Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-06-12
WHAT ISAcONCERTO2
TONE DRAMA IN THREE ACTS.
A conesrto 10 TO the Pianist, vioIiniss
OF csllist What Grand Opera 10 to the
Singer, the Highest Achievement the
Player Can Attain.


Singer, the Highest Achievement the
Player Can Attain.
A concerto Is symphony. wherein
one Instrument is given persistent
promiDence--in other words. an ex-
tended instrumental solo with orches-
trail accompaniment. often taking three
Quarters OF an hour to perform. 1t Is
the dedication or n single instrument.
the highest achievement its player can
attain. A concerto Is to the pianist.
violinist or cellist what grand opera
Is TO the singer. IL Is n tone drama I'm
three acts-energetic. tender. then eli
matte.
la the Qrst movement there Is usual
" cadenxa two or three pages long.
which serves the soioist as the mad
scene does the prima donna In "Lu-
cha" II is an occasion for display.
The orchestra r. silent. the conductors
baton AT rest. while the player Or II be
u piano concerto, yal.antly scales the
Keyboard alone. At certain note.
however. the orchestra resumes its
role. giving the pianist perhaps rest
OF several bars. But he must bee ready
for his acSt enc. Though Il be on n
thirty-second note in the middle OF a
beat. he must land square ANA trrc.
IKE circus rider on his horse.
In the matter or. memory the pisnist
has n task more ardGous than that OF
any other soioist. The Ginger voices
but one note ut time. the violinist on
occasion simultaneously sounds four.
hlrf tho nforfGf L. -. I. l..
perpendicular chords ten deep. When
IL comes to n composition slxty-iive
pages long. the players brain becomes
n vertable safe deposit full OF notes,
while his hands. like cashiers, dole
them out.
There are famous concertos by Ill
great composers and for nearly all In
struments, even an occasional one for
the drum. But most numerous and Ia
miliar are the piano concertos. not
able example TO study is the one in ID
minor by Rubinstein. n titanic stluc-
ture. splendid and substantial rs the
shield of Achilles, being sufficient in
: itself TO protect the composer from OBJ
livion. 1t commences with the orches-
ira alone. softly at first, but steadily
working up TO clluax-a crescendo
that touches the stars" Suddenly
there Is. a crash from the piano and a
tumble OF chords, like the armament
falling. Lucifer cast down from heav-
Ell. lightning striking the earth, a me-
teor dropped into the sea. steaming.
kissing. subsiding.
II is a stupendous effect when well
done. but something for the pianist 10
work over thirty-six hours u week all
the weeks OF q year. and then a full
decade later he still may find room for
Improvement I'm this one overpowering
passage In the manner OF his attack
upon these very first chords public
performer declares himself an artist or
a dilettante. No mere summer even
ing's play OF sheet lightning will do for
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 RubinsteIn
Concerto might fttingly be called the
Neptune" One can easily find In lt
all that IS over and under and on the
sea. The principal theme proclaimed
by the piano in ponderous. plunglng
chords is very leviathan OF its kind.
In the cadenza n tremolo In the bass
rumbles like IN angry surf. while above
this turbulent accompaniment scars Il
glorious theme In single tones. like the
curving fiight> OF n sea gull. Then &
shuddering cresceado. "a shrek In the
treble, ship on the rocks, The ensu-
ing torrent OF tones Is almost unpar-
alleled In pianoforte music. The IN
strument groans under the fearful
strain The strings all twang to the
breaking point. While the principal
theme Is gloriously bugled 10y the or
chestra, the piano. sounding above it.
pours forth, like relentless waves,
laundering ranks OF icy octaves.
This particular passage is another IA
nous one for the pianist 10 weep and
pray and work over. TO play ii with
absolute perfection one time out OF ten
is an achievement for Il virtuoso.
The secoIi movement Is dream o.
deep Sc; roands-thc underworld of the
waters, whose pulsing motion is mark
ed by the ebb and flow OF slumbering
harplikc chords. \ broodlng. gentle
song occasionally sounds above them,
but from first 10 last there prevails a
compelling hush OF mystery.
The final movement has dash Of
salt breeze in the music. Neptune
rides over waves and foam--sounding
conch shells and laughing sea gods:
The first solo theme is jerky group
OF notes that play IN AMI out of the
keys like dolphins lin and out of the
waves.
Another passage very peculiar in
construction l. downright dispute
between piano aud orchestra. They
talk back" III telling tones. What
one utters the oths: echoes In sham
staccato sarcasm. They ding scraps
OF scales at each other and lose no
time in doing it-a well matched tussle
OF tones lasting full two pages before
the conductor. by strenuous effort,
succeeds in quieting things down. 1t
Is hard to know what IL was all about
Possibly the piano was jealous because
the orchestra Just before had monopo-
lied sixteen measures. But soon they
are playing together most amicably,
dispensing tender harmonies that cause
one again TO dream OF sirens and old
sea lore. - Mabel Wagnalls in Circle
Magazine.
SARD0U'S CALF'S HEAD.