to remember one or two very important points in connection with his
investigation. One point is the understanding of the nature of the
instrument for which the composer wrote when he had the embellishment in
mind. The instruments of the early eighteenth century were characterized
by a tone so thin and of such short duration that the composers and
players (and it should be remembered that in those days practically all
of the great composers played, and most of the great performers were
composers) had to resort to all kind of subterfuges and tricks to
produce the deception of a prolonged tone. For instance, they had a
method of moving the finger to and fro (sideways) upon a key after it
was struck. Thus they produced a sort of vibrato, not unlike that of
which we have received an overdose in recent years from violinists and
'cellists. This vibrato (German, _Bebung_) was marked like our modern
"shake," thus,
[Illustration]
but if we interpret it as a "shake" we commit a grave error. We ought
never to regard it as a "shake," unless it is obviously an integer of
the melody.
The other point to be considered in the study of embellishments is
taste, or rather, let me say, "fashion," for the fashion of those times
which over-indulged in ornamentation and over-loaded everything with it,
from architecture to dress, was by no means an insignificant factor in
music. The point is important because it involves the element of
"concessions" which the composers, voluntarily or from habit, made to
the public of their day. I seriously question the necessity of retaining
these often superabundant embellishments in their entirety, for I
contend that we study antique works on account of their musical
substance and not for the sake of gewgaws and frills which were either
induced by the imperfections of the instrument or by the vitiated taste
of times to which the composer had to yield willy-nilly.
It is, of course, a very difficult and responsible task to determine
what to retain and what to discard. This, to a large extent, must depend
upon what part the ornament plays in the melody of the composition,
whether it is really an integral part or an artificial excrescence. By
all means never discard any embellishment which may serve to emphasize
the melodic curve, or any one which may add to its declamatory
character. A well-educated taste assisted by experience will be a fairly
reliable guide in this matter. However, it is hardly advisable for
amateurs with limited training to attempt any home editing of this kind.
Those embellishments which we do regain should in all cases be executed
as the composer of the piece would desire to hear them executed if he
could become acquainted with the instruments of to-day. This, of course,
places the study of ornamentation with the many auxiliary musical
branches which demand special and separate attention. Johann Sebastian
Bach's son, Phillip Emanuel Bach, realized this, and gave years to the
proper exposition of embellishments. However, the student should realize
that the study of embellishments is only a part of the great whole and
he should not be misled into accepting every little shake or other
little frippery, and then magnifying it into a matter of more vital
importance than the piece itself.
WELL-MEANING ADVISERS
The student should form the habit of determining things for himself. He
will soon find that he will be surrounded with many well-meaning
advisers who, if they have their own way, may serve to confuse him. Some
virtuosos regard their well-meaning admirers and entertainers as the
worst penalties of the virtuoso life. Whether they are or are not must,
of course, depend upon the artist's character. If he accepts their
compliments and courtesies as an expression of the measure of pleasure
_they derived_ from his playing, he has tacitly allowed for that share
in their pleasure which is due to their power of appreciation, and he
can therefore only rejoice in having provided something worthy of it.
The manner of their expression, the observations they make, the very
wording of their compliments will reveal, quickly enough, whether he
has a case of real appreciation before him, or a mere morbid mania to
hobnob with celebrities, or at least with people who by nature of their
professional work are often compelled against their own desires to hold
a more or less exposed position in the public eye. If he deals with the
latter and still allows their compliments to go further than the
physical ear, he must be a man of a character so weak as to make it
doubtful that he will ever produce anything worthy of sincere and
earnest appreciation. More young students are misled by blatant flattery
than anything else. They become convinced that their efforts are
comparable with those of the greatest artist, and the desire for
improvement diminishes in direct ratio to the rate in which their
opinion of their own efforts increases. The student should continually
examine his own work with the same acuteness that he would be expected
to show were he teaching another.
QUESTIONS IN STYLE, INTERPRETATION, EXPRESSION
AND TECHNIC OF PIANOFORTE PLAYING
SERIES X
JOSEF HOFMANN
1. Has piano playing progressed since the time of Hummel?
2. How have the changes in the structure of the instrument affected
pianistic progress?
3. Why should students avoid becoming "piano-playing machines"?
4. What must be the sole aim in employing a technical exercise?
5. Will the technic of Liszt ever be excelled?
6. Why are stencil-like methods bad?
7. Is scale study indispensable?
8. Must the student know the characteristics of the instrument for which
the composer wrote?
9. What part did fashion play in the introduction of embellishments?
10. Why should the student determine problems for himself?
[Illustration: JOSEF LHÉVINNE]
JOSEF LHÉVINNE
BIOGRAPHICAL
Josef Lhévinne is one of the last noted Russian pianists to attain
celebrity in America. At his first appearance in New York he amazed the
critics and music lovers by the virility of his style, the
comprehensiveness of his technic and by his finely trained artistic
judgment. Lhévinne was born at Moscow, in 1874. His father was a
professional musician, playing "all instruments except the piano." It is
not surprising that his four sons became professional musicians. Three
are pianists and one is a flutist. When Josef was four his father
discovered that he had absolute pitch, and encouraged by this sign of
musical capacity placed the child under the instruction of some students
from the conservatory. At six Lhévinne became the pupil of a
Scandinavian teacher named Grisander. When eight he appeared at a
concert and aroused much enthusiasm by his playing. At twelve he became
the pupil of the famous Russian teacher, Wassili Safonoff, at the
conservatory at Moscow, remaining under his instruction for six years.
At the same time his teachers in theory and composition were Taneieff
and Arensky. In 1891 Rubinstein selected him from all the students at
the conservatory to play at a concert given under the famous master's
direction. After that Lhévinne had frequent conferences with the great
pianist, and attributes much of his success to his advice. In 1895 he
won the famous Rubinstein Prize in Berlin. From 1902 to 1906 he was
Professor of Piano at the conservatory at Moscow. One year spent in
military service in Russia proved a compulsory setback in his work, and
was a serious delay in his musical progress. Lhévinne came to America in
1907 and has been here five times since then. His wife is also an
exceptionally fine concert pianist.
XIII
PIANO STUDY IN RUSSIA
JOSEF LHÉVINNE
RUSSIA'S MANY KEYBOARD MASTERS
"Russia is old, Russia is vast, Russia is mighty. Eight and one-half
million square miles of empire not made up of colonies here and there
all over the world, but one enormous territory comprising nearly one
hundred and fifty million people, of almost as many races as one finds
in the United States, that is Russia. Although the main occupation of
the people is the most peaceful of all labor--agriculture--Russia has
had to deal with over a dozen wars and insurrections during a little
more than a century. In the same time the United States has had but
five. War is not a thing to boast about, but the condition reflects the
unrest that has existed in the vast country of the Czar, and it is not
at all unlikely that this very unrest is responsible for the mental
activity which has characterized the work of so many artists of Russian
birth.
Although Russia is one of the most venerable of the European nations,
and although she has absorbed other territory possessed by races even
more venerable than herself, her advance in art, letters and music is
comparatively recent. When Scarlatti, Handel, and Bach were at their
height, Russia, outside of court circles, was still in a state of
serfdom. Tolstoi was born as late as 1828, Turgenieff in 1818 and
Pushkin, the half-negro poet-humorist, was born in 1799. Contemporary
with these writers was Mikhail Ivanovitch Glinka--the first of the great
modern composers of Russia. Still later we come to Wassili Vereschagin,
the best known of the Russian painters, who was not born until 1842. It
may thus be seen that artistic development in the modern sense of the
term has occurred during the lifetime of the American republic. Reaching
back into the centuries, Russia is one of the most ancient of nations,
but considered from the art standpoint it is one of the newest.
The folk songs that sprang from the hearts of the people in sadness and
in joy indicated the unconcealable talent of the Russian people. They
were longing to sing, and music became almost as much a part of their
lives as food. It is no wonder then that we find among the names of the
Russian pianists such celebrities as Anton Rubinstein, Nicholas
Rubinstein, Essipoff, Siloti, Rachmaninoff, Gabrilowitsch, Scriabin, de
Pachmann, Safonoff, Sapellnikoff and many others. It seems as though the
Russian must be endowed by nature with those characteristics which
enable him to penetrate the artistic maze that surrounds the wonders of
music. He comes to music with a new talent, a new gift and finds first
of all a great joy in his work. Much the same might be said of the
Russian violinists and the Russian singers, many of whom have met with
tremendous success.
WITH THE MUSICAL CHILD IN RUSSIA
The Russian parent usually has such a keen love for music that the child
is watched from the very first for some indication that it may have
musical talent. The parent knows how much music brings into the life of
the child and he never looks upon the art as an accomplishment for
exhibition purposes, but rather as a source of great joy. Music is
fostered in the home as a part of the daily existence. Indeed, business
is kept far from the Russian fireside and the atmosphere of most homes
of intelligent people is that of culture rather than commerce. If the
child is really musical the whole household is seized with the ambition
to produce an artist. In my own case, I was taught the rudiments of
music at so early an age that I have no recollection of ever having
learned how to begin. It came to me just as talking does with the
average child. At five I could sing some of the Schumann songs and some
of those of Beethoven.
THE KIND OF MUSIC THE RUSSIAN CHILD HEARS
The Russian child is spared all contact with really bad music. That is,
he hears for the most part either the songs of the people or little
selections from classical or romantic composers that are selected
especially with the view of cultivating his talent. He has practically
no opportunity to come in contact with any music that might be described
as banal. America is a very young country and with the tension that one
sees in American life on all sides there comes a tendency to accept
music that may be most charitably described as "cheap." Very often the
same themes found in this music, skilfully treated, would make worthy
musical compositions. "Rag-time," and by this I refer to the peculiar
rhythm and not to the bad music that Americans have come to class under
this head, has a peculiar fascination for me. There is nothing
objectionable about the unique rhythm, any more than there is anything
iniquitous about the gypsy melodies that have made such excellent
material for Brahms, Liszt and Sarasate. The fault lies in the clumsy
presentation of the matter and its associations with vulgar words. The
rhythm is often fascinating and exhilarating. Perhaps some day some
American composer will glorify it in the Scherzo of a Symphony.
In Russia, teachers lay great stress upon careful grading. Many teachers
of note have prepared carefully graded lists of pieces, suitable to each
stage of advancement. I understand that this same purpose is
accomplished in America by the publication of volumes of the music
itself in different grades, although I have never seen any of these
collections. The Russian teacher of children takes great care that the
advancement of the pupil is not too rapid. The pupil is expected to be
able to perform all the pieces in one grade acceptably before going to
the next grade. I have had numerous American pupils and most of them
seem to have the fault of wanting to advance to a higher step long
before they are really able. This is very wrong, and the pupil who
insists upon such a course will surely realize some day that instead of
advancing rapidly he is really throwing many annoying obstacles directly
in his own path.
INSTRUCTION BOOKS
Many juvenile instruction books are used in Russia just as in America.
Some teachers, however, find that with pupils starting at an advanced
age it is better to teach the rudiments without a book. This matter of
method is of far greater importance than the average teacher will admit.
The teacher often makes the mistake of living up in the clouds with
Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, and Brahms, never realizing that the pupil is
very much upon the earth, and that no matter how grandly the teacher may
play, the pupil must have practical assistance within his grasp. The
main duty in all elementary work is to make the piano study interesting,
and the teacher must choose the course likely to arouse the most
interest in the particular pupil.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIRTUOSO-STUDENTS IN RUSSIA
It may surprise the American student to hear that there are really more
opportunities for him to secure public appearances right here in his own
country than in Russia. In fact, it is really very hard to get a start
in Russia unless one is able to attract the attention of the public very
forcibly. In America the standard may not be so high as that demanded in
the musical circles of Russia, but the student has many chances to play
that would never come to him in the old world. There, the only chance
for the young virtuoso is at the conservatory concerts. There are many
music schools in Russia that must content themselves with private
recitals, but the larger conservatories have public concerts of much
importance, concerts that demand the attendance of renowned artists and
compel the serious interest of the press. However, these concerts are
few and far between, and only one student out of many hundreds has a
chance to appear at them.
One singular custom obtains in Russia in reference to concerts. The
pianist coming from some other European country is paid more than the
local pianist. For instance, although I am Russian by birth, I reside in
Germany and receive a higher rate when I play in Russia than does the
resident artist. In fact, this rate is often double. The young virtuoso
in the early stages of his career receives about one hundred roubles an
appearance in Russia, while the mature artist receives from 800 to 1000.
The rouble, while having an exchange value of only fifty cents in United
States currency, has a purchasing value of about one dollar in Russia.
WHY RUSSIAN PIANISTS ARE FAMED FOR TECHNIC
The Russian pianist is always famed for his technical ability. Even the
mediocre artists possess that. The great artists realize that the
mechanical side of piano playing is but the basis, but they would no
sooner think of trying to do without that basis than they would of
dispensing with the beautiful artistic temples which they build upon the
substantial foundation which technic gives to them. The Russian pianists
have earned fame for their technical grasp because they give adequate
study to the matter. Everything is done in the most solid, substantial
manner possible. They build not upon sands, but upon rock. For instance,
in the conservatory examinations the student is examined first upon
technic. If he fails to pass the technical examination he is not even
asked to perform his pieces. Lack of proficiency in technic is taken as
an indication of a lack of the right preparation and study, just as the
lack of the ability to speak simple phrases correctly would be taken as
a lack of preparation in the case of the actor.
"Particular attention is given to the mechanical side of technic, the
exercises, scales and arpeggios. American readers should understand that
the full course at the leading Russian conservatories is one of about
eight or nine years. During the first five years, the pupil is supposed
to be building the base upon which must rest the more advanced work of
the artist. The last three or four years at the conservatory are given
over to the study of master works. Only pupils who manifest great talent
are permitted to remain during the last year. During the first five
years the backbone of the daily work in all Russian schools is scales
and arpeggios. All technic reverts to these simple materials and the
student is made to understand this from his very entrance to the
conservatory. As the time goes on the scales and arpeggios become more
difficult, more varied, more rapid, but they are never omitted from the
daily work. The pupil who attempted complicated pieces without this
preliminary technical drill would be laughed at in Russia. I have been
amazed to find pupils coming from America who have been able to play a
few pieces fairly well, but who wonder why they find it difficult to
extend their musical sphere when the whole trouble lies in an almost
total absence of regular daily technical work systematically pursued
through several years.
"Of course, there must be other technical material in addition to
scales, but the highest technic, broadly speaking, may be traced back to
scales and arpeggios. The practice of scales and arpeggios need never be
mechanical or uninteresting. This depends upon the attitude of mind in
which the teacher places the pupil. In fact, the teacher is largely
responsible if the pupil finds scale practice dry or tiresome. It is
because the pupil has not been given enough to think about in scale
playing, not enough to look out for in nuance, evenness, touch, rhythm,
etc., etc.
MODERN RUSSIAN INFLUENCE IN MUSICAL ART
"Most musicians of to-day appreciate the fact that in many ways the most
modern effects sought by the composers who seek to produce extremely new
effects have frequently been anticipated in Russia. However, one signal
difference exists between the Russians with ultra-modern ideas and the
composers of other nations. The Russian's advanced ideas are almost
always the result of a development as were those of Wagner, Verdi,
Grieg, Haydn and Beethoven. That is, constant study and investigations
have led them to see things in a newer and more radical way. In the case
of such composers as Debussy, Strauss, Ravel, Reger and others of the
type of musical Philistine it will be observed that to all intents and
purposes, they started out as innovators. Schönberg is the most recent
example. How long will it take the world to comprehend his message if he
really has one? Certainly, at the present time, even the admirers of the
bizarre in music must pause before they confess that they understand the
queer utterings of this newest claimant for the palm of musical
eccentricity. With Debussy, Strauss and others it is different, for the
skilled musician at once recognizes an astonishing facility to produce
effects altogether new and often wonderfully fascinating. With Reger one
seems to be impressed with tremendous effort and little result. Strauss,
however, is really a very great master; so great that it is difficult to
get the proper perspective upon his work at this time. It is safe to say
that all the modern composers of the world have been influenced in one
way or another by the great Russian masters of to-day and yesterday.
Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Cui, Glazounov, Rachmaninov, Moussorgsky,
Arensky, Scriabine and others, have all had a powerful bearing upon the
musical thought of the times. Their virility and character have been due
to the newness of the field in which they worked. The influence of the
compositions of Rubinstein and Glinka can hardly be regarded as Russian
since they were so saturated with European models that they might be
ranked with Gluck, Mendelssohn, Liszt and Meyerbeer far better than with
their fellow-countrymen who have expressed the idiom of Russia with
greater veracity."
QUESTIONS IN STYLE, INTERPRETATION, EXPRESSION
AND TECHNIC OF PIANOFORTE PLAYING
SERIES XI
JOSEF LHÉVINNE
1. Is music a part of the daily life of the child in the Russian home?
2. In what does the Russian teacher of children take great care?
3. Why are Russian pianists famed for their technical ability?
4. How are examinations conducted in Russia?
5. What would be thought of the Russian pupil who attempted pieces
without the proper preliminary scale work?
6. Need the practice of scales be mechanical and uninteresting?
7. Why do some pupils find technical studies tiresome?
8. How does Russian musical progress in composition differ from that of
other musical nations?
9. Has Russian music influenced the progress of other musical nations?
10. How may the compositions of Rubinstein and Glinka be regarded?
[Illustration: V. DE PACHMANN]
VLADIMIR DE PACHMANN
BIOGRAPHICAL
Vladimir de Pachmann was born at Odessa, Russia, July 27, 1848. His
first teacher was his father, who was a musical enthusiast and a fine
performer upon the violin. The elder de Pachmann was a Professor of Law
at the University of Vienna and at first did not desire to have his son
become anything more than a cultured amateur. In his youth de Pachmann
was largely self taught and aside from hearing great virtuosos at
concerts and modeling his playing to some extent after theirs he had no
teachers until 1866 when he went to the Vienna Conservatory to study
with the then celebrated teacher, Joseph Dachs. Dachs was a concert
pianist of the old school. Academic perfection was his goal and he could
not understand such a pupil as de Pachmann who was able to get results
by what seemed un-academic means. After one year with Dachs de Pachmann
toured Russia with great success and since then has made repeated tours
of the entire musical world. He never gave any serious attention to
musical composition. As an interpreter of the works of Chopin no one in
recent times has ever excelled de Pachmann, but he also gave numerous
recitals showing a great breadth of style in the performances of works
of the other great masters particularly Brahms and Liszt.
(The following conference was conducted in English, German, French and
Italian.)
XIV
SEEKING ORIGINALITY
VLADIMIR DE PACHMANN
THE MEANING OF ORIGINALITY
"Originality in pianoforte playing, what does it really mean? Nothing
more than the interpretation of one's real self instead of the
artificial self which traditions, mistaken advisors and our own natural
sense of mimicry impose upon us. Seek for originality and it is gone
like a gossamer shining in the morning grass. Originality is in one's
self. It is the true voice of the heart. I would enjoin students to
listen to their own inner voices. I do not desire to deprecate teachers,
but I think that many teachers are in error when they fail to encourage
their pupils to form their own opinions.
"I have always sought the individual in myself. When I have found him I
play at my best. I try to do everything in my own individual way. I work
for months to invent, contrive or design new fingerings--not so much for
simplicity, but to enable me to manipulate the keys so that I may
express the musical thought as it seems to me it ought to be expressed.
See my hand, my fingers--the flesh as soft as that of a child, yet
covering muscles of steel. They are thus because I have worked from
childhood to make them thus.