The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-07-14
pRupeERY OF Muslc.
'oaehim Prae.ieed one csmposisioo
For Over Sixty Years.


/ For Over sixty Years.
When an interviewer, who had
put to Kube!ik a question as to the
number of hours day he psacticed
was answered. practically all my
waking hours" it is probable that
the interrogator. as well as othSu
who heard the reply. thought the
response a bit OF artistic exagcera-
ton. Yet there is much evidence
to sustain Kubelik's assertion. "a
Paganini. the greatest of all VS.
hnists, was compelled by an avarii-
cious father TO practice twelve or
fourteen hours each day. So wearied
did Pasanini become of his drudg-
cry that for several years he actual
y laid aside the instrument oye-
which he had such consummate
control and devoted himself to az
ricultural pursuits. This period Of
musical disgust soon passed, how
ever, and the violinist again turned
to his hard work. and to such good
purpose that there was nothing
written for the violin, no matter
what its technical difficulties might
be, that he was not able to play
Late in his life Paganini gave over
his practicing. for the reason, it is
said, that he then played only his
own compositions.
A saying of Rubinstein's indi-
Gates concisely the importance of
unwearying practice, Should l not
practice for day know It, should
l miss two days my friends know
it, and should ] miss three days
even the public knows it"
Joachim. another violinist, during
his student DAYS was an inmate of
the house of his master. and it was
largely due to the MEMORABLE de-
mands to practice that the teacher
laid on him that Joachim was en-
abled to attain his proud position.
The room wherein the pupil prac-
ticed was without any window, but
had glass panel in the door. If
the sound of Joachim's violin ceased
for moment during the hours set
apart for practice, then could be
seen the scowling face of the in
structor pcering through the panel.
Joachim practiced one composition
the difficult Beethoven concerto
for over sixty years.
Mendelssohn has left an interest
ing observation touching his ardu-
Gus hours of practice. Speaking of
certain recitals he was giving on
the organ, he said: AZ became so
interested n my work that whole
days passed like hours. ] practiced
pedal passages to such an extent
that the act of walking along the
street actually transformed itself
into fugue, so automatic had my
movements become"
With regard to his practicing
Paderewski entertains some odd no
I
tons, one of which is penchant
for a nocturnal running of the
scales. The great Pole has been
known to spend the whole night in
achieving perfection in one or two
runs of a composition he is study
ing.
Paderewski has said that the
greatest foe a musician has to fight
is the feeling of safety that is sure
to Cypress him should his work be
not well apportioned. Each season
tho Pole finds that he must acquire
some twenty to thirty new compo-
sitions. So hard does he work at
these that at the conclusion of his
short tour he cannot endure to hea,
a single bar of any of them. Like
many other musicians, he is saved
from inaction only by the acquire
ment of novelties. = New York
Tribune.