The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-24
WONDERFUL!
 PROGRAM BY
 GREAT ARTIST
Rachmaninoff Gives splen- did Concert Before Appre-
 ciative Audience.
Racbmaninof
generally

Sergei Rachmaninoff, generally conceded to @be the most talented of modern composers, played "a re- markab1e program last evening to an audience that filled the Park thea ire. His splendid genius was given a wonderful reception and he was graciousnesS itself in response. The program was an extraordinarily diff ficult one, but as an acknowledge ment of the sincere tribute paid him the artist gave not one but three en- cores at the conclusion of the last number.
 The man has a striking personality. He appears to be a person bowed from the weight of a crushing sor- row. This strain is distinctly tracea- b1e in his own compositions. Per haps this is not to be wondered at as all his possessions were lost in the Russian revolt and having to leave his own country and home could not help but have a great influence on him.
 His concert was the most magnifi cent exhibition of complete artistry that has ever been witnessed in Bridgeport He has wholly orig inal style and his selections were well out of the beaten track. Technic, he possesses to a rich degree, but so per
 
 vient to his taste and feeling. No matter how difficult the composition on which he was engaged the melody 1 ever predominated. It stood out l clearly and sharply and the other notes formed a rich and coIored 4 background. His tones had a singing resonance that was most satisfying. | His touch is viri1e and yet has a vel vet texture of exquisite softness. In l the piano passages the notes were warm and full of color. He painted l with his tones, putting on the colors | in broad, wonderful strokes, that evolved a magnificent color scheme
 From the opening chord of Varia- tions-Serieuses, opus 54, Mendelssohn to the last vibrantly sweet note o1 Tschaikowskrs St,Troika,'' he wove a magic spell of melody round his hearers. Schuman's Carnival | Opus 9, was played exactly as the great composer should be handled There is the necessity of sharp ac. cents and contrasts in Schumann an6 l Rachmaninon was wholly in sym pathy with this. The light and shad ing &xa his playing are especially fine They transcend that. of any othe. pianist that has ever played in tni 1 city.
 
 that are usually heard, but two call ing for the greatest scope of tech nicaI equipment were a feature of tn, program In the second that he gay, the time is broken and it is excep tiona1ly difficult. Yet never one was the marvellous rhythym broker and the melody clear and perfectl, defined.
 His magnificent Prelude C-sharl Minor was given a depth of profound feeling. This composition is some times called '@Fhe Bells of Moscow and in the main theme are the sonor ous tones of the great bells of tn city. This was followed by Valse also his own composition. This wa built of the airiest fabric, a delicat tracery of the most liquid notes. ] was played in a maSterfu1 manne ) and yet with a hghtness and delicac l of touch that was beautiful. Che l pins colorfu1 Scherzo, opus 31, wa played with breadth and fire. Tn 5 Vadse Faust" Gounod-Liszt demand 3 the most brilliant technical skill an 9 1t received everything that the maste technican Liszt could have demanded
 Rachmaninon is distinguished b
 his utmost sincerity. He is absc
 futely free from any of the element q of the poser. His art is pre-emi1 q 1 ent. Bridgeport certainly owes f debt to tfne firm of M. Steinert & Sor h ! for the clear vision that promp1 them to bring an artist of the calib1 q of this man to this city.