New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-19
Manuel QuirOga Opens
Sunday Concert Season
in Carnegie Hall.
RUDOLF GAM
IN PIANO RECITAL
Advance Guard of Foreign
Artists Opens Musical Fire
on New York.
BY II. L. kREHBIEL.

side of the Atlantic at least. was in
troduced to New York at concert in
the Hippodrome in the evening.
Whether the name of the latter rs
Quiroga or Quirogo the public will
probably learn as soon as his manager
becomes consistent in his announce
ments; until then there seems to be no
harm in accepting the advice of Samuel
Weller and leaving it to the taste and
fancy Of the speller. What has some
significance is the fact that yesterday
was practically the opening day Of the
concert season, and that both artists
came to us from across seas. They
belong TO the skirmish line of the for
eign invaders. Mr.. Quiroga COR Qul-
rogo) is a Spaniard, and we have been
told that he will be the only foreigner
in his department who will be with US
this season, although the Russian Zim
balist, who has already begun his
American tour, sat among his hearers
last night, and the agents continue to
give us assurances that Kreisler and
Thibaud and others are surely coming.
Whether or not we shall hear Ysaye
is question. His name, however,
awakens painful reflections, for his two
sons are already numbered among the
unfortunate victims Of fate who gave
up their lives in defence of Belgium.
Mr.. GAM is no stranger. He was
for time a resident Of the United
States. and comes back to find he is a
SwitZer yet, and did service as a
guardian of the frontier of his, as yet,
more fortunate country, until it was
evident to the government of SwitZer-
lard that his fingers could be put to
a better use than the carrying of gun
il the misty. mostly cold air of the
Alpine country. He gave expression to
his patriotism by devoting the pro-
ceeds of his first recital here TO the
Swiss Relief Fund. A large audience
greeted him, and he was listened TO
With double interest. His programme
was free from chauvinism. 1t began
with Busoni's transcription of Bach's
chaconne for violin alone; German
music of the long ago transformed
by an Italian who has become Berlin
lied, not altogether for his own artls-
tic good, though there are no traces
OF his rebrth in the transcription
which was made some twenty-odd years
ago when he was struggling musician
in Boston. With il Mr.. CAM tested
the sonorous capacity Of his instru-
again to wonder at the difference IN
artistic ideals between the creators of
the eighteenth century and those of to-
day, to realize, also, how stupendous
a proclamation Bach could make with
Il modest vehicle of expression.
In strong contrast to the modernlzed
Bach music was the Sonata in ID, by
HAYDN, which followed. a composition
written when the pianoforte was still a
tinkling instrument, trying TO find a
place beside the harpsichord Very
wisely, Mr. CAM made no effort to
translate Haydn's language into that
Of to-day. He brought out the superior
beauty of the tone of the pianoforte,
and let the audience observe the simple
beauty of the archaic melodic lines by
playing with delightful clarity and
limpidity. A more equable distribution
Of dynamic light and shade would have
improved the effect of his playing, and
there might also have been less cold
rigidity in his singing of the themes.
Sentiment Of a gentle, soulful sort IS
always in place even in such formal
music as the sonatas and sonatinas OF
the Haydn Mozart period, and that Mr.
CAM can evoke sensuously lovely and
passionate tone he demonstrated IN the
Glow movement of Chopin's b minor
sonata. which bridged over the classic
and latter day periods of his pro-
eramme. As for the rest, greater
warmth and poetic depth than he put
into it might have been imagined IN
all OF his music. including the list OF
smaller pieces with which he concluded
his recital-two compositions by
Blanchet "a new name in our concert
schemes. but scarcely significant
cne). two by himself, one by the re-
markedly gifted boy Of Vienna, Eric
Korngold. and two by List.
Heretofore the Hippodrome, when
used as concert room, has been de.
voted chiefly TO the exploitation OF
artists of the sensational type, atter
they have made so great hit that
smaller halls and dignified methods
will no longer suffice them. To put
stranger there for first appearance
is a cruel test. 1t was especially trying
to Mr. Quiroga COR Quirogo) because
of his obvious modesty and unfamiliar
ity with the tricks of the vlrtuoso. lie
played as if unconscious OF ms auol-
ence, unconscious even OF the lact that
his introduction was abnormal ana
anomalous. Whether or not ne IS
capable of producing sensuously
beautiful tone his critical hearers were
unable to say. AT the most, they were
led TO recognize largely developed
technical skill, not yet brought INTO
the service of sound taste or artistic
understanding. The performance OF
the Mendelssohn concerto was sadly
lacking in every element Of distinction,
especially breadth. nobility and repose.
Under the circumstances, his playing
WAS a disappointment, though am I'M
mense audience rewarded him with tu-
multuous applause. II would be wen
if he could be heard under falrer CIR
INSTANCES.
An excellent project of the Messrs
Aborn is the series Of opera talks
given by w. II. Hubbard IN the Cent
ury Opera House. They take place on
Sunday afternoons, and treat IN turn
of the work which is 20 be put INTO
the repertory on the following tues,
day evening. Yesterday Mr.. HUBBARD
treated of "The Jewels OF the Madon-
ma" The tardy arrival OF MI Berg
man, the tenor. made IT necessary thaV
the auditorium be used Tor a rehear-
sal, and so the lecture took place IN
the Lyceum, which was crowded with
listeners. Earnest. rapt attention was
given to the lecturer. who told the ilIe
story OF Wolf-Ferrari and then gave
graphic, dramatic description OF the
opera, dropping occasionally INTO
melodramatic defamation OF the text
N which a pianist supplied the music.
Ny Hubbard speaks with great flu
encv. uses well-chosen words. is ear
nest and convincing; a pity. only that
he has contracted habit OF frequent
iv dropping into a cadence which
tirows unmeaning stress upon incon-
seouential words and wesries the
listener with its monotony.
n.~oI.1x,xx MI, l1nuoo