The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-01


iug season ~ music or more
than ore reason. ALREADY the
performances Of N.n..u.sts have
suggested pertinent questions To- those
who cherish musical ara, Maud powei,
Errem Zmhalist, Alexander Bloch and
young Mauual Quiroga have ben heard.
and Albert Spaldiug, armed with most
expensive violin and improved art. is
also here. Sc much tiddl.ng makes the
fiddlers talk and the wise commentator
holds his peace and listens For. as
Rrander Matthews wrote in his essay
on the PHILOSOPHY Of the Preface
when artists fall to talking OF their art
that is the time for the critic To keep
silence and hearkeu, to the end that y"
may learn things. Well, one always does
learn things.
In the first place when a viul!n'st
tells you that a young performer like
ouirogo has great talent" what does
ne mean? Keep him talking ana he VIII
be sure to tel. you. lie Will make II
perfectly clear t. YOU that talent for
the violin Is to him just talent for
the violin, merely that and nothing
more. II all sums itself up in tcchnic.
\ violin talent in the mind of n violin
ist is a special gift for the mastery OF
the technics Of the instrument.
Now this IS individually talent AMI
one OF importance; but it is not Of tie
first inheritance and IL cannot bring
With IL certain professional success. II
cannot even insure success as mere
virtuoso.
In order to be a successful virtuoso
the player In addition to technical mas
terry must have certain aggressive
ness Of style briilancy, dash, assurance
He must snow how to parade his ieats
and set the sunlight gIitter!ng on them
II he cannot do this, his public appear
ances will soon become rev. Even
the public cannot he made 90 take IN
terest in violin feats unless they seem
10 he feats. .
Rut If Won talk to vlnlin.sts you viii
be likely to get the impression t''at ~
their opinion nothing except tcchnlc Is
worth considering. Here YOU must o.
cautious. Il is a fact familiar to an
persons int!ma tcly acquainted Win
musical life that when musicians tax
about their art they rarely speih Oh
anything except techn!c. You mi6hl
wander about among pianlsis Tor a
decade without ever falling upon Il as
cussion of the reading OF the Beethoven
sonata opus 100. on the other mana
YOU might hear dozen Livery debates
on the execution OF certain measures
in II. Ao.,
Pm, usually pianists make no hes'-
.ation in declaring that an ARTIST mus,
he able TO play Bccthoven'S sona'as anu
Rach's fugues as we'll as thopins ma
zurllas or LISTS rhapsodies. YET theS
arc unite as ready as v!ollnlstS 10 ue-
clare that such and such young per
former has a great talent "heh the P'o
>ess;onal commentator an\!ousiF steer
tng with his lantern for new inter
pretcr. can find only a remdrhaoie
finger facility and kind or instinct io'
the scnsuous beauty OF color
Think of this pianist in her pupl
aoys Nature has equipped her WIN
thc physical apparatus for piano pay
a. Long. slender fingers radiate IRON
n broad Corceful hand. Her wrist -
sr,,u but OF sound hone and sinew
IIor cxnuisltely balanced arms nave
elastic eXtcnsors The fountains OF hei
facility seem to dwell in the nrn' rouht
white shoulders, perfect IN mold az
those of Canova's Diana, ravlshlhs II
the milky wilderness and softness OIL th'
shining skin. a..
From these sources the streams now
downward in ever growing nudity I'll
AZ tho wrist there is that magic com
bination Of force and passiVeness io'
which all pianists yearn, flnally UNI
fingers are as fluid as water itself an'
caress the keys like the droppings o
cool forest springs.
The pupil experiences a kind or shlv
.rinp delight in stroking the keys will
the sensuous cushions of her hnger
and making the piano purr. Again sh'
revels in crushing the padded tips o
her fingers down into the keys with n!
tho mower of her trlCeps and listening
90 the passionate complaint or IN
smitten strings. Again she enjoys let
ting her two hands race up ana uowi
the board like two kittens at play N
der her subtle, elusive fingers the scale
eparkle like the spray of waterfall II
the slant OF the morning sun, and sh
perhaps feels some such celestia. eX
altation az the Maids fe!t when the,
gamboled under the Rhine falls.
This is n true piano talent, g!ft o
the fairies, IL not of the gods, ana upol
ct many n girl and many hoy has rid
den straight to artistic perditlon, TO
when tho eventfm time arrives and thi
talent emerges from its seClus.on int
the ferc glare of the public stage. tn
musical public, which has confronte
many talents, some piano, some violr
some vocal. ana very few musical de
clarcs with one voice that this one
tust piano and nothing more.
And after that can follow nothing blu
profess ional death or retirement
maps alas 20 life sentence at teach
inG Let no one misunderstood this
teaching Is work for enthusiasm an
iOv, if one chooses 4. But when tn
woud-bc Virtuoso has failed and
driven to teach in order to live, then
may lie tho valley of tho shadow.
r. sum mp the matter, The performe
on any instrument is prone to overesti
mate the mastery OF its technic TIL
\ As.S.cal pulI.G takes technical ekill q