Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-16
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

include the organ, for the sake Of har-
mony, in the piano classification.
The feeling" Of the piano is a thing
apart, induced by the large and res
onant chords which may be held over a
duration Of time, the rapid transitions
which may be made from grave TO gay,
the voice" of the instrument, and,
above all, the huge repertoire of music
which the masters have left behind
them.
No other instrument, not even the
organ, has such a musical heritage.
This Is bound to have its influence on
its practitioners, even the most hum
BILE, who at most knows only a piece
or two, and runs the risk Of playing
them lin the ground"
If one attempts to play the piano In
the way we have outlined it Is neces-
sary for him to have a good working
knowledge Of the compositions which
he wants to play. He must have, even
more, good musical memory.
The musical memory is something
which many fine performers lack 1t
is amazing how many persons who play
the piano well have no ability to play
from memory. They must have the
sheet music before them before they
can strike a note.
The ability to memorize what one
learns to play is essential. as shown
by the fact that all the great masters
OF piano. violin, voice, or even bass
drum, are able to go through every
thing they know by heart" as the
old expression has 1t.
But the musical memory is even more
essential for the player who would just
ramble along. especially on the piano,
evoking a succession Of musical pic
lures or sketches. There are several
well known series, especially by the
German masters, which are set together
in exactly this fashion, as If the COM
poser had made them up by heart"
as he went along, and they had been
frozen into musical notation.
= \
In the old days, before the promiscuity
Of radio reduced music to uniformity, It
was pleasant thing to be able to listen
In the cool of the evening to distant
piano, at which sat some performer who
played In the fashion indicated.
He-most probably she-played lei
surely, as If music was not something
to be got through with as quickly as
possible, but rather a thing to be en-
joyed note by note, melody by melody.
1t was noticeable that she played
tunes" a good old word, and that she
called feeling" in those days.
Never was last note clipped of, as Is
the modern tendency, but each such
was given its full value Then there
might come a brief pause, or there
might come run" a glide, a subtle
change Of key, made with several
chords
These modulations were not fixed or
arranged according to any routine.
They were unexpected, yet musically
never hurried, but part and parcel OF
the musical feeling" of the player.
One melody changed into another
rather than glided into another. Even
the faster portions went slow enough to
permit the player to interpolate orna-
ments with the right hand, UP In the
clear, cool treble, that same treble
which today, on all too many radio sets
becomes merely thin and reedlike. Often
it is impossible to tell whether one is
listening to clarinet or a flute.
The contemplative style Of piano play
ing, musical "reminiscing," If you will
permits the playing of all types of
musical compositions, one after the
other, without disrespect TO any. At the
same time 1t satisfies the musical mem
DRY Of listeners who may recall, by
means of their ears, many Of the light
and more serious masterpieces of music,
the worlds one universal language.