New-York tribune., 1919-10-13
Music
Serge Prokofieff Gives Piano
Recital at Aeolian Hall; Con.
cert at the HippOdrOmc

at his concert yesterday afternoon
Serge Prokoficff cooed as gently as
any sucking dove. This young Prone
theus from Russia, who, it had been as
serted, had already stolen from heaven
the sacred fire which is to light the
music of the future, submitted himself
to being bound to the rock of the
classics and discourscd Bach. Beethoven
and Chopin as if he were any ordinary
Hofmann or Paderewski. Moreover, his
discourse was we'll tempered, clear,
! reticent, serene.
His paying of the Bach French Suite
would have endeared him to a genera
tlon who had never heard of Scrabine
or any of the later modcrns. 1t was
playing. of a high order of beauty,
rhythmic, gracious, exquisite in balance
and proportion. Beautifully, too, did
he give the three Country Dances" Of
Beethoven, and in them he proved that
JOY can still be understood by Russian,
at least by a Russian out Of Russia.
He then played the Schumann sharp
minor sonata to general satisfaction.
But Mr.. Prokofeff of course realized
that the huge audience which greeted
him had not all come to hear Bach,
Beethoven and Schumann. 1t wanted
to hear the young Prometheus, to
w
Prokotieff obliged them. He played
Prelude. a Marche, Gavottc, a Sug
gestion Diabolique and half dozen final
encores, among them the march from
his new opera, "The Love of the Three
Oranges Some Of these we're pretty,
some of them were piquant, the march
may very we'll become popular.
A witty Theban whispered as he
glided from the hall, "Mr. Prokofieff
= l..
"impudent music"-no better phrase has
been coined to express the evocations
Of the young Russian. Impudencc-~is
this the spirit our young Prometheus has
dared the heaven to obtain? We don't
believe it, Impudcnce comes from
earth and is born of high spirits and
irrespons bility. 1t is a product either
of the street or Of the salon, and we
strongly suspect that Mr.. Prokofieff's
is of the latter. One can't storm
heaven in Louis Quatorze chair,
can give young ladies lots of artistic
frissons.
Mr.. Prokotieff is a pianist Of rare
talen, but composer a la mode. At
!, least he is at present, while youth still
has its fling. Perhaps tomorrow he
may grow tired of being Pierrot. Per-
haps tomorrow he may find his soul.
A huge audience thronged the Hip
podrome in the evening to hear the
concert by the Metropolitan Quartet,
of Frances Aida, Carolina Lazzari,
Charles Hackett and Giuseppe de Luca.
MIR. Hackett being i'll and Mr.. de Luca
being in Italy and also ILL., their places
were taken by Morgan Kingston and
Thomas Chalmers. The concert was
devoted to operate solos and en-
sembles, the greatest applause of the
evening greeting Nine. Lazzari and Mr..
Chalmers in their duet from 'La
excellent voice.
Toscha Seidcl gave violin recital
yesterday afternoon in Carnegie Hall.
The mellowness Of his tone was we'll
suited to Grieg's Sonato in 6 minor,
the opening number on the pro-
gramme, which he played with facie
execution and sympathetic observ-
ance of the emotional possibilities in
were made upon the young violinist
by Conus's Concerto in E minor. This
is a servceable piece, eXcellently con-
trived to display the instrument for
which it was written. Furthermore it
has the advantage of being in one
movement. Now, Mr.. Seidels strong
point is his tone. He has good but
not spectacular technique. Still, while
his playing does not dazzle, it is more
satisfying than the chilly brilliance of
some of his more showy contempo-
raries.
Beethoven's Romance in G major,
Sarasate's Zapateado and Wieniawski's
Polonaise in d major were among the
other numbers. Unless they are pre-
pared to conform to the old Quaker
precept "Children should be seen and
not heard" circumstances compel the
suggestion that hereafter children un-
der five should not be encouraged in
the habit OF attending afternoon con-
certs.
No A.:oc Cl:n1