The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07

Aeolian Hall on Tuesday
afternoon to give the first
Of his six historical recitals he was
the tenth pianist to present himself
before the local musical public in this
yet young season. Last season was
prolific in piano r~ecitals and still more
80 In vocal concerts. but the present
a will without DOUBT lc even
plethoric. Sherman was right.
Possibly some will be grateful to
Mr.. G~abrilowitsch for revlvlng the
historical recital. while Others may
moi n any interest in the matter a,
all. However. We may indulge in the
passing comment that the historical
recital. dwelling FOR a time in retire
ment, was not dead. hut only walking
in Its sleep. How long ago was IL
that Hans Guido Won Buelow gave his
prolonged series Of Beethoven r~ecitals
when all the students in town sat
with their volumes Of sonatas in their
laps and their pencils poised To Dot
down limitations Of Immortality?
And did not Franz Rummel on5e
give historical recitals? There is
nothing new about the thing. Doubt
leas. when Pictro Bembo wrote his
fatherly letter to his daughter Elena.
a letter which might he entitled Nd.
yieA 20 a NaY,-r w.. d.
Learning to Make Herself Interest
ing some precious old Venetian Or
ganist, Adrian willaert himself per
haps. was Fostering the life Of the
Doge with a scheme for playing his
torical r~ecitals Of organ mus from
the tim of Nero t. thai OF Francisco
I.andino.
But old as the historical. recital may
be. II can still be galvanized into
something like real life. Two things
are essential: first OF all. the pianist
must be n who can interest an audi
ence by sheer art. and second. n. mus,
know how to make his programmes
Mr. Gabrilowitsch proved on Tuesday
that he could do both. And he had
the wisdom To provide his auditors
with a most excellent set of pro-
m notes. prepared by James
Huneker. critic and pianist.
Many people are of the opinion that
there should never he such things a.
programme notes. But a. Gilbert made
n OF his characters remark about
another matter. BLESS you. it all de-
pends." Wnen auditors sit in the con
cert hall with their noses buried in
the programme books while they try
TO deiude themselves into believing
that they can read the learned dis
cursion OF Philip Hale and listen to
the music 81 Strauss or Debus>y at
one and the same tin then all well
poised minds ~dcvoNtly wish that ii :.
little book We're buried lo.pDD fatAomS
deep.
No man can read a book about a
piece of music and actually listen with
hic mind TO hat music at the same
moment. But the programme note
which is read either before or after
the performance-preferably the for
mer-is a good thing and should he
encouraged.
The first Of Mr.. G~abrllowitSch's his
torical r~ecitals was devoted u music
written for The harpsichord or clavi-
chord-chiefiy the former. The claw
chord was never a public spirited in
srument. II Courted the sweet sol!-
tudes of the chamber, or you might
tuck IL under your arm and take IL
away with you on your travels. II
was a confidential and confiding friend.
sensitively responsive mistress, II
sou willed. whose gentle strings
throbhed with emotion under the kiss
Of you fingers.
For you mad no obtrusive meChan-
ism between you n the soul m The
C~lav!chord. The key was pressed down
In front; il swung on its pivot IN the
middle. its other II carried the brass
tangent which rose II struck the
string. II you now pushed the key
down a tritie more YOU could make a
shade Of difference in the plt"n Of the
tone. II you played a tremolo OF the
key the tangent on the other end
played IL on the string.
\ celestial instrument. the clavi-
chord. No man who has played one
can forget the joy uf the hour.
would rather play on a gpod claw
chord than on a grand piano-but not
for long.
There's the pity III ii. We modcrns
are all for the forum. We ara bred
upon public concerts and recitals. our
ears clamor for the big drum. We dc
not gather the family round the fire.
side on Saturday night and sing Mo-
Fart. We do not linger alone in our
chambers playing the preludes and
fuSues of The Well Tempered Clavi-
chord on a clavichord. We go to a
hall and pay money to near "a trained
professional play them on a conccr,
grand, whereby they are magniiied 4
hundred fold, yet without losing their
identity.
And for the matter Of that, even III.
harpsichord music. which had a mis-
sion outside the seclusion Of the cham.
Der, Is magnified enormously by the
modern piano. M matter how skill
fully. how discreetly played-ant
Gabrilowitsch did wonders in this line
the music grows TO a gigantic stat.
ure.
How did those venerable ancients dc
1t? How did Claude Daquin foreset
che perfect fitness Of his naive