The second of the pianoforte recitals given by M. Vladimir de Pachmann in St. James's-hall must have caused some disappointment to a certain section of the audience on Saturday, for the pianist had so completely freed himself from all those regrettable affectations of manner which have been noticed so often on all sides that there was no excuse for laughter, or even for quiet amusement. His calm deportment lasted throughout the recital, and it may have made his playing of Beethoven's E flat sonata, from op. 31, a little stiff and unimpassioned, but his interpretation of Schubert's C minor impromptu, of Schumann's Carneval (with the "Vogel als Prophet" given as an encore), and of a number of Chopin pieces was so perfectly artistic that his reception was far more enthusiastic than on former occasions, when only the blind or those who deliberately omitted to look at the player could enjoy his performances to the full. Five of Chopin's preludes were given, and all were admirably played, though that in B flat minor was altered for the sake of effect at the end. The G major nocturne was exquisitely played, and so were the two mazurkas, in B minor and A minor respectively, the former being the only piece of M. Paderewski's programme a few days ago which called in any way for adverse criticism. Two valses were given, as well as four other pieces, added as successive encores after the programme was done.