New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-11
Mr.. CAMS RECITAL
A Juvenile ProgreSSiSt in Music
Bows Sonata Heard.

Mr.. Rudolph CAM, pianist, is far from
being an unknown quantity I'm American
musical life. He once mace his domicile
in Chicago and occasionally came TO New
York to give a concert and incidentally to
Illustrate the excellent standard of plano
forte playing which is maintained in the
metropolis Of the middle Northwest
Then he changed his abode to Europe,
and, returning for concert purposes. has
chosen TO present himself as a Swiss
pianist. Perhaps it is better so, for Mr.
CAM was Helvetian Lcfore he was a
Chicagoan, and II makes no difference, so
far as his playing is concerned, whether
he halls from the Alps or Lake Michigan
lie appeared IN still another capacity,
however, yesterday afternoon when he
gave a recital in Carnegie Hall-as a
propagandist for the Juvenile radical
Erich Korngold. Of Vienna. He played
the lads pianoforte sonata in + major,
written two years ago, when the COM
poser was thirteen years old. other mu-
sicians have written sonatas when they
were even younger tnan tbis precocious
lad, but he is the first of record who be-
gan where the most radical of his elders
left off, or at point which they have not
yet attained. DR.. Burney, VINO heard
some orchestral music written by Mozart
when he was already sixteen, thought
that the future composer of the Jupiter"
symphony was an instance Of early
fruit being more extraordinary than eX-
cellent.' When young Korngold and his
model Arnold Schonberg. have educated
popular taste TO the enjoyment of their
music, some of those who are rash
enough TO think now of the former what
be very much ashamed of themselves; but
what they think now will be true Just
the same. The boys music is more eX-
traordinary than excellent, Judged by
nearly all the canons of musical art which
still have validity. And it is In nothing
so extraordinary as I'm it's disregard Of
pregnant and plastic ideas, OF euphOnious
integument of logical sequence and Of
those pleasurable effects which result
from symmetrical adjustment Of ends and
means, matter and manner, thought and
expression. It would have been more
than interesting. It would have been a
real pleasure, TO have heard the result
had the lads master constrained him TO
work along old-fashioned, conventional
lines I'm the development of the promis-
ing themes OF his last movement. A
classroom exercise would have better
filled the ears of the listeners and stirred
their fancy than did the irritating starts
and sidewise excursions which the audi
ence had TO take instead yesterday. But
this is the age OF progress, OF unquest!on-
ing initiative and unbridled individual
license. Let us be neo-Teutonic before It
is too late
Mr.. CAM played some other music,
some Of his own, which we wish he had
left 10 clever drawing room artists "a fan
tastic march and a peasants dance, and
prelude in G. fiat and sereuade by
stranger to our lists named Blanchet Uhe
former a striking harmonic study on a
ground notc), and though these things
won the liking OF his audience they
dimmed somewhat the fine, strong clear
artistic light which went out from his
performance OF Schumann's symphonic
studies, Beethoven's c sharp minor So
nata and the pieces by Chopin and List.
Mr.. CAMS style has undergone a refining
process since he was here last; he is a
player whom now it is an unalloyed de-
light to hear. II. E. Il.