Year: 1879




Concert tE minorl' '.'.-''-..-' sphr
Larghetto - Spoin
Hungarian Fantasie. Lszt


Herr Joseffy has created a marked impression in
New York musical circles. and has won his way to
an emphatic success by sheer force of excellence


There are those who declare him to be "revela-
ton and who place him the equal OF liszt
and the other great masters of the century,
and after Witnessing the enthusiasm which
accompanies his performances one can readily
understand how An audience is carried away
by the magnetism of his skill. His popular
success has boen absolute. and amateur and even
professional critics have gone to great lengths
in his praise; but it is quite unnecessary to
displace I.szt or Won Bulow "a Rubin
stein to make a place for Josefy. or to
compare the latter to the advantage or
disadvantage of the great of the musical world,
in order determine his standing The question Is
not whether he possesses more or less genius than
those who have gone before. but whether his mu-
sical conceptions and his technical expression or
them are correct when compared with artlstic
standards. The comparison should be ar
tistic. not personal. Judged by these truer
methods he has not been found wanting, and
he las proven himself thorough and conscien-
tious and possessed OF a superb technique and ex-
quisite taste. The usual exhibitions of ms powers
has been in Chopins and Liszts music, and ne mas
given but little opportunity. thus tar. for Judg-
mcnt his capabilities an Interpreter OF
Beethoven. On reading his programmes the ab-
sence of Beethoven marked-but one seec-
ton appearing in his many concerts-and


this fact gave rise to the suggestion that he was not
in that school at his best. Wne he has deferred
to public opinion by placing the great master on
his programmes frequently, he has now twice
played his fat concerto i'll n manner that
settles the matter definitely. Opinions are not
unanimous, perhaps; bit of co!orlng here should
be deepen9d Hghtened. according TO one or
another critic and the soul OF the composer Is not
invariably apparent to some of over nice percep-
tions, but to point to flaws III Josenys playing
flaws which undoubtedly exist, as blemshes are ao-
souely present i'll things apparently faultless-s 10
distort criticism to mere fault nnding, ana
to carry nicely of opinion to ridicu-
lous extreme. The opinion already expressed OF his
playnp can be repeated to his last evenings
dering of the concerto. He played it with the soul
and feeling of one great master interpreting another;
the performance was even and finished through
out, expressive and complete, and was the crown
ing glory of the work that he has done heretofore.


Chopin's concerto in L minor was played on the
occasion of his debut, and there then trace of
nervousness in his execution of the opening pas
saees which was not apparent last evening. me
impression first made was FULLY confirmed on the
repetition of the music. The delicacy of
touch which made every note OF the most
dainty passages clear bell, and the
shading of every phrase was. as on the first occa
sion, apparent in every movement. The chromatic
runs in double notes and octaves superb and
faultless before, and the final forte passage
written in single notes IN the cromial score but
play ed in octaves by Joseffy-was executed with the
usual dash and brilliancy and won recall that was
most enthusiastic.


or the entire programme former criticisms may
simply be repeated. 1t difficult matter to crit
else such player for reasons given above. His
methods nice and his execution SO exact that
to detect his flaws would require an extended anal
ysis of every phrase of the lengthy concerto, and
such criticism would after mighty throes
give forth but such result as did the mountain OF
the fable.


Herr Joseffy will always be remembered pleasantly
by New Workers for the compliment he paid to their
musical tastes by coming to them for their indorsc
ment before visiting Paris or London, his reputa-
tion OF to-day being based the verdict of Vienna
and New York.


The orchestra in the entire performance did itself
great credit and played with marked expression and
facility. But little is accorded the orchestra
i'll this notice. for the that Josey is about to
leave the country while they will be heard shortly
in number of concerts, when their excellent play
ing be referred to at length.