The pianoforte recital given by Madame de Pachmann at Prince's-hall
yesterday afternoon attracted more attention and a larger
audience than usually fall to the share of this somewhat
hackneyed form of entertainment. Madame de Pachmann,
who was originally trained at Dr. Wylde's London
Academy, had acquired some reputation under her maiden
name of Miss Okey, but since her marriage with one of the
most accomplished pianists of the age her style has
naturally undergone a considerable change, and it cannot
be denied that the change is altogether for the better.
But although in some sense a pupil of her husband's, she
has by no means adopted that artist's manner to the
detriment of her own individuality. This was sufficiently
proved by the fact that she was least successful in her
Chopin selection. The music here, as everywhere else,
was correctly and neatly rendered, but there was a lack of
that delicate sensitiveness of touch, of that rhythmical
piquancy, which make M. de Pachmann's reading of the
Polish master a unique thing. The lady, on the other
hand, gained well-merited success in Brahms's sonata in
F minor (op. 5), a work of great length and even greater
difficulty, which is attacked with impunity by few living
pianists except Dr. von Bülow. The breadth of phrasing
with which the slow movement was given, the lightness
and brightness of the scherzo, the accuracy of memory and
of manipulation, which admitted of not a single wrong
note, were alike matter for admiration, and were alone
sufficient to establish the position of Madame de Pachmann.
Pieces by Schubert and Beethoven, Mr. Barnett's
spirited "Tarantella", and two delicate sketches by the
pianist herself were also included in the programme of
an interesting albeit very long concert.