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Page 24
It was my privilege to be present at some of Mr. Matthay's private
lessons, given at the Royal Academy. Several young men were to try for
one of the medals, and were playing the same piece, one of the
Strauss-Tausig Valse Caprices.
Matthay listens to a complete performance of the work in hand, then
turns back to the beginning and goes over it again for corrections and
suggestions. He enters into it with absolute devotion, directing with
movements of head and hands as a conductor might direct an orchestra;
sometimes he dashes down a chord in the treble to urge more force; at
other times lays a restraining hand on the player's arm, where the tone
should be softer. His blue pencil is often busy adding phrasing marks.
In the pauses he talks over with the pupil the character of the piece,
and the effects he thinks should be made. In short his lessons are most
helpful and illuminating.
I also had the opportunity to attend a pupils' "Practise Concert," and
here the results attained were little short of marvelous. Small
children, both boys and girls, played difficult pieces, like the Grieg
Variations for two pianos, the Weber _Invitation to the Dance_, and
works by Chopin and Liszt, with accuracy and fluency. Almost every
selection was played from memory. The tone was always musical and often
of much power, and the pupils seemed thoroughly to understand what they
were doing and the meaning of the music. They certainly exemplified the
professor's maxim:
"Never touch the piano without trying to make music."
* * * * *
Not long afterward I received a copy of the new book, which had just
come from the press. Its comprehensive title is _Musical Interpretation,
its Laws and Principles, and their Application in Teaching and
Performing_. The material was first presented in the form of lectures;
on repeated requests it has been issued in book form. The author at the
outset claims no attempt to treat such a complex problem exhaustively;
he has, however, selected the following seven points for elucidation:
1. The difference between Practise and Strumming.
2. The difference between Teaching and Cramming.
3. How one's mind can be brought to bear on one's work.
4. Correct ideas of Time and Shape.
5. Elements of Rubato and its application.
6. Elements of Duration and Pedaling and their application.
7. Some details as to the application of the Element of Tone-variety.
Such themes must cause the thoughtful reader to pause and think. They
are treated with illuminating originality. The great aim of the teacher
must ever be to awaken thought along correct lines; the pupil must be
assisted to concentrate his thought on what he is doing: to constantly
think and listen. Teaching does not consist merely in pointing out
faults; the teacher must make clear the _cause_ of each fault and the
way to correct it. That section of the book devoted to the Element of
Rubato, is illustrated with many examples from well-known compositions,
by which the principle is explained. He shows how frequently this
principle is misunderstood by the inexperienced, who seem to think that
rubato means breaking the time; whereas true rubato is the _bending_ of
the time, but not _breaking_ it. If we give extra time to certain notes,
we must take some time from other notes, in order to even things up.
The subject of Pedaling is aptly explained by means of numerous
illustrations. The author deplores the misuse of the damper pedal,
which can be made to ruin all the care and effort bestowed on phrasing
and tonal effects by the fingers. The fault can, in most cases, be
traced to inattention to the sounds coming from the piano.
There are quotable paragraphs on every page, which in their sincerity
and earnestness, their originality of expression, stamp themselves on
the reader's imagination. Every teacher who is serious in his work and
has the best interests of his pupils at heart, should read and ponder
these pages.
XIII
HAROLD BAUER
THE QUESTION OF PIANO TONE
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