Evening journal., 1900-02-24
MUST MAKE THE PIANO SING
MARK HAMBOURG SAYS 1T HAS
BEEN "PAWED" ENOUGH

Marx Hamburg, the brilliant young
pianist, who has been making a sue
cessful tour Of this country, in a recent
interview said:
Il had not expected such musical in
telligence and such general music cul-
ture in America It is most delightful
to an artist and most inspiring l have
played before all sorts of audiences,
from the ultra-musical symphony con-
cert auditors to the large girls board
ing school, but everywhere there is the
same quickness to appreciate the tell
ing points in an artists playing. IN
questionably America has a great musi-
cal future.
In replying to a question concerning
the tendency Of modern piano playing
Mr. Hamburg said:
we are getting Old-fashioned. Tech
nique for the sake of mere showiness
has ceased to be beautiful. The pianist
has to confess to himself (and it is not
altogether agreeable) that in order to
interest the public he must not only be
tuneful, but he must approach as near
as possible to the human voice. The
piano has been clawed and paved long
Ienough, and now we must make it sing,
and herein is the future of the pianist IS
art He must try to make his music
beautiful and not astonishing, and in
so far as it has the former quality will
it interest the public.
II think / may go so far as to say
that the next great improvement the
piano maker will make in his almost
lperfect instrument will consist in a de-
vice that will give it sort of vox hu-
mana quality. With the aid of the
modern piano we are able to overcome
remarkable technical difficulties, but
these have ceased to interest our hear
ers. We must now begin to omit from
Jour pieces the notes put in by ambitious
lpianists to make them unnecessarily dif-
fcult, and play the classical compost
ltion as their composers intended. And
we must above all things try to make
them beautiful and not astounding.
1T is, however, a great mistake tC
lsuppose that the pianists of the present
day are the greatest technicians who
have ever lived. People forget Thai.
berg, Gottschalk and Kalkbrenner,
they were able to play more notes in d
minute than any of our modern vir.
tuosi, in spite of our wonderful instru'
ments. and still we talk of this as an
age Of technique"
Referring to the piano as a means
of general musical culture the younl
pianist said:
1T is a very difficult instrument, anI
one upon which it is hard to express
ones emotions and thoughts. Thl
player therefore must think, think
think. There is not much inspired
playing until the student has spen
years of the most careful study to maxi
himself susceptible to this so-called in
Ispiration. Every detail must be though
out with the greatest care, and in or
der to give an interesting performance
of a great composition it must be frs
dissected and examined. What doe
every little bit mean and what ref
erence does it have to the who'll
work? Not until these questions arr
! answered and until the student is pre-
pared to play the selection in a hal
dozen different ways, all equally logi
cal and symmetrical. is he prepared 4
interest the public.
= THE piano requires the musician 4
think, and this is its great virtue an,
e value. This is illustrated by curiou
national popularity. There are yer,
/, few pianists born in Italy, Spain o
D France who have really a great deal o
2 temperament On the other hand, tn
most excitable and passionate singer
are from these countries. The cuirou
e effect Of the piano upon the Latin ma
4 ture can only be explained by the fac
that it is at first unresponsive, AM
Z only after years of study is it mad
i eloquent The Latins are unable u
stand the drudgery and they eithe
{ abandon il entirely or lapse into tn
! most banal mechanism. All their tenn
: permanent is melted before the cold re
= ality Of the frightful drudgery. Still
is none the less a beautiful instrument
+ and Is gaining every day"
81 Mr. Hamburg will remain in Amer
I, ica until May and will then return Z
: his home in England.