The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-30
ESTHER PAYNE RECITAL
CBy Bertha Hampstead. }


A public recital in which Topeka
musicians found much to interest
them was given Monday night at the
Baptist church by Miss Esther Payne,
young student of exceptional talent
which has been developing during the
past two years under the direction of
Mr.. Daniel Muller. of the Muller
School of Music. Miss Payne has Of
ten appeared before Topeka audiences
but this was the first large recital in
which she was the central figure. By
hearing her play from time to time,
Topeka people have learned to expect
a rather remarkable performance
from her, and they have watched her
progress with growing interest And
many of them were profoundly i'm
pressed last night with the intellectual
grasp she showed of the musical
Significance of even her most difficult
numbers.
Three outstanding points of excel
lence in her work is her unerring
sense of rhythm, the brilliance of her
technique, and the understanding she
has of the interpretative side of music,
which is unexpected in consideration
of her youth, and which is most i'm
portant as indicating a fundamental
and partly subconscious gift.
To illustrate these points, the Sec
ond number of the Chopin group, Bal
lade, OPP. At, is written with a be-
witching rhythmic quality that one
could not wish to detect more clearly
than in Miss Payne's rendition. In
deed, in portions of the number, are
some unusual lines that are not, once
in a hundred times, read just as they
are written, in the matter of accent.
Her technical ability was illustrated
turnout the program, and particularly
in the clear. even runs which she new
er blurs. The velocity with which she
plays the Chopin Etude Op- 20, No.
IL, won her notice from Godowski and
other pianists of note.
In her left-hand number the tones
were as strong and full would be
normally expected from SO small a
person in the use of both hands. Her
interpretative ability was best shown
in the Beethoven number An ingen-
ious bit of pedaling in one of the
Chopin numbers produced the effect
of a background in deep tone, against
which was thrown up the light and
shade of a rapid play of notes on the
upper keyboard.
A notable feature of Miss Payne's
performances is that she plays with
the same fresh vigor in the last meas
ure of a long program as she starts
with.
Miss Helen Phipps contributed
violin number of the program, and
Mrs. George H. Allen sang a double
number, the second one being a re-
cent composition of Mr.. Muller's, a
Lullaby, which was sung for the first
time in public last night. It was en-
Enthusiastically received.
The church was filled for the per-
Torrance, many of the professional
musicians in town attending. The
program was as follows:
Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven
Nalse. OPP. 81, No. 1................C Chopin
Ballade, OPP. No. 47.................Ch Chopin
Etude, Op. 25 No. IL Chopin
Miss Payne:
S The Winds In ,t the South Prindle seott
Mrs. Allen.
Concerto in A Minor. .Grieg
Miss Payne and Miss Alice Rice.
Romance MISUNDERSTANDING rkaret Melville
Miss Phipps.
Rhapsody, OPP. 30. No. 1. Brahms
Lucia de Lammermoor (for left hand
......-............Le Schetizky
Rhapsody No. Il. List
Miss Pave.