Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-15
GRIEF STRENGTH
FOR PADEREWSKI
Artistry of Great Pianist SOitened by
Sadness for His Beloved Country
of Poland.
PLAYS AT THE MOLINE THEATRE
Large Audience of Tri.City Music Low
ers Enjoys Concert Presented
Last Evening.
(BY MARY A0UIN.)

Ignace J. Paderewski, renowned Pol
ish pianist and composer, presented a
program of music at The Moline the
atre in Moline last evening before an
audience of tri-city people closely in
sympathy with his inimitable art and
the purpose of his visit here and who
accorded him handsome ovations at
the commencement and close of the
concert.
Tall, as slender as he was in early
youth, his leonine head and classic fea-
lures touched with the gravity and
modesty that was the distinguishing
mark on his first visit to America, to
those of his audience who had not seen
him in u years Paderewski seems
little changed, but greatly saddened.
A hint of this creeps into his interpre-
tation and the happiest passages in the
score appear softened wee bit with
the dew and duskiness and sweetness
of twilight.
his selections last night gave broad
range to his abilities and showed him
at his best as he swept the resonance
from the strings to stir his auditors
with the mighty clash Of vibrant
sounds; or in the Subtler notes of har
mony carried them aloft in gentle
thought or pinioned their spirit to the
melody of the dance. Refreshing to
degree it must have been to many to
follow his Interpretation of compost
tons earworn by similarity of treat
ment by pianists in general, The eff
fective pauseS, the natural breathing
places, the Ominous calm before the
storm and the quiet after the hurri
cane, all fine emotions the heart and
brain of man is heir to, are designated
through the magic fingertips of the
artist, Paderewski.
And Paderewski, the man? Sim
plicity and naturalness, modesty and
refinement, intelligence and purity,
these are the dominant qualities that
make perfect the appreciation of men
and women who cannot allow for the
separation of the genius and the man
/ by chasm of leeway in morals. Pad
erewski reflects nobility of thought
] the passion of a sensitive soul, the fire
/ of patriotism and one feels intuitively
that the sorrow of Poland is crushing
/ the heart of her son.
T,l,,l ILL., 70
I fer because of her location to the war
ring countries Through no fault of
I her own her people are pitifully en-
during all of the horrors visited on
/ lamity. 1t was said at the commence
ment of the war that thought of its
atrocities had stilled the hand of Pad
erewski and he could not longer play
I the piano but at sight of his country's
suffering he determined to fight for
his people with the best weapon at his
command The American public in
patroniZing the Paderewski piano con-
certs is contributing directly to the re-
lief Of the Polish victims, for every dol
J
forwarded TO the relief society 1t is
the most beautiful and beneficent use
of a talent-the allaying of suffering.
If the world were peopled by minds
as intelligently directing their forces
as Paderewski, earth would not have
ground for the maelstrom and inferno
called war.
Somehow PaderewslIi made his audi
ence feel this. A song without words
coursed in Schumann's Symphoniques; ;
it grew triumphant in LISTS Rhap-
sodie and while the people sat en-
thralled, intoxicated with the written
notes OF masters of music, the voice
of John Sobieski, whose wizardry de-
feated the Turks in the fierce struggle
| between crescent and the crown, his
followers who fought and died for a
free Poland cried out in passionate
strain at Paderewski's call for a free
world. The trickling, twinkling tones
wrought mystic cabalistics which ap-
peared the words of old King Casimir:
Il, your king and father, return to
your hands what the world esteems
above all things-a crown-and choose
for my throne six feet of earth where |
shall sleep in peace" The music deep
ened and out Of its depths rose the
common soldier, Przemyslaw, and his
plea to sweep the CHASTITY ruins of mis-
taken ideals and refuse to accept the
boundaries of language as cause for
hate.
Gives Several Encores.
Everyone has knowledge of Pade-
rewski's wonderful control of his in
strument, of his unique pedalling
which has opened the way for truer
Interpretation of the works of all the
greater master composers, Of his per-
feet scales. his diminuition of tone, I'M
til the note fades away like a very
ghost of sound, of the marked pauses,
Of his humble attitude before his life
work, and it were futile to attempt to
add to what others experience for
themselves. The audience at the Mo
line last night has a cherished men,
DRY Of great man and great art.
With his characteristic amiability,
PadereWski augmented the program
with several numbers in response to
tencores and repeated until his hearers
were satisfied portion of the delight
full galaxy of Chopin. No part of his
program but pleased, and to please