he should be familiar with the characteristics of the different national
dances. Each national dance form has something more than a rhythm--it
has an atmosphere. The word atmosphere may be a little loose in its
application here, but there seems to be no other word to describe what I
mean. The flavor of the Spanish bolero is very different from the
Hungarian czardas, and who could confound the intoxicating swirl of the
Italian tarantella with the stately air of cluny lace and silver rapiers
which seems to surround the minuet? The minuet, by the way, is
frequently played too fast. The minuet from Beethoven's Eighth Symphony
is a notable example. Many conductors have made the error of rushing
through it. Dr. Hans Richter conducts it with the proper tempo. This
subject in itself takes a tremendous amount of consideration and the
student should never postpone this first step in the analysis of the
works he is to perform.
THE POETIC IDEA OF THE PIECE
"Despite the popular impression that music is imitative in the sense of
being able to reproduce different pictures and different emotions, it is
really very far from it. The subject of program music and illustrative
music is one of the widest in the art, and at the same time one of the
least definite. Except in cases like the Beethoven _Pastoral Symphony_,
where the composer has made obvious attempts to suggest rural scenes,
composers do not as a rule try to make either aquarelles or cycloramas
with their music. They write music for what it is worth as music, not as
scenery. Very often the public or some wily publisher applies the title,
as in the case of the _Moonlight Sonata_ or some of the Mendelssohn
_Songs Without Words_. Of course there are some notable exceptions, and
many teachers may be right in trying to stimulate the sluggish
imaginations of some pupils with fanciful stories. However, when there
is a certain design in a piece which lends itself to the suggestion of a
certain idea, as does, for instance, the Liszt-Wagner _Spinning Song_
from the _Flying Dutchman_, it is interesting to work with a specific
picture in view--but never forgetting the real beauty of the piece
purely as a beautiful piece of music.
"Some pieces with special titles are notoriously misnamed and carry no
possible means of definitely intimating what the composer intended. Even
some forms are misleading in their names. The _Scherzos_ of Chopin are
often very remote from the playful significance of the word--a
significance which is beautifully preserved in the _Scherzos_ of
Mendelssohn.
STUDYING THE RHYTHM
"A third point in analyzing a new piece might be analyzing the rhythm.
It is one thing to understand or to comprehend a rhythm and another to
preserve it in actual playing. Rhythm depends upon the arrangement of
notes and accents in one or two measures which give a characteristic
swing to the entire composition. Rhythm is an altar upon which many
idols are smashed. Sometimes one is inclined to regard rhythm as a kind
of sacred gift. Whatever it may be, it is certainly most difficult to
acquire or better to absorb. A good rhythm indicates a finely balanced
musician--one who knows how and one who has perfect self-control. All
the book study in the world will not develop it. It is a knack which
seems to come intuitively or 'all at once' when it does come. My meaning
is clear to anyone who has struggled with the problem of playing two
notes against three, for at times it seems impossible, but in the
twinkling of an eye the conflicting rhythms apparently jump into place,
and thereafter the pupil has little difficulty with them.
"Rhythmic swing is different from rhythm, but is allied to it as it is
allied to tempo. To get the swing--the impelling force--the student must
have played many pieces which have a tendency to develop this swing. The
big waltzes of Moszkowski are fine for this. If one of Leschetizky's
pupils had difficulty with rhythm he almost invariably advised them to
go to hear the concerts of that king of rhythm and dance, Eduard
Strauss. Dances are invaluable in developing this sense of
rhythm--swift-moving dances like the bolero and the tarantella are
especially helpful. Certain pieces demand a particularly strict
observance of the rhythm, as does the Opus 42 of Chopin, in which the
left hand must adhere very strictly to the Valse rhythm.
THE ANALYSIS OF PHRASES
"The ability to see the phrases by which a composition is built, clearly
and readily, simplifies the study of interpretation of a new piece
wonderfully. This, of course, is difficult at first, but with the proper
training the pupil should be able to see the phrases at a glance, just
as a botanist in examining a new flower would divide it in his mind's
eye into its different parts. He would never mistake the calyx for a
petal, and he would be able to determine at once the peculiarities of
each part. In addition to the melodic phrases the pupil should be able
to see the metrical divisions which underlie the form of the piece. He
should be able to tell whether the composition is one of eight-measure
sections or four-measure sections, or whether the sections are
irregular.
"What a splendid thing it would be if little children at their first
lessons were taught the desirability of observing melodic phrases.
Teachers lay great stress upon hand formation, with the object of
getting the pupil to keep the hand in a perfect condition--a condition
that is the result of a carefully developed habit. Why not develop the
habit of noting the phrases in the same way? Why not a little mind
formation? It is a great deal nearer the real musical aim than the mere
digital work. The most perfectly formed hand in the world would be
worthless for the musician unless the mind that operates the hand has
had a real musical training."
STUDYING THE HARMONY
"Every piano student ought to have a knowledge of harmony. But this
knowledge should be a practical one. What do I mean by a practical
knowledge of harmony? Simply this--a knowledge of harmony which
recognizes the ear as well as the eye. There are students of harmony who
can work out some harmonic problem with the skill of an expert
mathematician and yet they never for one single moment think of the
music their notes might make. This is due to the great neglect of the
study of ear-training in early musical education.
"To be able to recognize a chord when you see it on paper is not nearly
such an acquisition as the ability to recognize the same chord when it
is played. The student who can tell a diminished seventh, or an
augmented sixth at a glance, but who could not identify the same chords
when he saw them through his ears instead of his eyes is severely
handicapped. But how many musicians can do this? Ear-training should be
one of the first of all studies. It may be acquired more easily in
childhood if the student is not naturally gifted with it, and it is the
only basis of a thorough knowledge of harmony. The piano teacher cannot
possibly find time to give sufficient instruction in the subject of
harmony at the piano lesson. It demands a separate period, and in most
cases it is necessary and advisable to have a separate teacher; that is,
one who has made a specialty of harmony.
"The piano itself is of course a great help to the student in the study
of harmony, providing the student listens all the time he is playing.
Few adult piano students study string instruments, such as the violin or
'cello--instruments which cultivate the perception of hearing far more
than can the piano. For this reason all children should have the
advantage of a course in ear-training. This should not be training for
pitch alone, but for quality of tone as well. It may be supplemented
with exercises in musical dictation until the pupil is able to write
down short phrases with ease after he has heard them once. A pupil who
has had such a training would make ideal material for the advanced
teacher, and because of the greatly developed powers of the pupil would
be able to memorize quicker and make much better progress. In fact,
ear-training and harmony lead to great economy of time. For instance,
let us suppose that the pupil has a chord like the following in a
sonata:
[Illustration]
If the same chord appeared again in the piece it would probably be found
in the key of the dominant, thus:
[Illustration]
It seems very obvious that if the pupil could perceive the harmonic
relationship between these two chords he would be spared the trouble of
identifying an entirely different chord when he finds the repetition of
it merely in another key. This is only one of scores of instances where
a knowledge of the harmonic structure proves to be of constant
importance to the student.
A CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF TOUCH EFFECTS
"Here again we find an interminable subject. Although there are only a
few principal divisions into which the subject of touch might be
divided, the number of different subdivisions of these best known
methods of striking the keys to produce artistic effects is very
considerable. The artist working day in and day out at the keyboard will
discover some subtle touch effects which he will always associate with a
certain passage. He may have no logical reason for doing this other than
that it appeals to his artistic sense. He is in all probability
following no law but that of his own musical taste and sense of hearing.
It is this more than anything else which gives individuality to the
playing of the different virtuosos and makes their efforts so different
from the playing of machines. Time and time again mechanical efforts
have been made to preserve all these infinite subtilities and some truly
wonderful machines have been invented, but not until the sculptor's
marble can be made to glow with the vitality of real flesh can this be
accomplished. Wonderful as the mechanical inventions are there is always
something lacking.
"Here, again, ear-training will benefit the pupil who is studying with a
virtuoso teacher. It is impossible to show exactly how certain touches
produce certain effects. The ear, however, hears these effects, and if
the pupil has the right kind of persistence he will work and work until
he is able to reproduce the same effect that he has heard. Then it will
be found that the touch he employs will be very similar to that used by
the virtuoso he has heard. It may take weeks to show a certain pupil a
kind of touch. The pupil with the trained ear and the willingness to
work might be able to pick up the same touch and produce the same effect
after a few days. A highly developed sense of hearing is of immense
value to the student who attends concerts for the purpose of promoting
his musical knowledge.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE TEACHER
"The more one contemplates this subject the more one realizes the
responsibilities of the teacher in the first years of music study. Of
all the pupils who commence in the art there are but few who make it a
part of their lives; many of those who do continue find themselves
handicapped when they reach the more advanced stages of the journey,
owing to inefficient early training. At the period when their time is
the most valuable to them they have to take up studies which should have
been mastered eight or ten years before. The elementary teachers all
over the world have a big responsibility. If they belittle their work
with children and pine for the kind of teaching which the virtuosos
attempt to do, let them realize that they are in a sense the foundation
of the structure, and although perhaps not as conspicuous as the spire
which towers up into the skies, they are certainly of equal importance."
QUESTIONS IN STYLE, INTERPRETATION, EXPRESSION
AND TECHNIC OF PIANOFORTE PLAYING
SERIES IX
KATHARINE GOODSON
1. Is analysis natural to children?
2. When should the first steps in analysis be made?
3. Why is a knowledge of the different dance forms desirable?
4. What may be said of the poetic idea of the piece?
5. What indicates a finely balanced musician?
6. Should phrase analysis be taught at an early age?
7. Is the ability to identify a chord by hearing more important than the
ability to identify it by sight?
8. Does a trained ear help in the acquisition of touch?
9. What may the pupil learn from concerts?
10. When is the teacher's responsibility greatest?
JOSEF HOFMANN
BIOGRAPHICAL
Josef Hofmann was born at Cracow, Russia, January 20, 1877. His father
was an exceptionally successful teacher and was for a time Professor of
Harmony and Composition at the Warsaw Conservatory. The elder Hofmann's
talents were by no means limited to teaching, however, since he
conducted the Opera at Warsaw for many performances. He undertook the
training of his son with great care and since the child showed
remarkable promise the musicians of Russia took an extraordinary
interest in him. He appeared in public at the age of six and before he
was ten years of age he was the most celebrated child prodigy of his
time. He traveled thousands of miles, including tours of America,
playing complicated classical compositions in a manner which surprised
musicians everywhere. Fortunately for his health and education his tours
were terminated in time for him to study for the advanced work of the
more mature artist. Accordingly he was placed with the great Anton
Rubinstein with whom he remained for two years. At seventeen he resumed
his concert work again appearing in Dresden in 1894. By thoroughly
dignified methods, scholarly analysis, and his natural poetical sense
Hofmann introduced new ideas in virtuosoship which made him immensely
popular at once.
[Illustration: JOSEF HOFMANN]
XII
PROGRESS IN PIANO STUDY
JOSEF HOFMANN
The question of progress in pianoforte playing is one that admits of the
widest possible discussion. One is frequently asked whether the manner
of playing the pianoforte has undergone any change since the time of
Hummel, and, if it has advanced, of what nature are the advances, and to
what particular condition are the advances due. Johann Nepomuk Hummel,
it will be remembered, was contemporary with Beethoven, and was, in
fact, a kind of bridge between the old and the new. He made his début at
a concert given by Mozart at Dresden. For a time he was a kind of
assistant _kapellmeister_ to Haydn, and indeed many at that time thought
his works were quite on a par with those of the great master, Beethoven.
Hummel was a really great virtuoso, and was noted for his remarkable
improvisations. His style of playing was taken as a model in his time,
and consequently we may safely start with this epoch by way of example.
WHAT DETERMINES CHANGES IN PLAYING
It is sometimes said that the changes in the construction of the piano
have caused a different treatment of it, but this reasoning is
superficial, inasmuch as the structural changes of the instrument
itself are called forth by the ever-increasing demands of the _composer_
made upon the instrument. So long as the tone quality, action and nature
of the instrument sufficed for compositions of the type of those of
Domenico Scarlatti, or François Couperin, or Rameau, there was little
need for change, but as the more modern composers longed for new and
more comprehensive effects, the piano-makers kept up with their desires
and aims. Thus it is that after all is said and done, the composer, and
the composer only, is responsible for the changes. The literature of the
piano determines them. It is the same in the advancement of piano
technic and interpretation. The composers conceive new and often
radically different musical ideas. These in turn demand a new manner of
interpretation. This kind of evolution has been going on continually
since the invention of the instrument and is going on to-day, only it is
more difficult for us to see it in the present than it is to review it
in the past.
The general mental tendencies of the times, the artistic and cultural
influences of the world taken as a whole, have also had a conspicuous
though somewhat less pronounced share in these matters since they
inevitably exert an influence upon the interpreter. Speaking from a
strictly pianistic point of view, it is the player's individuality,
influenced by the factors just stated, which is the determining element
in producing new pianistic tendencies. It is thus very evident that
progress in piano playing since the epoch of Hummel has been enormous.
THE NEW TECHNIC AND THE OLD
You ask me what are the essential differences between the modern technic
and the technic of the older periods? It is very difficult to discuss
this question off-hand and it is one which might better be discussed in
an article of a different character. One difficulty lies in the
regrettable tendency of modern technic toward being a purpose in itself.
Judging from the manner in which some ambitious young players work,
their sole aim is to become human piano-playing machines quite without
any real musical consciousness. Before radically condemning this
tendency, however, it should be remembered that it has brought us many
undeniable advantages. It cannot be doubted that we owe to the ingenious
investigators of technical subjects greater possibilities in effective
polyphonic playing, economy of power and arm motion, larger
participation of the mind in the acquisition of technic, and numerous
other praiseworthy factors in good piano playing. In the olden days,
while technical exercises were by no means absent, they were not nearly
so numerous, and more time was given to the real musical elements in the
study of the musical compositions themselves. If the excellent technical
ideas to be found in some of the systems of to-day are employed solely
to secure real musical and artistic effects--that is, effects based
upon known æsthetic principles--the new technic will prove valuable, and
we should be very grateful for it. However, as soon as it becomes an
objective point in itself and succeeds in eclipsing the higher purposes
of musical interpretation, just so soon should it be abolished. If the
black charcoal sketch which the artist puts upon canvas to use as an
outline shows through the colors of the finished painting, no
masterpiece will result. Really artistic piano playing is an
impossibility until the outlines of technic have been erased to make way
for true interpretation from the highest sense of the word. There is
much more in this than most young artists think, and the remedy may be
applied at once by students and teachers in their daily work.
TECHNIC SINCE LISZT
Again you ask whether technic has made any significant advance since the
time of Franz Liszt. Here again you confront me with a subject difficult
to discuss within the confines of a conference. There is so much to be
said upon it. A mere change in itself does not imply either progress or
retrogression. It is for this reason we cannot speak of progress since
the time of Liszt. To play as Liszt did--that is, exactly as he did, as
a mirror reflects an object--would not be possible to anyone unless he
were endowed with an individuality and personality exactly like that of
Liszt. Since no two people are exactly alike, it is futile to compare
the playing of any modern pianist with that of Franz Liszt. To discuss
accurately the playing of Liszt from the purely technical standpoint is
also impossible because so much of his technic was self-made, and also a
mere manual expression of his unique personality and that which his own
mind had created. He may perhaps never be equalled in certain respects,
but on the other hand there are unquestionably pianists to-day who would
have astonished the great master with their technics--I speak
technically, purely technically.
DEFINITE METHODS ARE LITTLE MORE THAN STENCILS
I have always been opposed to definite "methods"--so-called--when they
are given in an arbitrary fashion and without the care of the
intelligent teacher to adapt special need to special pupils. Methods of
this kind can only be regarded as a kind of musical stencil, or like the
dies that are used in factories to produce large numbers of precisely
similar objects. Since art and its merits are so strangely dependent
upon individuality (and this includes anatomical individuality as well
as psychological individuality), an inflexible method must necessarily
have a deadening effect upon its victims.
The question of whether special technical studies of an arbitrary
nature, such as scale studies, should be extensively used is one which
has been widely debated, and I fear will be debated for years to come.
Let us understand first, there is a wide difference between studying
and practicing. They resemble each other only in so far as they both
require energy and time. Many sincere and ambitious students make the
great mistake of confounding these two very essential factors of
pianistic success. Study and practice really are quite widely removed
from each other, and at the same time they are virtually inseparable.
The real difference lies in the amount and quality of the two elements.
Practice means a large number of repetitions, with a fair amount of
attention to mere correctness of notes, fingering, etc. Under ordinary
circumstances and conditions it usually means a great sacrifice of time
and a comparatively small investment of mentality.
Study, on the contrary, implies first of all mental activity of the
highest and most concentrated type. It _presupposes_ absolute accuracy
in notes, time, fingerings, etc., and implies the closest possible
attention to those things which are generally, though erroneously,
regarded as lying outside of technic, such as tonal beauty, dynamic
shading, rhythmical matters, and the like. Some have the happy gift of
combining practice with study, but this is rare.
Hence, in the question of scale exercises, etc., if the word "study" is
meant in the true sense, I can only say that the study of scales is more
than necessary--it is indispensable. The pedagogical experts of the
world are practically unanimous upon this subject. The injunction,
"study," applies not only to scales, but to all forms of technical
discipline, which only too often are "practiced" without being studied.
I will not deny that mere practicing, as I have defined it, may bring
some little benefit, but this benefit is gained at an enormous
expenditure of time and physical and mental exertion. Oh! the endless
leagues that ambitious fingers have traveled over ivory keys! Only too
often they race like automobiles on a race-course--in a circle--and
after having gone innumerable miles, and spent a tremendous amount of
energy, they arrive at the same point from which they started, exhausted
and worn, with very little to show for their work, and no nearer their
real goal than when they started. The proportion in which mental and
physical activity is compounded, determines, to my mind, the distinction
between practicing and real study. One might also say that the
proportion in which real study enters into the daily work of the student
determines the success of the student.
THE STUDY OF DETAILS IMPERATIVE
Study demands that the student shall delve into the minute details of
his art, and master them before he attempts to advance. Only the most
superficial students fail to do this in these days. All of the better
trained teachers insist upon it, and it is hard for the pupil to skim
through on the thinnest possible theoretical ice, as they did in past
years. The separate study of embellishments, for instance, is decidedly
necessary, especially in connection with the embellishments introduced
by the writers of the early eighteenth century.