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Page 62
HINTS ON INTERPRETATION FROM TWO AMERICAN TEACHERS
WILLIAM H. SHERWOOD AND DR. WILLIAM MASON
WILLIAM H. SHERWOOD
While a young student the opportunity came to attend a Summer Music
School, founded by this eminent pianist and teacher. He had surrounded
himself with others well known for their specialties in voice, violin
and diction; but the director himself was the magnet who attracted
pianists and teachers from the four corners of the land.
Perhaps the most intimate way to come in touch with a famous teacher, is
to study with him during the summer months, in some quiet, retired spot.
Here the stress of the metropolis, with its rush and drive, its exacting
hours, its remorseless round of lesson giving, is exchanged for the
freedom of rural life. Hours may still be exact, but a part of each day,
or of each week, is given over to relaxation, to be spent in the open,
with friends and pupils.
It was under such conditions that I first met Mr. Sherwood. I had never
even heard him play, and was glad the session opened with a piano
recital. His playing delighted me; he had both power and delicacy, and
his tone impressed me as being especially mellow and fine. There was
deep feeling as well as poetry in his reading of both the Chromatic
Fantaisie of Bach, and the Chopin Fantaisie in F minor which were on the
program. This opinion was strengthened at each subsequent hearing, for
he gave frequent recitals and concerts during the season.
My summer study with Mr. Sherwood consisted mainly in gaining ideas on
the interpretation of various pieces. Many of these ideas seem to me
beautiful and inspiring, and I will set them down as fully as I can from
the brief notes jotted down at the time. I trust I may be pardoned a few
personal references, which are sometimes necessary to explain the
situation.
With advanced students Mr. Sherwood gave great attention to tone study
and interpretation, even from the first lesson. He laid much stress on
the use of slow, gentle motions in practise and in playing; on the
spiritualization of the tones, of getting behind the notes to find the
composer's meaning. He had, perhaps, a more poetic conception of piano
playing than any master I have known, and was able to impart these ideas
in clear and simple language.
The first composition considered was Schumann's Nachtst�ck, the fourth
of the set. He had a peculiar way of turning the hand on the middle
finger, as on a pivot, for the extended chords, at the same time raising
the whole outer side of the hand, so that the fifth finger should be
able to play the upper melody notes round and full. In the middle
section he desired great tenderness and sweetness of tone. "There are
several dissonances in this part," he said, "and they ought to be
somewhat accented--suspensions I might call them. In Bach and Handel's
time, the rules of composition were very strict--no suspensions were
allowed; so they were indicated where it was not permitted to write
them."
Chopin's �tude in sixths came up for analysis. "This study needs a very
easy, quiet, limpid touch--the motions all gliding and sliding rather
than pushing and forceful. I would advise playing it at first
_pianissimo_; the wrist held rather low, the knuckles somewhat high,
and the fingers straightened. In preparation for each pair of notes
raise the fingers and let them down--not with a hard brittle touch, if I
may use the word, but with a soft, velvety one. A composition like this
needs to be idealized, spiritualized, taken out of everyday life. Take,
for instance, the Impromptu Op. 36, Chopin; the first part of it is
something like this �tude, soft, undulating--smooth as oil. There is
something very uncommon, spiritual, heavenly, about the first page of
that Impromptu--very little of the earth, earthy. The second page is in
sharp contrast to the first, it comes right down to the hard, everyday
business of life--it is full of harsh, sharp tones. Well, the idea of
that first page we get in this study in sixths. I don't want the bare
tones that stand there on the printed page; I want them
spiritualized--that is what reveals the artist. In the left hand the
first note should have a clear, brittle accent, with firm fifth finger,
and the double sixths played with the creeping, clinging movement I have
indicated. If I should practise this �tude for half an hour, you might
be surprised at the effects I could produce. Perhaps it might take ten
hours, but in the end I am confident I could produce this floating,
undulating effect. I heard Liszt play nearly all these �tudes at one
time; I stood by and turned the pages. In this �tude he doubled the
number of sixths in each measure; the effect was wonderful and
beautiful.
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