The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-03
VAST THRONG HEARS
ELMAN PLAY VIOLIN
True Touch of Genius in Playing
by Youthful Russian
VirtuOSO
Mrs. Horton Phipps Makes Her
Debut on Stage at the
0rpheum


This VIII be no criticism. AS q
hungry man devours meal or a
thirsty man drains a dipper so we sat
at the Garrick theater yesterday after
noon and toasted and drank of music
AIscha Elman alone is worth a
crammed house OF hearers who have
two ears each and a spine, for he plays
the violin as only an immortal, touched
by genius. can do. Backing the Mus
-covite fiddler yesterday was the Rus
sian symphony orchestra. directed by
Modest Altschuler. Bandsmen and di-
rector are here with the Ben Greet
players Of Shakespeare. but by a spe-
cal dispensation of providence and
Manager viii Greenbaum they all
were brought together yesterday TO the
end that a concerto for violin by
Tschaikowsky might be played as the
writer had conceived it with orchestral
accompaniment, and that a banquet Of
tone might be set before the people
worthy of the state of any musical
epicure
REPRESENTATIVE AUDIENCE
Personally, I have never seen a more
representative audience OF musicians
than that which clamored for seats at
the theater which once was the Or
pheum. There were organists from
evangelical churches lodging parish
p toner's who might complain at anotl'er's
visitation to a treater on Sunday; there
were choir singers from all over the
city; leaders Of singing in Catholic
cathedral and parish and Hebrew syna-
gogue were there; pedagogues and
artists; dilettantes and theorists; or
binary lovers of music provided, as
have suggested. with two ears and q
normal spine and tie ABILITY to feel
were there until the old Orpheum
rheaner in Ellis street looked as though
1T was stil vaudeville house on the
sabbath day. It did ones heart and
Greenbaums pocket good that throng
"a the gates Of music yesterday.
Elman's playing has been reviewed
IN this paper before IT is a wonder
fql violin he hugs, a wonderful
bow he Yields and radiant genius
spreads its wings over the result OF.
1.-The camels hair agitation OF vibrating
strings.
DONE WITH FEELING
The Tschaikowsky concerto-the one
in - major-was done with emotional
fervor fmpeccable technic and 2 purity
Of tone which commanded attention
from the furthest auditor in the upper
gallery. I regret that Ernst's ~Otello"
fantasie should have been selected for
the other selection. 'Otello' was writ
ten for the voice and stage and or
chestra. Any violin transcription of it
is weak and undressing, save for its
display OF virtUosity on the part OF
the man who pulls the bow. The Sc
lection is unnecessary. in music. and
its accomplishment adds no luster TO
Elnsans playing. because that needs no
further demonstration The Beetho-
ven "Minuet was a grateful bit by
way Of an encore and so was the
splendid transcription of Schuberts
Ave Maria" which Elman has done
here before. The young player received
an ovation and merited every hand
clap.
The playing Of Altschuler's orchestra
demonstrated the fact that from Russia
is coming the best of present day
music. His program was exclusively
Russian. The musicians, comprising
the organization, have been identified
for several years with nothing but the
ears music. which it has presented in
New York. No wonder, then, that
Tschsi kowsky's ~Slav March" was
played with solemnity and bigness or
that the March OF the Sadar," which
closed the program. was big with
meaning and suggestive of the mystery
and greatness of the race which is