New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-03
A P|AN|ST'S DEBUT
Interesting Music Most Inter-
estingly PIayed-A Word
About TransCriptiOnS
of Bach.

Aeollan Hall, new concert room, was
opened to the public yesterday afternoon,
and a pianoforte virtuoso, heretofore I'M
known even by name to the city's music
lovers, entered into the ken of a great
many Of them. The temptation would De
strong to say that Mr.. Gottfried Galston'
| the newcomer, not only entered into the
knowledge of the local public, but won
large and lofty place in the regard OF
large PARTON of its serious element. In
time Mr. Galston may become hero OF
the gushing damosels of our recital rooms
but il he does it will be because that al
fectation which is the bane of music VIII
have taken a new direction. 1t VIII De
we'll If he can be spared that fate ana leit
to the appreciation Of the judicious ana
healthy minded. 1t was to them that MS
first recital appealed both in programme
and performance. He Is young in years.
| but mature in mind. His attitude toward
his art appears to be that or sincere
| devotee. His conception OF beauty Is
healthy and inspires respect and admira-
ton even when his proclamation awak-
ems questionings. lie is pianist to be
reckoned with seriously; plainly natter
of shams, sensationalism and sentimental
| ity; lover Of good things and true;
! thinking musician a dignifed artist In
whom feeling and intellect are happily
and equally paired neither a mushy emo
tionalst nor a dry pedant. These the
| impressions created by all that he ala
yesterday, but most emphasized by his
| playing OF the music of Bach and Beetho-
ven with which the recital was opened.
After the music OF the 1itans had been
disposed OF the rest Of the afternoon was
given up TO Chopin-a dozen studies, the
berceuse and the polonaise being the con-
| tribution Of him who was the incarnation
of the voice and spirit of the pianoforte-
| the piano bard, the piano rhapsodist' the
piano mind, the piano soul" as RUBIN
stein characterized him. In this music
| the newcomer measured his strength
against a score OF popular idols, ana held
his footing best with those-they are
not the most admired-who believe that
/ there is a virile essence in Chopin's music
| Most of the studies which he played
seemed to have been chosen to make such
/ a demonstration, and he was frequently
convincing, but not always, and some
/ times he forgot that It Is possible 10 oe-
come too noisy upon the planotorte even
} in Chopin and that no pianoforte tone
can be TOO luscious for the cradle song
+ To pursue the thoughts invited by the
Bach music to their conclusion "ouiu
! lead the reviewer very far aheld' All
/ the music was presented in a trans
! IL. that Is lniNOlQ-
, able with Bach, for even the most mod-
J ern Of his clavier pieces, the 'ChrofhaIic
/ Fantasia and Fugue," in which one may
I hear the voice Of many waters ahG
mighty thunderings, was written lor the
! tinkling harpsichord and must needs be
, translated into the idiom of the piano
forte if it's glory is to be heard. But
the clavier compositions are more natlNe
TO the modern instrument than the or
gan pieces which have crowded them OH
our concert programmes. When Liszt
made mis- transcription Of six Of the pref
udcs and fugues, It was only as an ex-
pertinent TO see II the pianoforte, when
he credited with practically 7hmteu
potentiaIities, could be made to speak
the speech Of the many-voiced organ. IL
was a whole decade later that he per-
mitted himself to be persuaded TO puo-
lish the arrangements. In the chorai
preludes, which Mr.. Galston played yes
terdav. Busoni, the transcriber. went a
stem further than Liszt, Cor he tried not
only To make two hands do on one Key
hoard what two hands and two feet were
called upon By Bach TO do on three, but
also sought TO retain some OF the orig
iual effect Of the music. The result is a
triumph Of technical achievement, ana
enables one who Is at once finished
tachnician and a deep scholar TO do such
BEAUTIFUL things as Mr.. Galston did yes
to-day in the prelude on "Wachet auf'
rift ms die Stlmme" and such amazing
but FAR less beautiful things In that on
"Xun freut euch," all the churchly spirit
of which was dissipated by the rapid
tempo and Jigging style. 1t is well
established fact that Bachs artistic feel
ing frequently got the better OF his re-
spect for ecclesiastical conventions, nut
II Is inconceivable that he ever dreamed
of treating even a joyful canticle so
nppantly
Tn. other Bach numbers were Busoni
transcription of the prelude and ruSue
I'm d major Tin which Mr. Galston pro-
duced striking effect by the manner in
which he enunciated the simple ascend
ing diatonic scale which is pervasve
element in the prelude) and transcript
ton by the concert giver Of a scilienne
Then came Beethovens stupendous
Sonata in Is fiat, Op. 1906 with which, II
an exception be allowed as TO the con-
Guiding fugue, Mr.. Galston crowned the
work of the afternoon. Here amazing
technical skill was found to be COM
petely at the service OF poeticai utter
arce. II is long since so Impressive
planoforte performance has been heard
g., , locot concert ROOM II. T.. X.
MISS GLUCK'S RECITAL