The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-12-08
PIANIST PLAYS TO
 LARGE AUDIENCE
Jose Iturbi Thrills Audi- dience With a Rare
 Program
A REMARKABLE ARTIST

Jose Iturbi, pianist, played for the first time in Waterbury last night at Buckingham hall. By and large he is a great artist as was evidenced last night in his remark able performance. from the almost impossible business of the "Varia- tions on a Theme of Paganinr by Brahms to the simplest passage inc cluded in any one of his program numbers. The playing of the "Vari- ations" was beautiful thing and a marvellous feat of finger dexter | ity as well; listening and looking | one heard and saw a remarkable piece of piano playing. And there was no feeling that 1turbi was at- tacking something gigantic in his enfolding of the Variations" rath- i CT tho result was not burdened with an apparent effort, but was a big thing done spontaneously and with @ marked smoothness.
 There was no particular high spot on the program of Iturbi, as | each number was a finished pro- duct under his great technical skill,
 his weaving of phrases, and most lovely tone constantly echoing with a pianissimo and fortissimo cleverly blended yet each distinct one from the other. Iturbi played his program with just one large pause between parts one and two: the rest of the program was con- | tinued with little or no wait be- tween the numbers, but instead the artist went from one selection to the other as in one large piece. The strains of Debussy were merg- ed into "Pavane" by Ravel, and the melodic line of "Fets Dieu &c., vile" by Albeniz, merged into La Campanella" by Paganini-Liszt" with which splendid playing Iturbi closed his program.
 Two sonatinas by Scarlatti open ed the program, and the lovely pure tones of this offering were carried out in Mozart's sonata in a major, No 9" that followed with its three lovely movements, etto" and 'Allegretto (alla tur- ca)". The Variations by Brahms concluded the first portion of the program. After this final excellent execution of a rare thing seldom attempted, MT Iturbi played as an encore Brahms waltz.
 Part two of the program had
 Chopin, Debussy, Ravel. Albentz and Liszt included. Three etudes were given in the opening Chopin. The two Debussy contributions, as delicately and finely played as the etudes, were "Serenade Ia Poupee' and "L'Isle Joyeuse", each entirely different mood although similar, in the intricacy of changing harmonies characteristic of this composer. Iturbi went gracefully from Debussy to Ravel, also of the modern French school of later date. His Spanish contribution to the program was Albeniz' "Fete Dieu a Saville", played with fine spirit. La Campanella". the Pag- mini -Liszt arrangement. was beau- tiful finish, all the difficulties of piano playing demonstrated in this transcription. A smoother and finer playing of this number could not be desired, as Iturbi, capabilities as a pianist seemed adequate to the task set in La Campanella" as Liszt transcribed 1t.
 Demonstrating the spirit of America as expressed in the jazz vernacular Iturbi played with flaw lessness and precision as an encore Spiritual and Blues" from the "Sonota Transalantique' by Alex ander Tansman. This was a re- quest number, and was an accurate but unlovely type of piano music. The aduience ciamoring for more the artist played 0 waltz by one of his own countrymen, p. Granados, and a Chopin waltz.
 The Jose Iturbi concert was the second In a Series of concerts by the Community Concert group of this city.