New-York tribune., 1921-02-15
kocharlski Put
I'm Front Ranks
AS a Violirlist
Excellence of His Playing
Causes Him To Be En-
rolled Among Many Cam
didates for Laureateship
Classed as Great Artist
Concert in Carnegie Hall
Under Dan,rosch Sponsor
ship Wins Loud Acclaim

There has been such a prodigal ex-
penditure of superlatives in reporting
the doings of visiting violinists this
season that it is become all but i'm
possible to differentiate in any way be-
tween them-or, at any rate, the top
most half dozen. Yesterday afternoon,
while listening to the latest arrival,
who rejoices in the extremely amiable
Polish name of Kochanski (Which
might be rendered into the German
Liebling or the English Lover), we were
reminded of the quandary in which an
enthusiastic young woman found her
self on her first experience of travel
Having declared that everything
which she saw during the first few
hours was great, grand, magnificent,
and SO forth, she found herself reduced
to "too cute for anything" when she
came 20 Niagara Falls.
Kochanski an Artist
Without reduction to that extremity
we felt inclined yesterday, when the
Polish violinist had finished the con-
certo by Brahms, to say only: Finely
played; he is an artist" That will, OF
course, not suffice to describe him; but
what more is to be done? Perhaps il
would be we'll to remember that in the
whelming bood of musical virtuosi
which is upon .us time and expert
ence ought to be permitted a voice in
the decision concerning the excellence
of each and the many.
Catchpenny judgment just now, after
the twentieth fhjrfie4b N
for the violin laureateship has been
heard, might say that the last decade
has produced more geniuses in the field
of violin playing than any generation
or two generations, before. And for
that we could not give credence or an
account. Nor can we conceive how
any other could give an account.
Yet in this we are truly trying TO
remain humble in judgment, and OBJ
servant of conditions; for, indeed,
much extraordinary talent has passed
last few months. That so much of it
has been Slavic-J ewish ought to give
pause to judgment; but it cannot, be-
cause of the deluge.
A Racial Deluge
A racial, not merely national or
artistic deluge That is matter
HAiNA CdliAOb DO NiHSGooNd itlpSh ACoS
determined offhand-for me thing be-
cause it's discussion has been offensive
Ly those who for commercial reasons
have exploited it. Is that plain? 1t
ought to be, at any rate. 1t is in
tended SO. 1t lies at the root of some
CT the grossest vices that are at the
bottom of what is called musical cul-
ture to-day.
But we are getting too serious. Mr.
Kochanski is, as we tried to say when
we started out. an artist. We have
troubled the wasa-s only because OF the
talk in which we have INDUCED con-
cerning smaller folk. He played like
an artist, and yet we shall know little
more Of him than that his technique
and taste met the requirements of the
Brahms concerto until we hear him in
other compositions. How does he feel
the Mozart concertos-that we feel to
lie test Can he get beyond the mere
technique of Beethoven?
Mr.. Kochanski did not present him
self without a sponsor. Mr.. Walter
Damrosch was gracious enough to lend
his services. That ought to have been
recommendation. But Mr.. Dam
rosch and his symphony orchestra
played the pathetic" Symphony of
Tschaikoffsky. Think of that as a
prelude to the Brahms violin concerto {!
And, if you wish to "get an angie" Gas
the popular phrase goes) on the popu-