The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-12-10

Advanced Pupil. 1.-Will you please
give in the Question Box the tempo IN
netronome marks) of different move
ments of Liszt's second Rhapsodie, as
great pianists take It, also the slow
est tempo permissible?
AS their name indicates, the Liszt
Rhapsodies are pieces that are to be
played capriciously according to the
spirit of the wild, capricious Hungarian
national airs, upon which they are
founded. This fact leaves the interpre-
tation largely to the fancy of the
player, and, as a matter of fact the
great players differ in their interpre-
tation of the Rhapsodies.
The "lento a capriccio," or introduc-
ton to the second rhapsody, is. of
course, not played in strict time. This
is especially true of the small notes in
the right hand. If l were to mention
any prevailing tempo | should say that
an eighth note equals about So. The
"andante mesto" would be taken at
about 63 for every quarter note; the
'Vivace' (Friska) at about los,
the tempo gusto vivace" at 126, and
the ''piu mosso" at 1S2 for every quar-
ter note. From the point where it is
| marked "sempre piano, g POGO a POGO
| accelerando il tempo" the tempo be-
comes faster and faster until at pres
tissimo the highest possible speed is
attained. In the hands of a great
artist this last part works the audience
up to the highest point of enthusiasm.
Those who question Liszt's Importance
| as u composer, term his rhapsodies
fireworks" music; notwithstanding
the opportunity for technical display
they are tremendously effective under
the fingers of those who have mastered
their technical difficulties.
2.--rs Sousa considered a good COM
poser and If so why don't teachers
want their pupils to play his marches!
What is the proper place and value
of this kind of music in the musical
literature?
| AnsWer.--Sousa is a good composer
| of marches. From the standpoint of
| true music the compositions of Sousa
have little value. Many of them none
whatever. This question involves a
dissertation upon the aesthetics of
music, and / can only touch upon some
Of the points.
The prime requisite of a good march
Is a striking, definite march-rhythm,
| since 1t is intended to be marched to.
If this rhythm he covered up or OBJ
scured the march ceases to have any
value as Il march. There can be no
variation in this rhythm 1t must be
kept infieXible. Now, the fact that the
| rhythm is the chief thing, with a tempo
so intieXible that any music box or self
playing instrument can play it as well
| as living persons, puts the march en-
trely outside the realm of artistic
music. The same thing is true of the
waltz or dances meant to be danced to.
The regular, unrelenting rhythm is
the chief thing and everything must
be subservent to that. There have
been many fine compositions written
which We're music in the trueSt sense
that We're based upon dance
rhythms. ChOpin's waltzes are eX-
examples of this kind; but when
properly played nobody on earth
could waltz To them, simply because
the music has been SO written as to
idealize the waltz movement. The
movement varies and the waltz rhythm
is simply the skeleton upon which have
been draped beautiful and artistic
musical thoughts.
To conclude. Artistic music, that is,
music in it's truest sense, music which
can express the varied emotions of the
human heart, purifying and idealizinE
them, can not be tied down to any
music box, mechanical rhythm and
tempo. Any composition intended to
be marched to or danced to will not
permit of any departure from a rhythm
and tempo which must dominate eV-
erything else. Music of this kind is
practical and useful for the purpose in
tended, but, considered apart from the
purpose intended, it occupies an unim-
pOrtant place muSiCally. Those whose
ideas of music rise no higher than the
popular marches, two-steps and other
dances of the day have no more touched
upon the domain of true music than
have those whose only reading is the
ephemeral novels of the day have
touched upon the domain of literature
The popular things of the present are
too often of a character as to make
them the forgotten" things of yester-
day. To this category belongs the
greater part if not all of Sousa's pro-
ductions.
Ploddcr-What is your opinion re-
Sarding the touch of pianos? DO you
prefer a heavy action TO a light one?
\ friend of mine says that the action
Of my piano is too light She saws
her teacher recommended n heavy ac.
tion to strengthen the fingers l de-
sire your opinion
Answer-My preference is decidedly
in favor of light actions. The difficult
ties in learning to play the piano well
are already sufficiently numerous with
out adding any unnecessary ones, and
heavy action puts a strain upon
muscles and nerves that is wholly use
less. The pianos of the classical COM
posers had extremely light actions, and