Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-25
The Musical World
BY Genevra JOhnstOne-B bishop
BY Genevra JOIl

II
great pialists of the world-no
y doubt about it-and has made Won
derful strides in the past four years.
Yofmann is so masterful now in every
thing he plays-success, happiness and
accomplishment of all kinds are born OF
confidence, faith. Believe in yourself.
And Josef Holman acts with that con-
fident assurance which makes every
thing possible. Beethoven, Schumann.
Liszt, all received their due in the
manner which tradition has demanded;
and his playing OF the Chopin senate
(B minor) proved that he is by nature
4 poet. revealing true musical insplra-
tion fortified with technical knowledge
of the deepes' masterful kind. Chopin
said that the left hand ought to serve
as a "chef d'orchestre" to the right
hand, and Hofmanns left hand work Is
marvellous. He also won another tri-
umph with Beethoven's "Sonate APP
rassionata," and how near we come TO
the fount of Greet inspirational COM
position when we hear Beethoven, re-
garded by many as the greatest of COM
posers, played by such an artist as is
Josef Hofmann. The "Barcarolle' Of
Rachmanlnoff and "Au Jardin," by
Balakiroff, were new. refreshing, deli
cate; showed us a pianist of great in
teliectual ability. "A virtuoso of today
Is a musical hero" says writer; and
one can truthfully call Hoffman, hero
in that he is original, and the world
welcomes originality and condemns inn
itation; and this originality can come
only through imagination, stimulated
by wide and comprehensive knowledge,
and through genius" The ever well
come "Liebestraum," with fine phras-
ing and tone color, was beautifully
O.
iastic, and as he has a fine program for
next Saturday matinee no doubt large
house will greet him. welcome always,
this little king of pianists, Josef Hof-
mann.
This afternoon is the farewell concert
of Josef Hofmdnn in Los Angeles and
Southern California. Owing to the fact
that Mr.. Hof1nann is to leave on the
Owl at this afternoon, the recital will
commence promptly at 2 o'clock, as 1t
Is a long and most interesting one of
ter numbers.
Mr.. Hofmann turns his attention at
the finale to a series of Wagner num-
bers. The entire series are as follows:
Prelude and Fugue, G Minor. :. Bach-Li
Alceste .................G .Gluck-Saint Saens
sonate'' quasi une fantasie (Moonlight)
Ballade, Minor; Berceuse; Etude, G
fiat major (Papillon) .......,. Chopin
Fantasia. Major. .......'. 'schumann
Fuerzauber, Wintersturme, from the
opera 'Walkure' .............W wagner
Overture, Tannhauser ............ Wagner
8
In the death of Edward Alexander
MacDowell, Americas loss is a great
one. For three years he has been an
invalid, suffering from a nervous break
down, and failed to recover from It,.
He was young, only 46, and 1t
was very sad to see an end come so
early to all OF his labors. He was des-
tined to be known as the foremost
composer of orchestral and piano music
N America, and already had an envia-
tle reputation abroad. A "MacDowell
fund.- has been started in the east
several thousand dollars has been raised
by subscription already. The aim of
the promoters of musical art was to
insure the comfort of our beloved COM
poser as lonT az he might live, and that
Of his family. l think we ought to have
a "memorial' concert in Los Angeles
soon for this worthy "MacDowell fund"
end in memory of enc we all knew and
admired personally.
Mrs. Arthur Nidsch is to open a
studio in London, teaching there from
May 1 to August /.
-X-
Warren Davenport, we'll known mu-
sician, died Janury at his home at
Roxbury, near Boston, at the age of 81.