Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-22
THE MUSIC WORLD.
Opinions Pro and Con the Question
of Playing Without Notes.
TALENTED PITTSBURGERS ABROAD
Mr.. Saddler Astonishes Munich and Mr..
Nevin Captures Boston.
DOINGS In LOCAL MUSICAL CIRCLES

n PiSStg OlscusSAOn ls BOAuS euS AOono
upon the question: 'Does this playing
without notes pay?"
The Musical Herald, in raising the issue
points to the mental and nervous strait
usually incident to playing before an audi
ence, and properly queries whether 1t Il
worth while TO add the effort OF reproducing
a composition note for note, expression marx
for expression mark. The Philadelphis
Musical journal takes up the discussion in
the same vein.
The opposite side is stoutly maintained by
that highly reputable musician, Mr.. Colixs
Lavallee, in a letter to the last named jour.
nal, the gist of which is in these three sen,
tences: Il will answer that it is a necessity to
memorlze; In fact, any work cannot be thought
and rendered properly unless the mind is en-.
tirely absorbed between the author and
performer. In my experience
II have never found any mental
strain in memorizing, and believe
any performer with proper musical instinct
will corroborate my statement Performers
who cannot memOrize are not, in a strict sense
Of the word. born musicians, and in all cases
they read rather than think work"
Mr.. Lavallee is certainly to be felIcitated;
would that all performers were similarly con-
tituted. 1t may readily be granted that the
deal artist should be able, without undue
train, to play his repertoire from memory,
nth absolute fidelity to the composer and yet
nth the spontaneity of improvisation.
The question, "does it pay?' however, is
erected not only toward the ideal; it is rather
IQuestton OF expediency. And there are seri-
JUS doubts whether it is expedient to en-
ourage unreservedly the fast-growing fashion
4 memorizing.
Note that this is question of means, net of
inns. All true artists aim at the same thing
o convey TO the listener with the utmost COM
Dleteness and effectiveness Just what the com
poser indicates by his written symbols The
problem is to minimize friction in the machin-
Fry, physical and mental, which intervenes be-
tween these written symbols and the listeners
EAR.
The use of notes requires extra movements
of the hand and mind for the purpose of iurn-
ing the pages. This obstacle, as far as it goes,
does furnish an argument for memorizing. But
it is a purely mechanical obstacle, which in
Ventive genius has in large part overcome; and,
even if none of the patent "music-turners"
are satisfactory, surely pretty assistant turn
ing the leaves would be an adjunct quite as
unobJectionable as the 'supe" that raises the
piano lid.
1t is also generally true that the impression
produced upon the audience by the use of
notes is slightly unfavorable. In some degree
thls also gives an argument for menIorizing.
But TO large extent this unfavorable impress
sion arises because it is the fashion to play
without notes; while the correllative favorable
impression produced by the exhibition of men,
ory is very largely like other technical feats.
non-artistic matter of wonder and admiration
at the players personal proves.
-
These are really side issues, however The
true point is whether or not the use of notes
does distrac: the players attention from the
work ITSELF whether memorizing means free
dom.
That depends primarily upon the individual
players organization. 1t cannot be Conceded
by any means that "a proper musical instinctD
invariably implies faculty for memorizing
and playing from memory. You might as well
say that the clergyman who breaches witbont
notes is the only one possessing proper relig-
aous spirit.
The memory is distinct faculty; Il NAV he
highly developed. though the other faculties he
upon low plane; E conUe,So, it NAV be weak
and faulty, though the other faculties be strong
and keen. One performer may find it easier to
rely solely on his me mory for the musical sinh
3ect-matter he is transmitting into sound for
his audience. Another, who possesses the
same or higher musical gifts and who has
studied the work in hand as thorough NAV
hnd that the effort to remem ber is an element of
friction and constraint and may feel altogether
1reer and easier in his musical Interpretation
II he has the notes before him. Each indi-
Vldual should be left perfectly free to choose
whichever mode he finds best suited to him.
Inc critics and the public will tell him whether
he displays "a proper musical INSTINCT or not
and the matter of his using or dispensing with
the notes should have little orsno bearing upon
their verdict.
Another aspect of the question NAV be
touched upon. Mr.. Lavallee objects to PLAYERS
who read rather than think work" A mo-
ments reflection will show that this is lust
what they ought to do. 1t lie not meant by this
TO encourage sightreading or other lack of
preparation in public, nor yet to DENY that the
player must use his utmost endeayor to iden-
lilly himself with the composer. But he must
not identify the composer with himself, which
Is quite another thing and the most common of
faults.
The true artist reads a composition: makes
himself the vehicle of anothers ideas. Ii is
the self-important virtuosO who presumes to
tittHE composition: that is, to give 1t forth as
he concelVes 1t ought to be. to create rather
than to interpret, to give the audience more of
his own personality than of the composers
The noblest quality in an interpretative artist
is an entire self-abnegation, a complete sur
render OF himself to the composer. This
quality, difficult of attainment by any, is
so when one PLAYS without
notes. Every flaw or dimness in memory's
picture of what. the composer depicted. must
needs. in the exlgency of performance, be filled
out and touched up with the players own pig
ments. 1t is questionable if a nemorftttr in.
depreciation OF any extended composition was |
ever as faithful to the composers meanings as
the same player would have been with the notes |
before him.
1t would seem, too, as il the sight of the |
printed page wodld-by association of ideas |
aid the player in a varied pro-
Eramme to pass into the proper frame of feel |
Ing ior the composition next to be played |
Actors tell how the particular costume helps |
them TO feel the character to which it belongs, |
An actor is praised for versatility if he assume
TWO contrasting roles in one evening. A piau. |
ISL Is often required in one recital to as |
sumo sinn; and feel and reproduce in rapid |
the composers from Bach down to |
Ischalkowski. It is small wonder if all the |
pieces are strongly imbued with the player's per-
Sonality, especially If he attempts to keep |
them all noating around loose in his memory |
w ould not the printed page serve as a material
rallylne point for the floating ideas and emo
lions appropriate to that composition and thus
give the player genuine assistance in differ
his interpretations
-.
Mr.. Frank E Saddler. of this city- vouId
'eem to have been studying musical theory at
Munich to some purpose, iud ling from recent
achievement in the shape of a really remark
Lble piece Of counterpoint. In a recent letter
lome he describes it as follows:
st is two parts for violins, written on tho
'iolin clefs. When these two paris are turned
upside down and played backwards, with the
lase clef and viola or alto clef, thev move
moo thly and chord with the two parts when
played forward with violin cefs.
These two parts are written at right angles,
,rossing each other, and when played forward
md backward by two victims, viola and cello.
constitute quartet.
This is the only example of its kind in exist
,nee. Mozart wrote couple Of duets for two
rollins this way and Haydn also. But no per-
on ever put quartet together in this shape
)efore."
II is now in order for some contrapuntal
harp TO step up and inform that every mu-
icial student at Cambridge or Kamschatka has
o write patent reversible double-back-action
luartet before he can get his bachelors degree. |
But, honestly now, has any one ever done it
before our Pittsburg boy?
ga
Another nativA of our town has been doing
imsef-and us-proud in foreign parts. Mr..
1thelbert NeVin's rapid rise into prominence
mid the hot musical competition of Boston