New-York tribune., 1920-10-19
Hungarian Boy
Pianist Called
A New Genius
Erwin Nyredghazi Displays
Marvelously Fine Tech
nique and Amazing Intel
lcctual and Musical Outfit
Is Styled a NJ aste r
Krehbiel Sees Drawback
Only in His lndividualism
and Lack of Continuity
By II. f. Krehbiel


knocked on the head before we have
had time to draw a judicious breath
every time a new musical performer
comes to us across seas. 1t disturbs
our equilibrium, makes us expect too
much when we are in generous mood
or too little when we pause to ponder
CUR experience with prodigious persons
during half century Of critical activ-
ity. But it's way the managers pub
lcity men have, and they arc always
few weeks ahead of US in getting into
the newspapers.
Last night we were bdden to Car
negie Hall to listen to a genius; not a
brilliant pianist, but genius with such
an amazing musical and intellectual
outfit that a professor Of psychology at
Budapest was moved to make a bookful
of study Of him.
What we heard was a pianist cf mar
vellously tine technical requirements
and undoubted gifts for his chosen vo-
cation, but so obsessed with ndividuai-
ism that its manifestation frequently
indeed, generally, stood in the way of
our enjoyment Of mis- music.
Newcomer a Hungarian
The newcomer is Erwin Nyredghazi,
Hungarian youth, apparently cigh teen
OF twenty years old. he has a legiti-
mate artistic inheritance (we are told
but not by press agent, wherefore we
believe it, his grandparents, paternai
and material, and his father having
been in the service of the opera at
Budapest. The story Of his feats az
child sounds a little bit like that Of
Mozart, concerning whom, when he was
half as old as Nyredghazi, the Hon.
the Royal Society Of Great Britain
But it was the creative gift of the boy
from Salzbhrg which amazed the wise
men OF Europe, not merely his play
ing; and in spite Of this, Dr. Burney,
examining some of his music years
plater, thought his talent more extraor-
dinary than excellent"
The learned historian was mistaken,
as we know. but if he had something
Of the distrust Of nrodigies which we
feel, we cannot blame him. Scores
of prodigious children have we heard,
and in nine cases out of ten they
came to nothing, artistically, in later
years.
The most notable exception was, and
is, Josef Hoffman, and he was saved
and permitted to develop only because
Il muslc-loVing philanthropist rescued
him from his father and his manager
and enabled him to grow to maturity
in a normal manner The new pianist
has passed his prodigy period, how
ever, and is now safely on the road to
what may be great career.
Continuity Neglected
His admirable qualities, besides his
finger technique, are perfect com
mand Of the dynamic capacity of the
pianofortc, also of its tone color.
/ though of this he seems disposed to
make little use. He feels no urge
toward sensuous charm, though it is
at his call in high degree. He is
often Indifferent to melodic contours
dclghting in chopping phrases into
bits, either by disconnectng the mo-
tives which compose them by short
pauses. or crisp final chords. or by ex-
aggerated nuances. He does not sing
as he might because he does not want
to. For the sake of crisp, cracking,
c1cpltatlng tones he neglects meloGic
| continuity.
He j, too indul gent in sudden tempo
changes and makes rushes in speed and
sorority like the musical gypsies Of
his native land, who are as little
Magyars as he is a Magyar by race.
But his digital independence is mar
velous to a degree. When we heard
the ripping murmur of the music
evoked by his lept hand in the Bach
Busoni toccata we were sure that
there sat before us an unsurpassed
master of polyphonic playing.
1t is long since we heard the like.
But this was passing evocation of
his skull. In the Schubert-L fan
tasia, with its use of the beautiful
slow melody of the song DER Wander
err the alterations were coo many