Piano Mastery by Harriette Brower

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PIANO MASTERY

Talks with Master Pianists and Teachers
and
an Account of a Von Buelow Class, Hints on Interpretation, by Two
American Teachers (Dr. William Mason and William H. Sherwood) and a
Summary by the Author

by

HARRIETTE BROWER

Author of _The Art of the Pianist_

With Sixteen Portraits

Frederick A. Stokes Company
The Musical Observer Company

1915

[Illustration: Photo Copyright By Marran IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI]

CONTENTS

PRELUDE

IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI

ERNEST SCHELLING.....The Hand of a Pianist

ERNESTO CONSOLO.....Making the Piano a Musical Instrument

SIGISMOND STOJOWSKI.....Mind in Piano Study.

RUDOLPH GANZ.....Conserving Energy in Piano Practise

TINA LERNER.....An Audience the Best Teacher

ETHEL LEGINSKA.....Relaxation the Keynote of Modern Piano Playing

BERTHA FIERING TAPPER.....Mastering Piano Problems

CARL M. ROEDER.....Problems of Piano Teachers

KATHARINE GOODSON.....An Artist at Home

MARK HAMBOURG.....Form, Technic, and Expression

TOBIAS MATTHAY.....Watching the Artist Teacher at Work

HAROLD BAUER.....The Question of Piano Tone

RAOUL PUGNO.....Training the Child

THUEL BURNHAM.....The "Melody" and "Coloratura" Hand

EDWIN HUGHES.....Some Essentials of Piano Playing

FERRUCCIO BUSONI.....An Artist at Home

ADELE AUS DER OHE.....Another Artist at Home

ELEANOR SPENCER.....More Light on Leschetizky's Ideas

ARTHUR HOCHMAN.....How the Pianist Can Color Tone with Action and
Emotion

TERESA CARRENO.....Early Technical Training

WILHELM BACHAUS.....Technical Problems Discussed

ALEXANDER LAMBERT.....American and European Teachers

FANNIE BLOOMFIELD ZEISLER.....The Scope of Piano Technic

AGNES MORGAN.....Simplicity in Piano Teaching

EUGENE HEFFLEY.....Modern Tendencies

GERMAINE SCHNITZER.....Modern Methods in Piano Study

OSSIP GABRILOWITSCH.....Characteristic Touch on the Piano

HANS VON BUeLOW.....Teacher and Interpreter

WILLIAM H. SHERWOOD AND DR. WILLIAM MASON.....Hints on Interpretation

POSTLUDE.....Vital Points in Piano Playing

ILLUSTRATIONS

Ignace Jan Paderewski

Sigismond Stojowski

Rudolph Ganz

Katharine Goodson

Mark Hambourg

Tobias Matthay

Harold Bauer

Raoul Pugno

Ferruccio Busoni

Eleanor Spencer

Teresa Carreno

Wilhelm Bachaus

Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler

Ossip Gabrilowitsch

Hans von Buelow

Dr. William Mason

PRELUDE

TO AMERICAN PIANO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

The following "Talks" were obtained at the suggestion of the Editor of
_Musical America_, and have all, with one or two exceptions, appeared in
that paper. They were secured with the hope and intention of benefiting
the American teacher and student.

Requests have come from all over the country, asking that the interviews
be issued in book form. In this event it was the author's intention to
ask each artist to enlarge and add to his own talk. This, however, has
been practicable only in certain cases; in others the articles remain
very nearly as they at first appeared.

The summer of 1913 in Europe proved to be a veritable musical
pilgrimage, the milestones of which were the homes of the famous
artists, who generously gave of their time and were willing to discuss
their methods of playing and teaching.

The securing of the interviews has given the author satisfaction and
delight. She wishes to share both with the fellow workers of her own
land.

The Talks are arranged in the order in which they were secured.

PIANO MASTERY

PIANO MASTERY

I

IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI

One of the most consummate masters of the piano at the present time is
Ignace Jan Paderewski. Those who were privileged to hear him during his
first season in this country will never forget the experience. The
Polish artist conquered the new world as he had conquered the old; his
name became a household word, known from coast to coast; he traveled
over our land, a Prince of Tones, everywhere welcomed and honored. Each
succeeding visit deepened the admiration in which his wonderful art was
held.

The question has often been raised as to the reason of Paderewski's
remarkable hold on an audience; wherein lay his power over the musical
and unmusical alike. Whenever he played there was always the same
intense hush over the listeners, the same absorbed attention, the same
spell. The superficial attributed these largely to his appearance and
manner; the more thoughtful looked deeper. Here was a player who was a
thoroughly trained master in technic and interpretation; one who knew
his Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Liszt. These things of
themselves would not hold an audience spellbound, for there were other
artists equally well equipped. In a final analysis it was doubtless
Paderewski's wonderful _piano tone_, so full of variety and color, so
vital with numberless gradations of light and shade, that charmed and
enthralled his listeners. It mattered to no one--save the critics--that
he frequently repeated the same works. What if we heard the Chromatic
Fantaisie a score of times? In his hands It became a veritable Soliloquy
on Life and Destiny, which each repetition invested with new meaning and
beauty. What player has ever surpassed his poetic conception of
Schumann's _Papillons_, or the Chopin Nocturnes, which he made veritable
dream poems of love and ecstasy. What listener has ever forgotten the
tremendous power and titanic effect of the Liszt Rhapsodies, especially
No. 2? When Paderewski first came to us, in the flush of his young
manhood, he taught us what a noble instrument the piano really is in the
hands of a consummate master. He showed us that he could make the piano
speak with the delicacy and power of a Rubinstein, but with more
technical correctness; he proved that he could pierce our very soul with
the intensity of his emotion, the poignant, heart-searching quality of
his tones, the poetry and beauty of his interpretation.

Paderewski is known as composer and pianist, only rarely does he find
time to give instruction on his instrument. Mme. Antoinette Szumowska,
the Polish pianist and lecturer was at one time termed his "only pupil."
Mr. Sigismond Stojowski, the Polish composer, pianist and teacher has
also studied with him. Both can testify as to his value as an
instructor.

Mme. Szumowska says:

"Paderewski lays great stress on legato playing, and desires everything
to be studied slowly, with deep touch and with full, clear tone. For
developing strength he uses an exercise for which the hand is pressed
against the keyboard while the wrist remains very low and motionless and
each finger presses on a key, bringing, or drawing out as much tone as
possible.

"Paderewski advises studying scales and arpeggios with accents, for
instance, accenting every third note, thus enabling each finger in turn
to make the accent impulse: this will secure evenness of touch. Double
passages, such as double thirds and sixths, should be divided and each
half practised separately, with legato touch. Octaves should be
practised with loose wrists and staccato touch. As a preparatory study
practise with thumb alone. The thumb must always be kept curved, with
joints well rounded out; it should touch the keys with its tip, so as to
keep it on a level with the other fingers. Paderewski is very particular
about this point.

"It is difficult to speak of Paderewski's manner of teaching expression,
for here the ideas differ with each composer and with every composition.
As to tonal color, he requires all possible variety in tone production.
He likes strong contrasts, which are brought out, not only by variety of
touch but by skilful use of the pedals.

"My lessons with Paderewski were somewhat irregular. We worked together
whenever he came to Paris. Sometimes I did not see him for several
months, and then he would be in Paris for a number of weeks; at such
seasons we worked together very often. Frequently these lessons, which
were given in my cousin's house, began very late in the evening--around
ten o'clock--and lasted till midnight, or even till one in the morning.

"Paderewski the teacher is as remarkable as Paderewski the pianist. He
is very painstaking; his remarks are clear and incisive: he often
illustrates by playing the passage in question, or the whole
composition. He takes infinite trouble to work out each detail and bring
it to perfection. He is very patient and sweet tempered, though he can
occasionally be a little sarcastic. He often grows very enthusiastic
over his teaching, and quite forgets the lapse of time. In general,
however, he does not care to teach, and naturally has little time for
it."

* * * * *

Mr. Stojowski, when questioned in regard to his work with the Polish
pianist, said:

"Paderewski is a very remarkable teacher. There are teachers who attempt
to instruct pupils about what they do not understand, or cannot do
themselves: there are others who are able to do the thing, but are not
able to explain how they do it. Paderewski can both do it and explain
how it is done. He knows perfectly what effects he wishes to produce,
how they are to be produced, the causes which underlie and bring them
about; he can explain and demonstrate these to the pupil with the
greatest exactness and detail.

"As you justly remark the quality of tone and the variety of tonal
gradations are special qualities of Paderewski's playing. These must be
acquired by aid of the ear, which tests and judges each shade and
quality of tone. He counsels the student to listen to each tone he
produces, for quality and variety.

CLEARNESS A MUST PRINCIPLE

"The player, as he sits at the piano, his mind and heart filled with the
beauty of the music his fingers are striving to produce, vainly imagines
he is making the necessary effects. Paderewski will say to him: 'No
doubt you feel the beauty of this composition, but I hear none of the
effects you fancy you are making; you must deliver everything much more
clearly: distinctness of utterance is of prime importance.'' Then he
shows how clearness and distinctness may be acquired. The fingers must
be rendered firm, with no giving in at the nail joint. A technical
exercise which he gives, and which I also use in my teaching, trains the
fingers in up and down movements, while the wrist is held very low and
pressed against the keyboard. At first simple five-finger forms are
used; when the hand has become accustomed to this tonic, some of the
Czerny Op. 740 can be played, with the hand in this position. Great care
should be taken when using this principle, or lameness will result. A
low seat at the piano is a necessity for this practise; sitting low is
an aid to weight playing: we all know how low Paderewski himself sits at
the instrument.

"You ask what technical material is employed. Czerny, Op. 740; not
necessarily the entire opus; three books are considered sufficient. Also
Clementi's _Gradus_. Of course scales must be carefully studied, with
various accents, rhythms and tonal dynamics; arpeggios also. Many
arpeggio forms of value may be culled from compositions.

"There are, as we all know, certain fundamental principles that underlie
all correct piano study, though various masters may employ different
ways and means to exemplify these fundamentals. Paderewski studied with
Leschetizky and inculcates the principles taught by that master, with
this difference, that he adapts his instruction to the physique and
mentality of the student; whereas the Vorbereiters of Leschetizky
prepare all pupils along the same lines, making them go through a
similar routine, which may not in every instance be necessary.

FINGERING

"One point Paderewski is very particular about, and that is fingering.
He often carefully marks the fingering for a whole piece; once this is
decided upon it must be kept to. He believes in employing a fingering
which is most comfortable to the hand, as well as one which, in the long
run, will render the passage most effective. He is most sensitive to the
choice of fingering the player makes, and believes that each finger can
produce a different quality of tone. Once, when I was playing a
Nocturne, he called to me from the other end of the room: 'Why do you
always play that note with the fourth finger? I can _hear_ you do it;
the effect is bad,' He has a keen power of observation; he notices
little details which pass unheeded by most people; nothing escapes him.
This power, directed to music, makes him the most careful and
painstaking of teachers. At the same time, in the matter of fingering,
he endeavors to choose the one which can be most easily accomplished by
the player. The Von Buelow editions, while very erudite, are apt to be
laborious and pedantic; they show the German tendency to
over-elaboration, which, when carried too far becomes a positive fault.

CORRECT MOTION

"Another principle Paderewski considers very important is that of
appropriate motion. He believes in the elimination of every unnecessary
movement, yet he wishes the whole body free and supple. Motions should
be as carefully studied as other technical points. It is true he often
makes large movements of arm, but they are all thought out and have a
dramatic significance. He may lift the finger off a vehement staccato
note by quick up-arm motion, in a flash of vigorous enthusiasm; but the
next instant his hand is in quiet position for the following phrase.

STUDYING EFFECTS

"The intent listening I spoke of just now must be of vital assistance to
the player in his search for tonal variety and effect. Tone production
naturally varies according to the space which is to be filled. Greater
effort must be put forth in a large hall, to make the tone carry over
the footlights, to render the touch clear, the accents decisive and
contrasts pronounced. In order to become accustomed to these
conditions, the studio piano can be kept closed, and touch must
necessarily be made stronger to produce the desired power.

INTERPRETATION

"A great artist's performance of a noble work ought to sound like a
spontaneous improvisation; the greater the artist the more completely
will this result be attained. In order to arrive at this result,
however, the composition must be dissected in minutest detail.
Inspiration comes with the first conception of the interpretation of the
piece. Afterward all details are painstakingly worked out, until the
ideal blossoms into the perfectly executed performance. Paderewski
endeavors uniformly to render a piece in the manner and spirit in which
he has conceived it. He relates that after one of his recitals, a lady
said to him:

"'Why, Mr. Paderewski, you did not play this piece the same as you did
when I heard you before,'

"'I assure you I intended to,' was the reply.

"'Oh, it isn't necessary to play it always the same way; you are not a
machine,' said the lady.

"This reply aroused his artist-nature.

"'It is just because I am an artist that I ought at all times to play
in the same way. I have thought out the conception of that piece, and am
in duty bound to express my ideal as nearly as possible each time I
perform it.'

"Paderewski instructs, as he does everything else, with magnificent
generosity. He takes no account of time. I would come to him for a
stipulated half-hour, but the lesson would continue indefinitely, until
we were both forced to stop from sheer exhaustion. I have studied with
him at various times. One summer especially stands out in my memory,
when I had a lesson almost every day."

Speaking of the rarely beautiful character of Paderewski's piano
compositions, Mr. Stojowski said:

"I feel that the ignorance of this music among piano teachers and
students is a crying shame. What modern piano sonata have we to-day, to
compare with his? I know of none. And the songs--are they not wonderful!
I love the man and his music so much that I am doing what lies in my
power to make these compositions better known. There is need of pioneer
work in this matter, and I am glad to do some of it."

II

ERNEST SCHELLING

THE HAND OF A PIANIST

As I sat in the luxurious salon of the apartments near the Park, where
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Schelling were spending the winter, sounds of
vigorous piano practise floated out to me from a distant chamber. It was
unusual music, and seemed to harmonize with the somewhat Oriental
atmosphere and coloring of the music-room, with its heavily beamed
ceiling of old silver, its paintings and tapestries.

The playing ceased and soon the artist appeared, greeting the visitor
with genial friendliness of manner. He was accompanied by the "lord of
the manor," a beautiful white bull terrier, with coat as white as snow.
This important personage at once curled himself up in the most
comfortable arm-chair, a quiet, profound observer of all that passed. In
the midst of some preliminary chat, the charming hostess entered and
poured tea for us.

The talk soon turned upon the subject in which I was deeply
interested--the technical training of a pianist.

"Technic is such an individual matter," began Mr. Schelling; "for it
depends on so many personal things: the physique, the mentality, the
amount of nervous energy one has, the hand and wrist. Perhaps the
poorest kind of hand for the piano is the long narrow one, with long
fingers. Far better to have a short, broad one with short fingers. Josef
Hofmann has a wonderful hand for the piano; rather small, yes, but so
thick and muscular. The wrist, too, is a most important factor. Some
pianists have what I call a 'natural wrist,' that is they have a natural
control of it; it is no trouble for them to play octaves, for instance.
Mme. Carreno has that kind of wrist; she never had difficulty with
octaves, they are perfect, Hofmann also has a marvelous wrist. I am
sorry to say I have not that kind of wrist, and therefore have been much
handicapped on that account. For I have had to work tremendously to
develop not only the wrist but the whole technic. You see I was a wonder
child, and played a great deal as a small boy. Then from fifteen to
twenty I did not practise anything like what I ought to have done. That
is the period when the bones grow, muscles develop--everything grows.
Another thing against me is the length of my fingers. When the fingers
are longer than the width of the hand across the knuckle joint, it is
not an advantage but a detriment. The extra length of finger is only so
much dead weight that the hand has to lift. This is another disadvantage
I have had to work against. Yes, as you say, it is a rather remarkable
hand in regard to size and suppleness. But I hardly agree that it is
like Liszt's; more like Chopin's, judging from the casts I have seen of
his hand.

"As for technical routine, of course I play scales a good deal and in
various ways. When I 'go into training,' I find the best means to attain
velocity is to work with the metronome. One can't jump at once into the
necessary agility, and the metronome is a great help in bringing one up
to the right pitch. You see by the firmness of these muscles at the back
and thumb side of my hand, that I am in good trim now; but one soon
loses this if one lets up on the routine.

"Then I practise trills of all kinds, and octaves. Yes, I agree that
octaves are a most necessary and important factor in the player's
technical equipment."

Going to the piano and illustrating as he talked, Mr. Schelling
continued:

"Merely flopping the hand up and down, as many do, is of little use--it
does not lead to strength or velocity. As you see, I hold the hand
arched and very firm, and the firmness is in the fingers as well; the
hand makes up and down movements with loose wrist; the result is a full,
bright, crisp tone. One can play these octaves slowly, using weight, or
faster with crisp, staccato touch. I play diatonic or chromatic octave
scales, with four repetitions or more, on each note--using fourth finger
for black keys.

"I sit low at the piano, as I get better results in this way; though it
is somewhat more difficult to obtain them. I confess it is easier to sit
high and bear down on the hands. Yes, I thoroughly approve of 'weight
touch,' and it is the touch I generally use. Sometimes it is a certain
pressure on the key after it is played, using arm weight.

"Ah, you are right. The young teacher or player, in listening to the
artist, and noticing he does not lift his fingers to any extent, and
that he always plays with weight, hastily concludes these are the
principles with which he must begin to study or teach the piano. It is
a mistake to begin in that way. Very exact finger movements must be
learned in the beginning. As I said before, technic is such an
individual matter, that after the first period of foundational training,
one who has the desire to become an artist, must work out things for
himself. There should be no straight-laced methods. Only a few general
rules can be laid down, such as will fit most cases. The player who
would rise to any distinction must work out his own salvation.

"In regard to memorizing piano music, it may be said this can be
accomplished in three ways: namely, with the eye, with the ear, and with
the hand. For example: I take the piece and read it through with the
eye, just as I would read a book. I get familiar with the notes in this
way, and see how they look in print. I learn to know them so well that I
have a mental photograph of them, and if necessary could recall any
special measure or phrase so exactly that I could write it. All this
time my mental ear has been hearing those notes, and is familiar with
them. Then the third stage arrives; I must put all this on the keyboard,
my fingers must have their training; impressions must pass from the mind
to the fingers; then all is complete."

III

ERNESTO CONSOLO

MAKING THE PIANO A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

In a long conversation with Ernesto Consolo, the eminent pianist and
instructor, many points of vital importance to the player and teacher
were touched upon. Among other things Mr. Consolo said:

"It is absolutely necessary that the piano teacher should take his
profession very seriously. In my opinion there is most excellent
instruction to be secured right here in America, with such teachers as
are willing to take their work seriously. The time is not far away, I
think, when America will enjoy a very prominent position in the matter
of musical instruction, and perhaps lead the world in musical
advantages. The time is not here just yet, but it is surely coming. You
are still young in this country, though you are wonderfully progressive.

"If I have spoken of the serious aims of many teachers of piano, I
cannot say as much for the students: they are often superficial and want
to go too quickly; they are apt to be in a hurry and want to make a
show, without being willing to spend the necessary years on preparation.
No art can be hurried. Students of painting, sculpture, architecture or
music must all learn the technique of their art; they must all learn to
go deep into the mysteries and master technic as the means to the end,
and no one requires exhaustive preparation more than the executive
musician. The person who would fence, box or play baseball must know the
technic of these things; how much more must the pianist be master of the
technique of his instrument if he would bring out the best results.

"At the very bottom and heart of this subject of mastery lies
Concentration: without that, little of value can be accomplished.
Students think if they sit at the piano and 'practise' a certain number
of hours daily, it is sufficient. A small portion of that time, if used
with intense concentration, will accomplish more. One player will take
hours to learn a page or a passage which another will master in a
fraction of the time. What is the difference? It may be said one has
greater intelligence than the other. The greater the intelligence, the
stronger the power of concentration.

"If a pupil comes to me whose powers of concentration have not been
awakened or developed, I sometimes give him music to read over very
slowly, so slowly that every note, phrase and finger mark can be
distinctly seen. Not being used to thinking intently, mistakes occur, in
one hand or the other, showing that the mind was not sufficiently
concentrated. It is the mind every time that wins. Without using our
mental powers to their fullest extent we fail of the best that is in us.

"In regard to technical equipment and routine, I do different work with
each pupil, for each pupil is different. No two people have the same
hands, physique or mentality; so why should they all be poured into the
same mold? One student, for example, has splendid wrists and not very
good fingers. Why should I give him the same amount of wrist practise
that I give his brother who has feeble wrists; it would only be a waste
of time. Again, a pupil with limited ideas of tonal quality and dynamics
is advised to study tone at the piano in some simple melody of Schubert
or Chopin, trying to realize a beautiful tone--playing it in various
ways until such a quality Is secured. The piano is a responsive
instrument and gives back what you put into it. If you attack it with a
hard touch, it will respond with a harsh tone. It rests with you whether
the piano shall be a musical instrument or not.

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