The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-22
STUDY OF THE PIANoFoRTE.
The Relation of the Clavier to Emo
tional and Expressive Playing.

tional and Expressive Playing.
From the April Pianist and Organist
At a recent convention of music
teachers an essay was read, from which
take the following extract:
THE characteristic trait in plano
forte execution is Clean-cut crispness
in the production of the tones. And
here, in passing, let me say for speedy
and sure requirement of a brilliant
execution in pianoforte playing. the
Virgil practice ClaVier, when rightly
and Systematically used Is unrivalled
as a means. That is the great merit
of the mechanism in question. When
to this positive affirmation with refer
ence to an indispensable feature in ar
tistic pianoforte playing there is added
the further statement that with emo
tiOnal expression and feeling in the
fingers the Virgil Clavier has nothing
whatever to do, a flood of light is
poured upon the entire subject Of musi-
cal touch and techniC in pianoforte
playing. To acquire execution, prac-
tlce in nimbly producing the clicks,
which in the Virgil Clavier determine
the mode OF flnger-action, is invaluable
to the pianist"
With the first part of this statement
every teacher who has made more than
superficial investigation into the mer-
It's of the clavier must thoroughly
agree. The last part of the quotation,
however contains just enough truth
to render it misleading, and it is with
this part that the present article has
to do.
The statement that with emotional
expression and feeling in the fingers
the Virgil clavier has nothing wha tever
to do" is partially true. This dictum
is equally true when applied to the
piano.
The piano is only a medium of ex-
preston for the emotional feeling of
the performer. and, as such, has only
to do with the expression of such feel
ing. The piano per Sc does not develop
| or produce the emotional concept of the
player. That is dependent upon broad
| culture, reading, thinking. artistic tenn
perament, study. etc. II this is the
| meaning the speaker above quoted in
| tended to convey every thoughtful
| musician will agree with him. 1t may
also be taken for granted that he did
not mean that there was any emotion
or feeling in the fingers themselves, but
preston, conveying through the medium
of the keyboard and piano tone the
mental emotional concept formed in the
mind Of the player.
Now, while the Virgil Clavier has
| nothing whatever to do with the emo
tion and feeling of the player it has,
in conjunction with the clavier meth
cd, everything to do with the express
Ctn ,or1, h.
| ton, and does it in fraction of the
| time required by the piano. The all
essential factor in the expression of
the players emotion is fingers that are
absolutely responsive to the will, and
until the muscles are completely under
the control of the mind the most poet
ical conception that may exist in the
brain of the eXecutant will fail of a
perfect realization, Kullak said years
ago: why talk of expression before
the fingers are capable of expression"
| and this il as true today as it ever
was; yet the teachers who object to
the clavier method because it has too
much TO do with technic are in danger
of forgetting the fact that without
technic there can be no musical or
emotional playing. Now, by technic,
l do not mean the ability to play as
many notes as possible in q minute, but
| that absolute mental control of the
| muscular and nervous apparatus that
enables the player to produce any
touch or combination of touches with
any degree of power at any necessary
speed with the subtlest shadings and
tone -colorings instantaneously and
| with perfect ease and repose. 1t is a
curious fact that the very musical
players who decry technic as the god
of small minds are precisely the ones
who are struggling hardest to get IT.
Now. an artistic technic can be attain
ed by the use of the clavier and clavier
method in a fraction OF the time re-
qured at the piano.
In fact, a more reliable technic can
be developed in one year at the clavier
than the majority of piano students
ever get. This, be it said, however, is
only possible by using the clavier
method; the student who uses the
clavier simply as a silent practice in
strument will get no greater results
than at the piano, except possibly in
the development of a quick up-action
of the fingers, which is of course an
important factor in playing. There is
hardly anything in the whole range OF