Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-06-09
WHAT IS A CONCERTO2.
It IS the Dedication Of a Single
instrument.

IL is me UelIlCallOn OF a Single
instrument.
TONE DRAMA IN THREE ACTS.
A Concerto Is to the Pianist, Violinist
or celIist What Grand Opera Is to tho
Singer, the Highest Achievement the
Player Can Attain.
A concerto is a symphony wherein
one instrument Is given persistent
prominence in other words, an ex-
!! tended instrumental solo with orches-
trail accompaniment, often taking three
quarters Of an hour to perform. It Is
the dedication Of a single instrument,
the highest achievement its player can
attain. A concerto is to the pianist,
| yiolinist or cellist what grand opera
Is to the singer. It is q tone drama in
three acts energetic. tender, then eli
matte.
IN the first movement there Is usual
lily cadenza two or three pages long,
which serves the soloist as the "mad
scene" does the prima donna in 'Lu-
cia.'' It is an occasion for display.
The orchestra is silent the conductors
baton at rest, while the player Of it be
a piano concerto) valiantly scales the
keyboard alone. At a certain note,
however, the orchestra resumes Its
role, giving the pianist perhaps rest
Of several bars. But he must be ready
i for his next cue. Though. 1t be on a
thirty second note In the middle Of q
beat, he must '1and" square and true,
i like circus rider on his horse.
In the matter Of memory the pianist
/ has task more arduous than that Of
! any other soloist. The singer voices
but one note at time, the violinist on
occasion simultaneously sounds four,
but the pianist must keep In his head
i perpendicular chords ten deep. When
IL comes to a composition sixty five
pages long, the players brain becomes
q veritable safe deposit full Of notes,
while his hands. like cashiers, dole
them out.
There are famous concertos by all
great composers and for nearly all in
struments, even an occasional one Tor
i the drum. But most numerous and fa-
miliar are the plano concertos. A not
able example to study Is the one in D
minor by Rubinstein, q titanic struc-
1 ture, splendid and substantial as the
shield Of Achilles, being sufficient In
itself to protect the composer from OBJ
4 liyion. It commences with the orches-
ira alone, softly at first, but steadily
working up to climax-a crescendO
that .torches the stars" Suddenly
there Is a crash from the plano and a
tumble Of chords, like the armament
falling, Lucifer cast down from heay-
i en-, lightning striking the earth, a me
teor dropped into the sea, steaming,
kissing, subsiding.
1t Is a stupendous effect when well
done, but something for the pianist to
work over thirty-six hours week all
the weeks Of year. and then a full
decade later he still may find room FOL
Improvement in this one overpowerine
passage In the manner Of his attacE
upon these very first chords a public
, performer declares himself an artist Of
) | dilettante. No mere summer even
4 ing's play Of sheet lightning will do fol
2 this tempestuous demonstration Of cleo
/. trio force. Indeed, the whole compost
!, ton is built on colossal lines. Olym
plan in character, like the Jupiter
symphony by Mozart, this Rubinsteil
+ concerto might fittingly be called tn
! Neptune. One can easily find in /
i all that is over and under and on th
. sea. The principal theme proclaime
!, by the piano In ponderous, plungin
chords is a very leviathan Of it's kind
In the cadenza tremolo in the bas
! rumbles like an angry surf, while abov
this turbulent accompaniment scars
glorious theme in single tones, like th
curving flight Of sea gull. Then
shuddering crescendo, a shrek In til
treble, ship on the rocks! The ems,
ing torrent Of tones is almost unpal
= alleled In pianoforte music. The Il
q strument groans under the fearfl
,tl strain. The strings all twang to th
r breaking point. While the princip,
II theme is gloriously bugled by the o
chestra, the piano, sounding above
pours forth, like relentless wave
= laundering ranks Of Icy octayes.
y This particular passage is another f
N nous one for the pianist to weep an
lg pray and work over. To play it wit
lg absolute perfection one time out of to
- Is an achievement for yirtuoso.
. The second movement is a dream
deep sea sounds the underworld Of Il
q waters, whose pulsing motion Is mar
70 ed by the ebb and flow Of slumberir
OF harplike chords. A brooding, gent
Id song occasionally sounds above theI
Ell but from first to last there prevails
compelling hush Of mystery.
The final movement has a dash !,
salt breeze In the music. .NeptuI
q rides over waves and foam soundil
ne conch shells and laughing sea god
be The first solo theme Is a jerky gro,
ft OF notes that play In and out OF Il
" keys like dolphins in and ont Of Il
~ waves.
Il