The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1890-09-17
OUR MUSIC COLUMN.
WHAT SHALL WE pLArg
PART LII

The student naturally asks, show shall
l know what works are beyond me, living
far from any musical centre, with no
great artists as models, and no fixed stan
dards to judge fromi II my teacher
gives me Liszt's Rhapsodies, and declares
that play well, what other guide have
IL" None, the more is the pity, except
that same good common sense which you
apply to other matters, but which 80
many people allow to remain utterly dor
ment the moment any form Of music Is IN
question.
You can at least notice the programmes
being given throughout the country by
leading artists aud ii you find that you
are allowed to study and play the same
great compositions which form the tours
de force Of their repertoires, be sure that
you are on the wrong track. You are
perfectly cafe !a assuming that your few
terms, or even years, of desultory study
have not fitted you to grapple successfully
with the Titans which tax to the utter
most the disciplined powers, and exper-
fence In attack, of veteran professionals,
who have been all their lives in the field.
Not even il you are the pupil of Professor
Prestissimo, who agrees to teach the piano
In twelve lessons.
What would you think of primary
school scholar, just able to get creditably
through with lesson In the First Reader,
who should be set to interpret Shakespeare
for company of adults Or of young
Miss, with just skill enough to paint tais-
les on tea-set, which were recognizable
without label, who should undertake to
cover thirty-two foot canvass with
grand historic or battle piece of tintoret-
torian magnitudei You would not need
to witness the effort, or even to be Judge
at all, to know that 1t must be an utter
farce, without even the doubtful merit OF
being funny.
AS regards your own study, any piece
is too difficult which you cannot play
straight through without breaks or stumb-
ling, with not more than one falso note
to the page at tair tempo, and with
some little attention to tone-quality and
phrasing, after three to four weeks Of
careful practice. You have then, OF
course, Ia reality only made beginning.
Between that standard aud fine artistic
Interpretation there Is great gulf fixed.
Still 1t is a safe idea to start with. Every
one can tell for himself, II he will, whether
or not he hits the right notes, aud, with
the aid Of metronome, whether or not
he keeps the time approximately and
these two elements must be presupposed,
before Interpretation can be even at
tempted.
Be content to set yourself moderate,
possible task. II Is wiser, in playing for
others, to select something In which the
technical requirements are easily met,
leaving surplus of attention and vitality
free for the more important aud exacting
portion OF the work. 1t is better to bring
up one little pearl 10 safety from moderate
depths, than to try the deep-sea plunge at
the outset, for the lost spanish treasure,
and be crushed beneath the weight OF
waters.
There Is another error as frequently
made, and almost as fatal, as the selection
Of too difficult works. 1t Is the attempt
to carry too large arepersoire. The rage
for quantity is IN some measure taking the
place OF that for mere speed and brilliancy,
and II Is form Of virtuosity scarcely, II
any, better. The one makes its chief de-
mand upon the fingers, the other upon
the memory. The ever new programmes
and interminsble series of recitals, an
nounced by the leaders in the profession,
are constant spur to the ambition of
younger and weaker men, to reach out
more and more In this wrong direction,
that is after quantity, rather than quality,
and the effect on the public Is precisely
the reverse OF that desired or intended.