The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-10

consent, been conceded the greatest in
his ability to make the most stipend
Gus technical difficulties appear abso-
lutely easy. This is one of the import
ant elements of greatness, but it is only
one. a few years ago he fairly dazed
his American audiences by his marvel.
Gus technical powers, but it remained
for Paderewski to make his hearers
forget the means to the music under
the spell of the music itself. 1t is said,
however, by foreign critics that Rosen-
thai has so matured as an artist that
he now combines his great technique
with equally splendid powers of eX-
preston, and that he is now the prince
of pianists." If this be true (and it is
to be hoped Rosenthal's American tour
this winter will not again be cut short
by sickness) it remains to be seen
whether or not American audiences will
remove the crown of laurel which they
have placed on the head of Paderewski
to that of Rosenthal.
q VIII you please mention some of
the best-known pianists"
Answer-In making this list / am
drawing upon my memory and it is by
no means to be considered complete.
Aus der Ohe, Bloomfield-Zeisler,D DIAL
bert, De Pachman, Friedheim, Godow-
sky, Kleeburg, Joseffy, Liebling, Pade-
rewski, Perry, MacDowell, Rosenthal,
Sauer, Sherwood, Silotti, Sternberg,
Sieveking.
Anxious--l. ] was told the other day
by a young lady that | should call the
riGht-hand pedal of the piano the
"sustaining pedal" Rnd that it was
mistake to call 1t the loud pedal"
Is that true?
Answer-Your informer was right. To
call the right pedal the loud pedal"
is manifestly absurd since the same
pedal is used simultaneously with the
left hand or soft pedal In the most
delicate effects. Poor, abused sus-
tanning pedal. When properly used
it is the good angel OF, the piano, but
when improperly used 1t is the arch
demon of the piano, torturing you un-
til you fairly writhe. 1t is the sustain
ing pedal that great artists rely upon
for their most delightful effects. em-
ploying it with the utmost pains-tak-
ing care and nicely, but which, alas,
our Araminta plumps her pretty foot
upon at the beginning Of her piece and
forgets TO release except at long, very
long, intervals.
?, The same young lady said that l
used the pedal badly although / tried
10 follow the pedal-markings given IN
the piece Please give some rules CC-
Garding the use of the pedal.
Answer-The pedal must be changed
at every change OF harmony, no mat
ter how frequently that may occur.
There are times when the pedal must
be pressed down and raised incessantly.
The mistake which is being constant
ly perpetuated by the customary pedal
markings in sheet music and which
is utterly fatal 10 the proper use Of
the pedal. Is that the pedal is put
down precisely when II should be rails
ed, namely, at the instant when o
chord Is struck which is change of
harmony; the proper method is to raise
the pedal at the instant the chord is
struck and put il down imme-
diately after, a point which very few
of the thousands of players un-
derstand, simply on account of the err
ronaus pedal markings, and because
their teachers have not warned them
on that point if, indeed, they under
stood 1t themselves. Mr., w. ii. Sher-
wood, our great American pianist,
writes as follows: 1T is true that
nearly all the pedal marks printed in
most of the music for the piano are
positively wrong and calculated TO
mislead the student into totally un-