New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-11-14
BAUER PLAYS A
BRAHMS CONCERTO
Play of Contrasts at a
Symphony Society's
Concert.
BY II. z. kREHBIEL.

Mr.. Harold Bauer played the solo
part of Brahms's pianofortc concerto in
ID minor at a concert of the Symphony
Society in Aeolian Hall yesterday a.
ternoon and brought an affair which
was not all that It might and ought 20
have been to Il triumphant conc usion.
The concert was not all that l. ought
10 have beer because there was TOO
much slovenly playing by the band and
very much, too much. evidence that Mr.
Damrosch is too often content with
mere playing of the notes in good pre-
cision. with fairly pure intonation and
reasonable respect for the large marks
of dynamic expression. But there is a
much greater grace, much higher re-
fnement Of beauty, much larger va
riety of expression in MoZart's "Ju-
piter" symphony than yesterdays audi
ence was permitted to hear. The least
endurabls thing about this music is
that it should be reeled off mechan-
ically in obedience to an inelastic beat
and without regard to the ingratiating
genuflexIons. the mods and becks and
wreathed smiles which mark its melo-
dies. Here was an opportunity for the
exhibition of a much higher type of
luNl lihL tAUlDllcu III lNt
musically spinoless and marrowless
show-piece, Mr.. Motifs transcription Of
LISTS "St. Francis Preaching to the
Birds" on which. we fancy, more pre-
paratory attention was bestowed than
en- the overture to "Oberon" (Which
was, after all, beautifully Played or
the symphony.
However, as has been intimated,
Of ion in N
pianoforte concerto. which occupied a
truly antipodal relationship TO the
clap-trap programme piece which pre-
coded it. Very serious music indeed
is this d minor concerto of Brahms;
very serious and very uncompromising.
Strong meat for strong men Is this
concerto, and the pianist who keeps il
in his repertory proves by that fact
that he has equal confidence in himself
and the people he plays for. In this
respect Mr. Bauer is one of few. A
long memory recalls but few perform.
ances of it in New York; the last by
Mr.. Bauer himself at brace of Phil
harmonic concerts on November 80
and December I, 1912. Before then
il had, we believe, only two per
fcrmances in New York-the first
by Mr.. Conrad Ansorge in April,
1890, the second by Mr.. Josetfy at
Symphony Society's concert in March,
1906. The impression made by the
work upon the mind of The Tribune's
reviewer twentyfour years ago cannot
be recalled; but that made when Mr.
Joseffy played il remains, and was re-
peated yesterday when Mr.. Bauer gave
il much more virile Interpretation.
There is not much in the composition
which is pleasurable in the ordinary
acceptation of the term. The first
movement is lofty, but austere. II has
real epic grandeur. Unfortunately. the
orchestral part is oppressively sombre
in color, thick and opaque. Il seems
to yield nothing TO the solo instru-
ment, though perhaps careful study
the kind that all concerted works
should have and never get under pres
ent conditions-w would bring about q
better rapprochement than has yet
been heard here.
The Adagio is filled with a beauty
that is seraphic In the score Brahms
has written under the melody the
words "Benedictus qui VENT in nomine
Domini." and the harmony between the
sentiment and the feeling of the music
is so perfect that it is almost impos-
sible to avoid the wish that the piece
had been written out as choral num-
Der. Then the voices would surely
have been ethereal and less clogged
with terrestrialism than they are IN
the orchestra. A strong spirit speaks
out of the finale, but, though it en-
pIoys the lighthearted rondo form, It
has but few glints of humor in t, and
too much of it moves on leaden feet.
II is all noble music, but not all Of 1t
is music of the kind which receives its
freest and best expression from the
pianoforte. Mr.. Bauer interpreted this
music yesterday. giving no thought 20
personal display and making the
yirtuoso subordinate to the priest and
prophet. He has doomed large in our
concert life of late years; and he took
on added stature yesterday.