Review of Mr. Hofmann's Recital

Mr. Josef Hofmann has become a more frequent visitor at more regular intervals than many of the foreign pianists who come to New York. He now returns after an absence of three years, and at his first recital, given yesterday afternoon in Carnegie Hall, he showed a material growth and maturity in the emotional and poetic side of his art. It was observed at his last visit here that the emotional side of his art was slowly ripening, and it appeared then, as it had not at his last previous visit, that he was approaching the great artist. It may truly be said that he has now reached the point where that title is rightfully his without reservation.

His playing yesterday showed a remarkable quickening of the emotional and temperamental powers that long seemed to be lying latent in him, and it was only such a quickening that was needed to raise him to the highest rank among the masters of his instrument. A keener intellectual insight, or a more complete mastery of all the technical demands of pianoforte playing few players have had. In the matter of technique he has been one of the most accomplished masters. Nor have nay held higher ideals of his art than Mr. Hofmann, as to sincerity, the abhorrence of the sensational element, the exploitation of self.

It is true that his programme yesterday did not make altogether the most exacting demands upon his interpretative powers but there was matter upon it of deep musical import, and his playing of it was such as to give a profound artistic pleasure. It showe4ed his art in its most ingratiating aspect, and revealed poetic feeling, tenderness, passion touched with fire, and stirring vigor. It was heard by a large audience with many demonstrations of pleasure.

Mr. Hofmann still does not wear his heart upon his sleeve; and there is often self-restraint, and even reserve, in his playing; but it all appears in a most sympathetic light. And so far as was made manifest yesterday, there is nothing to hinder the out flowing of the spirit.

There is, for instance, in Beethoven's sonata in E minor, Op.90 not the grandeur that belongs to some of this later works in this form; but though generally neglected by pianists, there is much that is most characteristic of Beethoven in it: a concentration of energy in the first movement, an elegiac beauty in the long development of the rondo that are of the very essence of Beethoven's style. It was an extraordinary beautiful interpretation that Mr. Hofmann gave of this sonata, so full of rhythmic energy, of fine singing tone, of clear articulation of all its members, and their exposition as the component parts of a well-ordered whole.

In this, and the sonata in A flat with the funeral march, and the Rondo, op.129, the humorous portrayal of rage over a lost groschen, Mr. Hofmann gave Beethoven playing of a high order. To these were added Rubinstein's stirring transcription of the march from "The Ruins of Athens" and Mr. Hofmann called upon for more, added with fine taste the rondo from Beethoven's sonata in E flat, Op.31 No.3.

His playing of Chopin opened also some new glimpses into his artistic development. The exquisite simplicity contrasted with savage passion in the F major ballade was most dramatically managed; and in the Andante Spianato and Polonaise there was a splendid stress of passionate utterance. He played the E flat nocturne with sincere sentiment and the A flat waltz with brilliancy; and to this group, too, he added another nocturne.

His last numbers consisted of short pieces by Russian composers –Scriabin, Gabrilowitsch, Liadov, Rachmaninoff, Rubinstein and Pabst's arrangement of themes from Tchaikovsky’s opera "Eugene Onegin". There was the most musical substance in Gabrilowitsch's “Melodie” and Rachmaninoff's vigorous prelude in G minor. If there is unavoidable necessity for a brilliant piece for the last number there might be one more interesting than Pabst's operati potpourri, which even its simultaneous combination of waltz theme and tenor air does not make valuable.