New-York tribune., 1920-02-09
Hofmann's Magic
At Piano Enthralla
Capacity Audience
Caps Afternoon of
Triumph With Informal
Display of Digital Dex-
terity That Astonishes All
BY H. F.. Krehbiel

MIR. Joseph Hofmanr entertained,
charmed. edited and astounded vast
congregation Of the lovers of piano
forte music in Carnegie Hall yestcr-
day afternoon. We would have said
a congregation of Hofmann enthrsi-
asts If the terms were not convertible,
for lover of the pianoforte and Of
music who is not also an enthusiastic
admirer of Mr.. Hofmann, If he exists,
is too rare an individual to be sought
out in the latitude and longitude Of
New York
The multitude that filled the stage
as we'll as the big audience room yester-
day had evidently come prepared to
hear anything and everything which
Mr.. Hoffman, might offer, though it
made several pretty obvious den on
strations that it's largest desire was
in the direction of the tnings which
we're technically amazing. This pen
chant Mr.. Hofmann refused to hu.nor
until he had finished his set prog am
Then, having already played an hour
and thrce-quarters, with but a single
intermission of a few minutes, he
added an impromptu concert, lasting
light Of 200 curiosity seekers, who pre-
erred to stand in crowd near the
stage and stare at the performer,
ather than to hear the music in COM
'ort from their seats and yield the
anne privilege to saner and more
edate listeners. For their benefit Mr..
iofmann did variety of digital feats
nd seemingly amused himself by keep
ng them in wonderment as to what
ne pieces were with which he regaled
nem for of all his added numbers only
ne (Chopins c sharp minor waltz)
las generally familiar, while Mosz-
aowski's "Juggler" was known to con-
noisseurs, who, however, made up g.
rest were compositions of his own,
though they have been tagged with his
pen name, "Dworsky." Among them
was an amusing and brilliant caprice
In the tones OF the common chord
which he calls Sanctuary" ard which
has sort of photographed signifi-
cance, the familiar series Of tones being
those given out by the dinner chime,
the tocsin of the soul, in his home in
the South.
A misprint in the housebill credited
an elfish prelude in A minor, compo ed
by Rachmaninoff, to Scrabine, who was
represented In the list by two studies.
After second of these there was
pei 81 eCtC ucIldiiu lUf TcpeLlC1On, OF
something more of the same sort, but
MIR. Hofmann's expressed purpose was
next to ring the fairy bells and open
the eyes of the winking Mary-buds
with LISTS transcription of Schubert's
"Hayk! Hark the Lark" and from tn
he wisely refused to be diverted After
the exquisite serenade he played, as
the concluding number of his list, the
same masters transcription of Schl-
bert's "Erlking," with the thunderous
rushing octaves from the left hand,
which the last generation heard from
his master, Rubinstein-and having
heard will never forget.
The pianist's first group consisted of
Bcethoven's sonata in C, op. SO (the
"Waldstein"), Debussy's "Soirce en-
Granade" and the "Perpetuum Mobile"
in contrasts, the sonata music for
music's sake, with the pianoforte sim
ply vehicle music which worked
mood, and a Moorish picture floating
about in a harmonic mist which arose
like an eXhalation from the instrument,
and music for technical display. In
the sonata (strange that there should
be occasion to remark such thing)
it was gratifying to hear proper ac-
Of the deep bass tone which
is the initial note of The theme of the
rondo, and to hear It's rhythmcal sig
nificance emphasized throughout the