Evening star., 1897-01-23

Hei hdhy- mere, look around your!
We were in a Latin quarter restaurant
with cafe and billiard room attachment.
Struggling with pandemonium of male
and female chattering and squabbling,
amid slamming doors and Gathering plates,
tinkling, jinkling orchestra of seven
pieces was engaged with "Lfnger Longer,
Lucy"
isn't it ignoble? And to think that in
Paris, the boasting capital. here in the
Latin quarter given up to learning, it is
this or notl ing!"
The speaker was the pianist Stefanski and
he told me great many interesting things
about the art trade haLdicraft and mys-
terry. Stefarski is the American Willard
Ward Stephens, one time Of New York. The
Parisians who like so well his drawing
room recitals do not. perhaps. know this
for Russia is their friend, and anything In
ski to them is Russian.
Germany is the country for the piano."
ne repeated emphatically. 'if only for the
reason that the School there is the most
serious" German mt sic is the most
played by pianists also' and it is naturally
best understood by themselves. Again,
one mas more opportunities of hearing
great pianists there; and as we learn by
imitation, this Is a matter of prime i'm
portance. And, apart from piano music.
German cities are melodious by day and
night with military and orchestral bands
LII SdTueIS, WITH great indoor concerts,
chant er music, choral work and all the
rest Conservatives abound, philharmonic
societies flourish. The Germans. Russians
and Hungarians are undoubtedly the best
pianists today with respect to execution,
as well as to composition. Irdeed the Rus
SLAMS promise to take the front rank of
all In the near future. The French school,
on the other hand. is not good
Il wish you would tell me what IS wrong
with it." ,,y
THE temperament of the French is not
serious enough" They acquire facle tech
nique. but that is all. Their pianos are
pianist to compare with Liszt. Rubenstein,
Joseffy, Essipoff, d Albert and Josef Hof-
main. The leadihg French pis.nists-saint
Saens heads the list of course but does no
public work in these days-are Diemer,
Pugno. Delaborde and Marmontel. With
the exception of Saint-Saens they are great
only In technique. They are scholarly
artists. but the piano does DOT seem really
to be in them it-,-.rs- "a
Music for Salons.
Certainly. .Chaminade'' 1 ventured to
suggest. THAT beautiful young French
girl surely has it in her.
'Chaminade," replied Stefanski, sis a
friend of both yourself and mine. and We
are not likely to do injustice to her. You
know perfectly well, however, that she is
not pianist such as we have been speak
ing of; She is. first. composer of music.
ohe pays O~H COMPOSITIONS Qallt1ly
and better than any one else could. Her
music Is for salons.
And the Parisians appreciate salon
music, at least"
ndulgently, 'fs very much the same all
over the world What goes on in the
salons of the Quarter de PEtoile is no
gauge for the tendencies of the average
Partisan. 1t is the trouble here that the
great mass of people do net love music
apart from the song. Look In any Ger
man city there Is always something going
on, apart from the beer concerts and the
opera. If 1t is not the recital of a pianist
then it is hearing of chamber music, the
night OF a choral society or lecture on
music. In Paris we never hear such pian-
lists as Rosenthal, Joseffy, Sophie Menter
Pachmann. Emil Sauer Josef Hoffman,,
d Albert and Stavenhagen. Why, do YOU
know that Paderewski himself-the only
great one you have ever heard in Paris
was on the point of giving up. because of
the neglect of this same Paris public?"
when was that?"
AT the beginning. Three weeks before
levard by Widor, who asked, How is the
piano coming on? He Of the tangled
tresses answered sorrowfully, I have
given 1t up and am going to devote myself
to composition Paris had completely dis
heartened him. But a wealthy Iady-sev-
eral names have been mentioned-who
loved Paderewski tenderly put up a big
tat purse to make him known. Laying out
the money where 1t would do most good
she made him success in Paris and his
fame went out to all the world.
Then Paris is good for something after
all. put in, glad to say good word for
the bright. beautiful. generous city, to
which we all owe SO much.
Naturally. or do you suppose l would
have left Vienna to come here. There
ought ODE a compensation for the loss"
Meaning"
Meaning frankly and squarely notoriety.
reputation, the breath of his nostrils to the
artist Why. that was why did not go to
Russia with Nikita, where 1 would have
made a barrel of money. I preferred to
follow up Paris career first; and this Is
the position of every one of US, singers.
pardon-the very acrobats and dancers of
the music hall stage"
Some Good Advice.
what is your, advice to young players?"
Before presenting your work to the
public, I should say you ought to study 1t
six months. Yes, six months! Then put it
aside for a few weeks. After that take it
up and go at it again until the night fixed
for the performance. One should never
feel, In playing. that he is trying to avoid
making mistakes, but should know the
thing so well as to feel mistake impossible
Students will very often study a compost
ton for three months, and because they
can play 1t through to their satisfaction
alone in their study room. or before their
teacher, even, they imagine they are ready
for concert work. They find their mistake
when they get on the platform when places
in the composition frighten them when
they remember the old difficulties, and they
wonder if they are going to get through
them well or ill. 1t Is a proof that the COM
position has not been thoroughly learned
1 have been through it! A composition has
only been learned thoroughly technically
when the fingers have got it. In otner
words. your fingers memorize for you, leay-
Ing your mind free. Everybody does not
know that"
While you are giving advice, what about
practice?
"A pianist cannot practice too much.
Practice as much as your health will lei
you! 1t Is not with us as with the singers.
who. moreover. have to avoid strainina
their voices. The repertoire of piano music
is so enormous nowadays that one cannot
find enough time In the day to prepare the
enormous programs demanded Of a pianist
Ard 1t is getting worse every day. It is moi
uncommon to see on one program two on.
three piano concerti-work with orchestra
where formerly one such composition was
looked on as task"
What are your hours?"
II begin my work at $50 am Technique
should be studied in the morning. give
one hour and half to It, and then work
one hour and half on repertoire. Then /