PADEREWSKI.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 64, 13 September 1904, Page 5

PADEREWSKI.

A MEMORABLE EVENING-. j No clearer illustration of the magical power which lies in music, no more convincing proof of the fascination which a musical artist can exert, no greater demonstration of the capabilities of an instrument of music, can be imagined than is afforded by the recitals of (he consummato pianißt who is now our honoured visitor. Speaking of the wonderful scries of petformonces given by Faderewski a few years since in the United States, Mr. Henry Krehbiel, the foremost musical critic in America, expressed himself in the following eloquent and glowing terms s " More than threescore time* in the coui«e of five months, in the principal cities of this country, did this wonderful man seat himself in the presence of audiences whose numbers were limited only by the seating capacity of the rooms in which they were gathered, and hold them spellbound from two to three hours by fcho eloquence of his playing. Each time the people came in a gladsome frame of mind, stimulated by the retollection of previous delights or eager expectation. Each time- they sat listening to the music as If it were an evangel on which hung everlasting tilings. Each time there was the same growth in enthusiasm which began in decorous applause *nd ended in cheei-s and shouts us the artist came hack after the performance, of a herculean task, and added piece after piece to a programme which nad been laid down on generous lines from the beginning. The careless saw the spectacle with amazement, but for the judicious it had a wondrous interest." At last — for it is a long time since a visit to these colonies was first talked about — M. Paderewski is with us, and his progress through Australasia may be fitly described in the sentences we have quoted from the American critic. Since the fur-off time when Arabella Goddard charmed us in the early seventies, we have been visited by several excellent — and some few notable — pianists. The names of Henri Kefcten, Max Vogrich (who first revealed Chopin to us), Eduard Scharf, Henri Kowolski, Albert Friedenthal, and that young Colossus of the keyboard, Mark Hambourg, will at once be recalled by amateurs whose memory can cover twenty-five years of life in New Zealand. Charles Halle, that prince among classical pianists of the old school, got no nearer to us than Sydney ; this colony was too remote and in a financial sense too risky for such as he, a dozen or more years ago. But things have moved along a great deal since then ; population has largely increased, we halve felt the backwash of that great wave of musical progress which has produced such extraordinary results in England, and a new generation of young and eager musical students has arisen throughout Now Zealand ; so that when any really great exponent of the art now comes tin's way for a holiday trip, he or she may count on a more or less intelligent and enthusiastic Audience. We have used the qualifying term " more or less," because it would be idle to assume that, for instance, the large audience which welcomed Paderewski with so much warmth at the Opera House last night was entirely composed of lovers of tho highest class of pianoforte mvx sic. In the case of any man so famous as ho is, curiosity urnd fashion must each account for a considerable number pf followers. A few people here and there wore frankly bored ; a few others exhibited a brave attempt at " make-believe " in the mutter of intelligent enjoyment ; but it was soon evident that over the lanre majority the Master hud cast the spell which has made the world ring with his mime. To them he made his beautiful Eratd sing in tones joyous and sad, brilliant and romantic, passionate and tender ; touching by turns almost tno entire gamut of human emotion and feeling. For it is this wonderful power -A interpretation which gives Paderewski his pre-eminence among living pianists. Every piece which lie plays is suffused with his own artistic and emotional temperament; untold and unsuspected beauties are revealed to us in music with which we have long been familiar. Sensational feats of technique may astonish or dazzle us ; they are the only stock-in-trade of many players of the gymnastic school of pianists; but the playing ot Paderewski touches the heart and lingers long in the memory, and it is this which has brought nld and young to his feet wherever his magical performance has been heard. The programme of last night's recital was planned on conventional lines, and was (in eminently successful attempt to present, in tho short spneo of two hours, specimens of the best music to be found in the repertory of the instrument- It practically demonstrated all phases cl tho pianist's art in its well-chosen examples of the classical, the romantic, nnrf the modern period. The first number was the great Organ Fugue (with prelude) in A-minor, as transcribed for the piano by Liizt. Purists have often objected to transcriptions of this kind (Tuusig's arrangement of the Toccata and Fugue in D-inino'r is another well-known example), but their existence is justified when they are played with such mastery and effect as were exhibited last night by Paderewski. The prelude was worked up to a sonorous and brilliant olimax, and the subject of the noble fugue was then given out very quietly j Bach's glorious polyphony being afterwards developed with masterly clearness and .evef-growing volume orf tone to its magnificent close The virile and intellectual sides of- the player's temperament were finely exhibited in this and in the following number, tho famous Sonata in C-major dedicated to Count Waldstein. Paderewski's reading of this well-known work was instinct with the true Beethoven spirit, and was in itself on education in piano-playing. Special points for ihe notice of students were the wondeiful tone-colouring in tho second subject of the opening movement, the defep but unaifeQted pathos and the exquisite singing tone of the short adagio, tho moderate tempo of the rondo, and the marvellous technical mastery of the closing prestissimo, with its wonderful octave passages (legato and pianissimo), so impossible for any but the most highly-gifted players. Schubert's Impromptu in B fiat, so familiar to all amateurs, was a welcome item in the scheme, if only on account of its familiarity. In the two first numbers of tho programme the great pianist had remained, so to speak, on a high intellectual plane. The Schubert piece vraa jiwt in its right place as a link between, the exalted mood of Bach and Beethoven, anfl the romantic mood of the pieces which followed. Tho belcanto of the opening theme, the fine tonal effects of the gloomy third variation, and the delicious soalepaasages of the fifth and laat, were points which stood out prominently in a performance which xtm absolutely ideal in its finished beauty nud (esthetic ohnrm. It was followed by Liszt's masterly transciiptions of Schubert's songs, "Hark, Hark, tho Lark," and "The Erl King"— two pieces which roused tho audience' to unwonted enthusiasm, It is simply impossible to conceive anything finer tjban Paderewski's presentation of tho dainty aubadc ; or, in most vivid contrast, of the stormy night-ride of the father through the forest with his dying child. Technically it was marvellous, but as an emotional tone-picturo it was still more wonderful. In response lo the tumultuous plaudits of the excited audience, the pianist returned to his instrument and calmed them down somewhat with an exhilarating performance of Mendelssohn's Hunt.

ing Song, from the first book of the Lieder. After a brief interval camo tha eagerly-expected group of Chopin pieasa, admirably chosen, and played— well, it is almost impossible to find Words in wldcli to describe Paderewski's playing of th» music of his great compatriot. It wrs a memorable experience for most of the audience to hear for the first time the music of tho "Poet of the Keyboard," in. terpreted by another poet who could so fully penetrate its innermost meaning. Ihe Nocturne in G, with it« lovely passage* of thirds and sixths, and its supremely tender melody, tho delicious octave study ! on the black keys, the bi-rhythmic Walt*, in A flat with it« electrical gaiety, th« characteristic Mazurka in B flat minor, the richly-harmonised Prelude in A flat, and that cbevai de bataillo, the heroic I Polonaise in. the same key — each and all were interpreted with indescribable in- " i sight, charm, and power ; and Ohopiii'a music, »o wayward in its mood, «o passionate and tender, so mysterious and poe-tic, stood revealed in all its varied I beauty for all who had ears to hear and hearis to feel. Padercwßki is not only a consummateperformer, but also a composer of no little originality and power. With characteristic modesty he last night introduced but one little piece- of his own, tho Minuet— almost Moatarteun in its simplicity and grace—which has made his name known to thousands of players all over the world. In response to an irresistible demand he repeated tho dainty trifle, adding to the • second performance the brilliant ' Coda which he had omitted in the lirst. The .. last item on tho programme wns the second of Lieet's Hungarian Rhapsodies. These fihowy pieces, with which the majority of pianoforte recitals end, are constructed out of the folk-songs of the Mag* • yars, nnd Liszt's purpose- in writing them " wfls to create what he called "Gipsy epics!" The performance by Padeicwski - was instinct with firo nnd animation, and ' the great technical difficulties pf .No. 2— .; perhaps the best known of the set— were overcome with consummate mastery andease. Again wns the- audience roused to enthusia&tic applause, long and continuous, and once more the pianist returnedto his instrument and finished his niemor- * able performance with .Rubinstein's brilliant Volse in E flat. Thus ended'an even* ing which few who were present will bti - likely to forget ; an evening full of charm- . mg surprises and unmixed enjoyment from first to lost, "a precious evening all tbfliswiftly spant." ' ■ Certain outstanding technical points in, tho playing of this great artist m*y "fitly.bereserved for the Second recital, M-hich wiH be given on Wednesday evening, and • • which will be looked forward to with more than ordinary eagerness.