The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-04-20
BORCHARD CHARMS
SELECT AUDIENCE
Famous French Pianist Here
Under Auspices of Wednesday
Afternoon Musical Club

Adoiph Borchard, has come and
gone In his brief visit TO Bridgeport
he won a warm place in the hearts
OF every music lover and a guarantee
OF an enthusiastic reception should he
ever return. For one and one-half
hours Mr. Borchard held the closest
attention of one of the largest ana
most select audiences that ever gath
cred under the auspices of the We'd
resday Afternoon Musical club yester-
cay at the North church. During that
period he proved his right TO rank
with the great masters of the piano
and also the beautiful tonal qualities
os the Knabe piano. furnished at his
request by the Alfred Fox Piano Co.,
OF this city, for the occasion.
Mr.. Borchard is. without doubt, one
OF the greatest pianists France has
ever produced. if indeed not one of
the foremost in the worlds galaxy of
MASTER musicians.
Before Mr. Borchard had played
through dozen bars of the Prelude,
Choral and Fugue" by Caesar
T-anch, he had won his audience. at
the close of the selection the applause
he received would indicate that he
had captured it. Thereafter, round af-
ter round of applause greeted every
selection His Interpretation of Two
Songs Without Words. Hunting Song
and Spinning Song by Mendelssohn,
were particularly pleasing. With light
n.ng-like rapidity his fingers tripped
over the keys. producing effects that
enraptured his hearers. The rendition
% the Spinning Song" was an ex-
hibition of skill in piano playing such
as one has the opportunity to listen
to but once in a lifetime. The pianis-
simo rendition was Incompatible;
suhdued but not muffled. every note
of the same even quality, eloquent
with technique graduating into eli
max of musical oratory.
Mr. Borchard selected for his finale,
I.iszt's "Polonaise in Il Major" 1t
proved a climax to a program filled
with surprises and delights. In this
selection the eccentric graduations
from pianissimo to fortissimo proved
very effective. The rendition and i'm
fcrpretations were superb. Every nook
and Granny OF First church was filled
with the most inspiring harmony, both
in the heavy playing of the bass reg
lister and the light ripping over the
keys OF the treble.
The applause at the conclusion of
the last number was both prolonged
and enthusiastic Mr.. Borchard did
not respond to any of the encores. ex-
cept with an appreciativej bow. This
was probably due to the fact that he
had TO catch the 5:27 train for New
York where he had an engagement to
fill.
Not many years ago an exhibition
of such wonderful technique and skill
in piano playing would have been i'm
possible The wonderful development
of the piano as a solo instrument has
been due solely to artists of Mr.. Bor-
chard's type who demanded an instru-
ment that would respond to the most
exacting requirements of the artist
performer
Perhaps the only drawback to the
occasion yesterday was the building
in which the recital was held. The
architectural construction of church
edifices is not calculated to meet the
most ideal requirements for piano
playing Notwithstanding this. Bor-
chard scored big success in Bridge
port YESTERDAY