Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-04

the products of mans creative and in
ventive genius, but has of necessity kept
a little ahead.
ST find that many people resent the in
tervention of the second machine be-
tween their fingers and the pianoforte.
Without the second machine they feel as
If indeed they themselves were creating
the music, as if they bore a more digni-
fed part, as If they played more i'm
portant role. BY this Intervention of the
Cecilian they feel themselves reduced
and belittled. To prove that this view is
erroneous, 1t is only necessary to let the
person who resents the aid which the
Cecilian Piano Player affords, test his
own performance through the player by
that of the skilled musician. There is as
much difference in the way in which feet
pedal as in the way in which hands
finger. Moreover, appliances have al
ready been devised through which the
performer on the pianoforte, by the aid
of the 'Ceclian,' may not only regulate
the time, accent the notes. control the
volume and the quality of sound, but
through which he may also impart to
the sounds produced his own personality
to the same degree that that quality may
be impaired by the manipulation of the
piano keys.
LAS q teacher to whom the problem of
obtaining commensurate results in music
has presented itself as a very serious
one, welcome the 'Cecilian Piano Play
err and acknowledge its efficiency in the
following important directions:
First, by rendering accessible to every
one the masterpieces of musical compo-
sion, 1t at once creates a standard of
good taste and affords means by which
that standard may be easily obtained.
The 'Cecilian' does in this respect for the
distribution of good music what the in
vention of printing, which is but me-
chanical device for the perpetuation and
distribution of thought, has done in re-
spect to literature. The mechanical de-
vice of movable type, supplemented by a
hundred other devices which have quick
ened and cheapened the process of print
ing, has brought Homer, Dante, Shakes
peare, Milton, Addison, Scott, Dickens,
Thackeray and Browning into the reach
of everybody's hand. So the simple pipe
acted upon, extended, perfected and sup
plemented by numerous other mechan-
ical devices, has in the perfect piano
player the 'Cecilian, in the same way
brought Beethoven List, Rubinstein and
Wagner within everybody's reach.
Second, by making the masters thus
accessible, by compelling them to yield
their best, at their best to the humblest
hand Cor rather foot, not only is the
universal taste improved and gratified
but creative power itself will be quick
ened thereby. The character of musical
production will rise to meet the new level
of importunate demand.
Value as Educator
ST have laid a good deal of stress in
the preceding paragraphs on the value Of
this magical instrument as the means of
educating young and old to the beauties
of the works of dead and living masters,
but there is another side to the sphere
of usefulness of the 'Cecilian, which, to
my mind, is of equal, if not superior
value. In how many thousand homes to-
day do we find standing dead pianos,
for dead they are to all intents and
purposes. Provided originally. perhaps,
in order to complete the furnishings Of