The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07

Cuckoo to the pianoforte of 1915?
How did the majestic old rccluse of
i.eipsig discern the impossibility of
producing "a keyboard instrument
whose gorgeous tonal tints and iordly
sonorities should lie TOO rich an in
strunental 'nvcstiture for his "Chro-
matte Fantasia and Fugue"?
We are wont to answer such ques-
tons with grandiloquent vacuities.
Bach wrote not for u day. but for all
tlme-and So to the end. All Of which
is equivalent Il saying that "A circle IL
round because al points Of It's circum-
ferenCc are cquidistant from the
centre. lIu; the "Chromatic Fantasia
and Fuguc' Is Of to-day: there j. no
question II that; and 1t will rc Of to-
morrow too. What the future may
produce in the realm of the piano no
one can say. But y those Of 1000 are
a. much better than ours as ours are
better thar those Of 1900. they vii,
still be unequal 20 the singular feat
~ making this congestion sound as
II Il had been composed IN the first
half OF the eighteenth century.
Listening To- such a work ones hope
that Bach may com" 20 no perfectly
appreciated by tl" general musical
public grows warm. But the subse-
pu,nt reflect, mood carries one Jack
10 his former doubts. Mich Of Bach'S
Great on l. %: the typ which the
casual or indplen' coac"r'go.r cannot
mistake. bu. most ~ IL must for him
always ~ a source on. ~ wonder.
Bach Is the musicians musician. y
Is inspiring 80 'N'rt ot n, 4" .!ud {
composer bovirG in alteration before
his Scures-the elegant MeudelS~ohu,
the stormy Beethoven. the eNuu S.telv
lyric and linn gi1ativc Chopin. the per-
feCtlv Partisan GouuOd. the co-mopoli-
tan Verdi. the essentially British +. gar.
All-Father Bach. like ~all-father Wo-
tan. had a numerous and marvellously
varied progeny.
rIt one must admit the difficulty
which confronts the average music
lover IN list,Ging to music conceived
in the Of Bach's period. That
part II his product which appeals most
directly To- the haIrer u to-day j. the
part which Chanted the robust faith
~ prutestantiSm. namely. the chorale.
Since the great bulk of our modern
ulll|.is FFItA ldi4N tl4AN Nh-A'AN W.
scriled a. popular" i conceived az
single melody resting upon - chord
foundation. i l. not easy for the con-
cer;goer to re,djust his mental vision
Ia a music constructed Of parallel
melodies
But unlesS one trains his ear ;p
hearing his kind Of music he will
permit much II the most Ncaui.fU
thought Of modern masters tn pass uu-
noticed. Wagner. for example. was Il
wonder worker ia parallel melodies,
and no ON. of his scores can lee nicely
appreciated II these are not, heard. His
highest flight in this realm Of counter
point il ia tn" closing pages Of the
"M-istersHg-r" volSpiei, when itN" diff
f,gent mclodlc ideas are heard sinful
t~aueuuSlN.
This parallel employment Of different
melodies IL free counterpart, which,
after all. IS not too hard FOR tn" willing
listener TO discover. II i The parallel
in- II d.fcrtuj parts Il the ~.iur
MELODY in tIsal method tina, puzzles
him. and 81 - On this method that
Bich'> pu.yphony L. founded. The
study at H. mastery Of musical ma
teri.l gives uncc;tsiHg instruction t.
the musician. but masters a. such
makes no special appeal to a public.
The persistence ~ piauists in playing
Bach Is "A priceless bench to musical
taste. one always remembers that
when some one forty years Z told
New Norks great conductor GAIL
Bergman that people did not like
Wagner. the musician er.:niy an
swered, Then they've got To- hear him
I'll. they do" The y process has
been carried o,. with the music # Bach
and no thout result.
People who wish To understand
music-as i is the custom to say
should listo.i with their brains when
Bach is PLACED. In his great scores
lie all the precious secrets Of the art
and when n Gabrilnwitch plays the
"Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue' me
should hear in it, mighty measures the
prophecy Of the coming Beethoven,
IfrI,.. "a nj hv41nE