girl comes from her
corner and takes her position before the
instrument and In an instant it Is trans
formc | into a living, singing, weeping,
Laughing, scolding, entreating, command
ing animate object. 1t whispers its songs
of love and caresses the infant in the
mothers arms-and almost instantly be-
comes a demon of unrest, with its march
ing, surging army, or Its tumultuous.
storm-laden breeze dashing along as II
the demons of the air were crashing
through the forest and telling the giants.
How a human being can secure such
volume of sound from strings and pedals
or such pianissimo effect until the faint
est breath is heard is a mystery. Surely
Adela Verne In a wizard.
Before the evening was half over she
had more than won all her auditors.
There is an unparalleled personal mag
netism i'll this artist. The minute she
appears upon the stage she grips her
audience with a firmness that Is sur
prising in the extreme. This personal
magnetism is transmitted to her playing
in such a manner that her listeners in
voluntarily succumb to her charm; and
although at times mentally disagreeine
with her interpretations we find them
applauding frantically after the artist
concludes her Interpretation.
Last night the opening number was the
colossal organ prelude and fugue in A
minor by Bach, arrangtd for the piano
by Liszt, and the organ quality was won
derfully reproduced by perfect legato and
vast volume OF tone.
There was a degree of perfection In
Beethoven's ronuoa in G which surprised
the piano students present and the sec
ond Beethoven number, the Turkish
march, arranged by Rubinstein, was IT.
resistible in its rhythm ana vast climax of
crashing chords, and earned an encore OF
repetition.
The ''Staccata Study Rubinstein) was
played with complete abandonment and
in perfection, Miss Verne taking the
staccato movements written for both
hands In thirds, sixths and octaves with
such airy ease as TO defy any praise but
that of the highest. In this. her left
hand was given opportunity to show its
fexibility anu control in passages re-
curing the pure 81 ging tones.
Schumanns Carnival was given with all
the variations which the carnival spirit
could produce and was one of the big
successes of the evening. In variety 1t is
unequalled and brought forth shower
of applause. Chopin's Sonata Op. 80 was
given in all it's grandeur, the one with
the celebrated funeral march In it-every-
body knows it-and when its true beauty
comes forth as it did last evening in the