The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-17
w W. J.. HENDER son.

blIHti WIN u NV No'N>
gave a song recital In Aeolian Hall.
The next afternoon Alice Virginia
Davis gave a concert Of piano music.
Thus the two great forces. vocal and
instrumental. sent forward theiT pa
trolls. The advance guard comes in
the week now before us. and yet a
little later the several army corps.
moving In their huge divisions OF
singers, ~soloists and orchestras. Let
TIE not yet speak of opera. that vast
ana troublous hybrid Of arts. endlessly
! refusing TO be melted into the organic
union OF which Wagner so fondly
dreamed.
Since they have begun to appeal to
US for our interest, u sympathy ana
our understanding. let us make a plea
for the last of these. In the current
number Of the Musical Quarterly
Arthur Hinton, a composer Of English
birth. writes Of the. subject of the APP
probation OF music. n he makes a
sound argument in favor Of knowl-
edge as a basis for musical enjoyment.
1t is true that most music lovers
wish to love without knowing why.
Nor can they he blamed. since the
easiest way Is 80 seductive. But at
Nleast the honest music lover mas
strive to avoid the temptation to for
\set the art In admiration OF the artist.
vThis, for one thing. leads to shabby
Treatment of composers. But In the
Aecond place 1t brings about an i'm
pSrfect and misleading idea Of the
performing artist himself.
We hear too much about the artists
effAs and not enough about his ac-
conIplishments. They have to work
hard. these musical geniuses. 1t Is
not all skittles with them by n man.
ner Of means. 1t is not a gift to play
the piano. Despite the sapient pro-
nunciation of the million ,Dogberries.
reading and writing music do not come
by nature. Year Of patient toll and
study are needed to max an artist.
The gifted person who PUSHES upo the
stage after a few brief months of
preparation Is not an artist and every
trained music lover knows he Is not.
But TO hear the typical comment OF
concert and opera goers n would
suppose that the art Of such people
a. Hofmann. Kreisler. Sembrich, Ca
russo descended. like Elijah's fire.
I1lI dtuiOuSlN " Nv W.
linist has o genius" for the violin:
the singer has a God given voice.
And that in he mind Of the unframed
music lover is the end OF the whole
matter. Now. Mr.. P~aderewski. who Is
4 fair example Of the type Of artist
believed by these r~hapsodists to be a
mere compound Of gifts. recently gave
himself u in an interview to DIN
Downs. an excellent writer on music in
the Post OF the city Of Boston. Here
n a pregnant part Of II.
Tell me-" said |. lis 1t true what
they say, that you used to practise all
night preparing for a concert tour?
"Of NY first two American tours
ne replied. 1T was certainly true. ]
had agreed To Civ a great many con-
certs in my first and second seasons
over here. l had TO prepare for II "a
first season nine different programmes
and each II stupendous one, The mere
work of memorizing was immense.
30 at that ime ] practised from nine
to seventeen hours a day, II at the
end Of my second American tour l was
q perfect wreck
And I remembered. then, a certain
conversation l had with this man
some time ago. when ! put what was a
rather personal question and was given
. in return an answer I shall never
\forget. ! said then: Tell me, if you
care TO, dc you, now at the zenith
Of a wonderful career. feel that the
game was worth the candle? DO you
feAl that there has been sufficient re-
ward for years spent like a galley
slave at the oar. tied to the piano.
condemned to cover with your hands
miles and miles of white ivory key
board every day? When all is said,
has II been worth WHILE
Mr.. Padercwski reflected for a mo-
ment and made this priceless re.
1oinder: I'm tell YOU" he said. Il
feel that I have fought some good
battles .
returned to this topic. I asked
him IL he believed in a great deal OF
practice for a virtuoso. added that
some successful v%irtuosos of my aC-
Guaintancc had spoken OF the eight
hour practice period as the special
bugaboo of the pianist's or violinist's
existence. In my case said Mr.,
Psderewskl, II must begin by saying
that l think ! occupy an nusua and
perhaps isolated position.
You see, | did not commence to
study the piano for the purpose OF
playing in public until a comparatively
late period in life. composed and
taught composition. | wanted people
20 play my compositions. They either
did not do so % or else played them
as | did not want them played. So
studied the piano in a desultory way
In order to play them myself, and per-
formed a little from time to time,
Finally. in about my twenty-ffth year
] came to the conclusion that my tai
ent as a player was worth ~cultivating
So | began a systematic piano practice
and ! have always felt 1t necessary to
practise a great deal. But ! think il
Ia very possible, owing to a lack OF
rigorous early training at the key
board. that this is so necessary to me
] did not to practise in
earnest until about the time when
went to Leschetizsky."
Some Of this Is worth remembering
albeit Mr.. Paderewski says his wa.
a special case. But let us supplement
this excerpt from an interview by :
story which the foremost of American
vlolinists tells on herself. MAUD
Powell was staying in the summel
she went through her customary eXcr,
cises. Every morning a boy employed
about The place in "doing chores