Evening star., 1948-01-18
|Artur Schnabel
Sees Music In
u. Emerging
By Alice Eversmon

The return OF Artur Schnabel for
Q piano recital ON Thursday Is an
event of Importance. Several years
have passed since his last concert
here and many pianists of varying
talent have come and gone. But the
name Of schnabel is synonymous
with pre-eminence Of musical ctll-
ture and with answering adherence
to the highest ideals. He returns
from a successful concert tour Of
Europe, where 10 OF his 20 concerts
were given in London. More than
10 years ago he chose this Capital
as his permanent winter residence
after conditions In Germany made
1t impossible for him to remain In
Berlin.
He had, however. even at that
time the feeling that the next rem
aissance in music would be In. the
United States. He recognized the
gradual decadence of Europe and
that in this country was the fallow
soil to produce fresh and strong
musical activity. He was something
of a prophet, also. when he said, II
believe that one Of the most signifi.
cant events in the history of Amer
ican art will prove to be the closure
of immigration on large scale. The
United States, as result, will be.
come more integrated as people.
There Is more richness and receptiv.
ity in America than anywhere else.
That is why I look for the most i'm.
mediate growth in your country"
Independent and Witty.
, Unlike other artists, he has cer-
tain ideas formed through his long
career that he still retains. He will
not cater to the public to the extent
Of planning his program solely 10
please 1t. When asked to tighten
the contents Of his recital with o
few appealing numbers, he replies,
Whoever wants to come, will come.
I don't in the least mind playing to
100 people" Nor does he think 1t
important what kind OF music a per-
son likes. 1t is sufficient to like
music. Addressing the. students Of o
boys school in England one time,
an earnest pupil asked him what he
should read to further his under
standing of music. He advised the
boy to listen to music and to study
1t, but as for books, Read about
music" he said, but pay little at
tention to it,"
Schnabels wit and keenness Of
observation are famous. When asked
about audiences, he classified them
into two kinds--those who cough
and those who don't. Also, he does
not like to give encores, and once
when woman patron reproached
him and pointed out that the ap-
plause begged for an encore, he
said, MY dear young lady, applause
is receipt, not a bill" He broke
the rule once, however. The piano
chair was on metal gliders. All
through the first half of his pro-
gram he was working frantioslly and
distractedly to keep 1t In yosition.
Another chair was substituted at
the intermission, but when the con.
cert was finished, and he was re-
called again and again, he said to
himself, "You owe an apology to
Beethoven" and sat down to play
another of his sonatas. This, incl
dentally, happened at his last con-
cert here In February, 1895.
Beethoven Likened TO World.
He has long been identified as
master Beethoven player. sForfhin,
Beethoven Is world, comprehen-
sive in simplicity, complete. Like
the world, he is naked. exposed, free.
If Beethoven is world, Wagner and
Brahms might be called provinces
and obviously, provinces, even the
most fertile, are less than worlds"
Some other of his pungent remarks
have to do with musical titles and
with folk music. OF the former, he
says: This stupid business of titles
for music. Is a musical composition
an album of snapshots with views
of the lakes and mountains?" And
Of the latter: "At the moment, there
Is great furore over folk music, as
if it were genuine expression of a
people. 1t is not that Some Rudy
Vallee Of the 14th century sang a
tune that was so easy to remember
that everybody sang it, too-and we
call 1t folk song. This interest In
folk music is merely fashion for
sophisticates who are always search
ing for the new"
In some respects, Mr. Schnabel Ii
a self-made artist. His actual train
ing was confined to the flve years
instruction he had with Leschetizky,
who accepted him as a pupil when
he was only 10 years old. Shortly
after, he began his public career as
collaboration Of Carl Flesch In violin
and piano recitals. His first Ameri-
can appearance was made in 1922,
but the lukewarm reception given
him during this tour discouraged
him and he returned to Europe until
Koussevitzky recalled him 10 years
later as soloist on a Brahms festival
by the Boston Symphony. Since
then his popularity in this country
has remained undisputed.
Holden Concert