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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
PIANISTS AND THEIR PLANS.
\ 1 7ITH every season comes the usual or
unusual quota of pianists from
abroad in addition to the pianists of ad-
mirable attainments that America holds
for its very own.
This season will see a very large num-
ber of them and if they will be heard in
the right spirit, each one will contribute
his or her share of enjoyment and benefit
to the pleasure seekers, as also to the stu-
dents to whom hearing these artists should
be part of the routine of their study.
That the visiting artists must be of ex-
ceptional worth to be attractive in this
country goes without saying, as they are
coming into the home of Joseffy, Godow-
sky, Julie Rive-King, Fannie Bloomfield
Zeisler, and Wm. Sherwood.
Joseffy, the peerless king of pianists,
promises a few concerts during the season
and the whole world contains no artist
from whom the announcement is more
welcome. No artist is more valuable to
his art or to his hearers than this simple,
modest, unassuming man who holds a
unique position in art.
Twenty years ago Joseffy was the most
emotional, the most unbridled player that
came upon the startled public; for his was
the dash that startled, being in the
sturm und drang of his youth, and a fiery
tempestuous youth it was. No human
being has been fed upon such adulation,
such praise, such open admiration, such
avowed worship, as was Joseffy. These
reefs which have wrecked so many brilliant
promises, bade fair to wreck him as he was
a creature of unchecked emotion which
always means death to art. But his genius
was destined to live, destined to crown
him king of the present era, and Joseffy
with one mighty stroke brought the man
out triumphant. Away with boon com-
panions, away with applause of the
emotion-loving public, and even in
youth, when the blood runs hot, and temp-
tations are fairly insurmountable, Joseffy
disappeared. In vain did his admirers
seek his name upon the concert programs,
in vain did his friends long for the jolly
hours and his fresh exhilarating compan-
ionship. Joseffy was gone and the remem-
brance of the sparkle never died, but it
dimmed as other artists made their en-
trances and their exits where Joseffy had
made his. Five years elapsed, perhaps
six—Joseffy reappears. Breathlessly ex-
pectant the old friends and the generation
of concert goers who learned to know
of him as the most brilliant, most emo-
tional of artists who disappeared from the
musical world while at his height. He
played—and his playing revealed the mas-
tery of man over self, of the spiritual over Bauer, an artist well known in Paris; Ga-
the material. His soul had gone through brilowitsch, the eminent young Russian;
the fires of purification, and art had come Aiulf Hjorvard, the Scandinavian, and sev-
into her own, for Joseffy stands to-day as eral others.
Two young pianists who have been well
the highest type of refinement, of self-con-
trol, of intellect, of accuracy, and under known as children are Augusta Cottlow
it all flows the temperamental stream of and Frieda Siemens, both of whom are
rich red blood throbbing with life and all possessed of remarkable talent. Arthur
of its passions, its poetry, its pain and its Friedheim promises a concert tour.
Ernest Hutcheson, an Australian pianist
nobility. And this Joseffy belongs to us,
in the prime and fullness of the beautiful of reputation and ability, is also on the list
ripe years, the best years of usefulness to of strangers, as is Marie Schade, a young
pianist from Copenhagen.
art and to the world.
One of the most important announce-
Godowsky, with his colossal technic, has
ments
of local art is that Henry Holden
made a name to be conjured with in the
pianistic world. He juggles with the ut- Huss, the pianist-composer, is to play his
most difficulties, as he has juggled with own piano-concerto with the New York
some of the Chopin Etudes, which amuses Philharmonic Orchestra. It is a prodig-
one, although one may feel that with such ious work and had Huss accomplished noth-
inventive powers he should have created ing else, this concerto would be enough to
others rather than to disarrange Chopin. make him great.
Katherine Ruth Heyman, who played
However, he can be forgiven, for he is great.
last
year with the Boston Symphony Or-
He will be heard from coast to coast, and
in the delightful setting of soloist with the chestra, and who has made many Euro-
Boston Symphony in those cities particu- pean and American successes, will appear
larly favored by the presence of this mag- in solo recitals and in ensemble with some
of the finest organizations in the country.
nificent orchestra.
Felix Fox, of Boston, after his return
Among pianists of the fair sex there are
a few who ask no odds owing to their sex, from Paris will play a number of concerts.
and among these few sex is a great part Josef Weiss is also to be heard in and
of the charm. That Julie Rive-King will out of New York.
Further announcements come from Made-
play some concerts this season is always
welcome news. Rive-King is one of the line Schiller, Lotta Mills, Jessie Shay,
most valuable of the artists before the Hilda Newman, Mme. Szumowska, Hein-
public, for she is most honest to the com- rich Gebhardt and Leopold Winkler.
jt
poser and the composition, and among a
I T is hard to get up enthusiasm for the
thousand interpretations hers are always
child prodigy; our dislike is open and
regarded as authoritative and masterly.
avowed. The child is not to blame for its
She has been spending the summer
failings, but some one is to blame and some
in a very quiet spot where she practiced
one should be responsible for the loss of
incessantly and took sufficient rest to put
that child to the musical world and to com-
her into good form for the season's strain.
mon sense, as is usually the case. Yet
Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler is not heard must one speak in admiration of little Alma
often enough in New York since Chicago Stencel, whose talent is so great as to com-
claims her. She is one of the most fasci- pel serious consideration. The reason that
nating of all pianists. Frail and slight this child is so far beyond the average
though she be, her powers technically and prodigy is because she has not been left to
intellectually are marvelous. She is a her own sweet will, but she has had the
witch of the key-board in every sense. rigid and magnificent training of Hugo
Her appearances last season were hailed Mansfeldt, of San Francisco, Cal., from
with joy, for she is certainly apprecia- where this little one hails. She is now in
ted in America, her own home.
New York en route to Europe for a com-
Among the incomers are our old and wel- pletion of study; yet, whatever she will
come friend Carreno, who almost belongs accomplish there, she will always owe her
to us—at least to this continent, as also Aus success to Mansfeldt. Her memory and
der Ohe, whose sterling art makes her repertoire are not less remarkable than her
invaluable to America; Dohnanyi, the marvelous technic and power. It is safe
young Hungarian who made a very to predict a great future for Alma Stencel.
deep impression last season in the few ap- She will go to Vienna to study with Lesch-
pearances ; Sieveking, who has been devot- etitsky as soon as he will take her.
ing an enormous amount of time to study
and who made many friends during his ""TEACHERS are resuming their work
and by the end of this month things
last concert tour. Newcomers are numer-
ous and important, including Harold will be humming with them. It would be