Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-05
THE CRITIC TALKS
TO MUSIC LOVERS

= at the Academy this week as a per-
former of his own works brings up
again the much discussed question as to
why it is that man pre- eminent as a
composer is so rarely a great performer,
either of his own compositions or of
those of others. 1t would be thought
naturally that the ability to compose
would make the performances of such
q man on his special instrument one of
noteworthy excellence. but musical his
tory shows that this is not the case
With the exception of List and
Chopin there is no man whose compo.
sitions are constantly performed today
who achieved great and lasting reputa-
tion as an interprCtative artist Nor
can it be claimed that the work of com
position took up too much time for the
composer thoroughly TO master an in
strument for almost without exception
the great composers were proficient,
though not great performers. on one
instrument.
TT is interesting to note that most of
the great composers have been
pianistS, even though some of their
finest works have been written for or
chestra and for solo instruments other
thhh NIt pidllD' VI NVWlNF, ulOSl VI
them studied one or more string inStru
ments in order to know the capabilities
OF this most important of the orchestral
sections. but few Of them ever appeared
In public performances on any instru-
ment except the piano.
Bach was the best organist of his day
and probably one Of the greatest that
has ever lived. He was also fine
performer on the harpslchord the piano
Of that time. although when the modern
concert gocr hears the Chromatr Fan.
tasy and Fuguc or other Of his gigan-
tic workers written for the harpsirhord !
he is convinced that the great master
had in mind IN instrument more nearly !
Rpproximating the concert grand piano |
OF today than IL" tink'iHC and short |
lived tone Of the harpSichCrd
IL is said that he had sufficient tech !
nique to play his own works on the viO-
lin. but the violinists who today at
tempt the enormous difficulties Of the !
six solo sOnatas are inclined to believe |
this statement 10 be an rxaggeration.
However. If the story be true. then
Bach had no rival among the viollnists
of his time. for these works were re-
garded as unplayable until after Spohr |
had founded the great school Of modern
violin playing. II was SpOhrS pupil.
these sonatas TO the notice Of the pub
lie, since which tim" they have main.
tained their position AT the very head |
of violin compositions of their kind.
OF THE other great composers, Haydn /
~ was an Indifferent violinist. Mozart |
a fine pianist and fair violinist. Bee |
thoven a good pianist tin his own works. ,
and rather poor viOhnist. despite the |
tremendously effective and beautiful !
string parts Of the symphonies and !
quartets. aS well as the violin concerto. !
the rOmancrs and the ten violin and .
piano sonataS. Schubert is said 10 have
been very "musiCianly' pianist, but |
never appeared a. a concert player px-
cept in the accompaniment of his own
songs.
OF the later composers. Mcndelssohn
and Brahms We're both fine pianisls, |
and so were nearly all Of the Rus !
SLAMS, TschaikOwsky. Arensky and the |
others. Cesar Fralp'k was an Organist !
and pianist. as is also Saint -Saens. and !
In our own day. RaChmaninOff, StrH- |
whisky Schocnbcrg and most of the
Italians, Casella. Malipiero and Pra.
tella.
THE cases of Schumann and Rubin
L stein present curious contrast
Schumann preferred the career of
virtuOso pianist although a born COM
poser. while the mighty Anton. ma
tural virtuosO if ever there was one
was ambitious 10 he known as com
poser first and a performer second. !
Yet fate. which in this instance NJ |
least worked to the ultimate good, |
ordained that the ambition Of neither
should be fulfilled
The story of Schumann. who in his |
endeavor to make up for lost time in
vented a machine which would give
strength to the traditiOnaly weak third
finger and by OverwOrk SO injured his
left hand as to make his desired career
as performer out of the question. thus
forcing him 70 turn 10 composition. is
too well known to require more than
mere citation. Rubinstein was so
anxious 10 be known As composer
that he refused to play in public for
a number Of years before his death and
at one time vcntured the prediction
that in 100 years his music would form
what he termed the third epoch"
prediction which at this time Seems
quite unlikely to be fulfilled.
TNHE same rule holds true for the
l. violinistS. The greatest COMPOSERS
Tor the instrument W"r" not violin Sts Ot
high rank and in many cases not viO-
linists at all Indeed. beginning at tue
top and going downward in greatness II
person Will go far, especially in the con-
certos and the SOnHtaS. before one is
reached which was composed by "A great
violin player The ronccrtos of Spohr
now sound hopecssIy old fashioned and
almost as much may be said for those Of
Neuxtemps and WioniawSki, with thr
IL