The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-22
RUSSIAN COMPOSER
HEARD ON PIANO
Sergei RachmaninOw, a Refu-
gee, Gives Some of His
Own Work.
RECITAL rs INTERESTING
Newcomer Includes -Four
Kings of the Instrument
in Programme.

Sergei Rachmaninov. the distin-
guished Russian composer, who has
been 90 fortunate as to make his way
out OF his own distracted country to
this one, was heard yesterday after
noon in Carnegie Hall in what he
gratefully called concert OF music
for the pianoforte." It Is stimulating
to the intellectual curiosity to meet a
creative musician and to study him in
the act Of interpreting his own and
other mems music.
Doubtless personalities Of more ro-
mantio quality than Mr.. Rachmani-
nov's appeal with a more seductive
charm to the mass of concert goers, but
to not a few the message OF a keen an
alytical mind which combines under
standing with a masters fine feeling
for the melodic phrase is very well
come.
Mr.. Rachmanlnov elected to play
compositions by four of the great
kings of the piano and its music He
began with Mozart's theme and vRria-
tons in A major, which he followed
with Beethoven's sonata in d major.
opus 10, No. 8. Chopin wac repre-
sented by the c sharp minor nocturne,
the A fiat valse, opus AZ, and the c
minor polonaise, one rarely played and
deserving OF more frequent hearing.
Also It admits of varied interpreta-
ton. which Is by no means 80 grievous
as academicians are wont to declare.
Liszt, the fourth Of the piano mas
tiers on the programme, was repro
scented by his twelfth rhapsody.
The third group was devoted tc
compositions OF Mr.. Rachmaninov, and
| doubtless some OF his admirers wished
y had been omitted. 1t contained only
one OF those works IN which he pro-
claims himself a preacher OF the gospel
OF self, namely. the prelude in b fat
That in G. major is a prelude to the
afternoon OF boarding school girl
AS for the other two. The Lilacs." a
romance, and the Polka de w. r.
| they made us dream of II. A. Wollen-
haupt, Sidney Smith and S. b. Mills.
Rachmaninov is composer OF bet.
ter things and n pianist worthy of Sc
rious consideration. He plays in 9
style leaning toward the pedagogic
He is ponderous and staccato with
the sinister hand. He often strike.
| icy CLEANS through the vibrating
treble strings with glacial finger. Blu
| nevertheless his Is a style in which
the predominattng traits are large
1t possesses immense spirit virile vi
vacity, incisiSe rhythm, crispness o
| finger enunciation, and phrasing o.
the master school,
The Mozart number was played Will
a delicious clarity. smoothness and
! finesse in the distribution of accents
| The Beethoven was a scholars ex
position of the content OF the sonata
Perhaps more melting tone NIGH
have been used, for the composition /,
not in Beethoven's thunderer period
but in the first flush OF his ebullien
youth. But the analysis was as con
vincing, and perhaps as dry, as one o
| Won Bulow's.
Similarly the three Chopin numbers
were interpreted with broad vision
and in large lines. The polonais,
alone remained below the level Thu
valse was brittle and its bones rat
tied, but II was done in pretty tcchnic
At all times the composer showed him
self a musician, with a musicians sen
sitiveness TO the characteristic fea
lures of the work before him and ;
musicians affection for melody ant
rhythm.
on the whole il was a highly inter
estinE reCital-or rather concert o
music for the pianoforte."