Books › A Practical Guide to Violin-Playing, 1913 › scan 23
Scan 23
A Practical Guide to Violin-Playing, 1913
4 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. Printed page 5. See the scan on archive.org.
1The following was the author's experience of student-life at the Vienna Conservatoire. Spending five or six hours a week in the class-room, the budding artist knew by heart a great number of studies and pieces before actually playing them to his master. Joining at an early age the students' orchestra and ensemble class, he reaped the wonderful benefit of hearing great artists like Joachim, Sarasate and Ysaye, etc., all of whom left upon him a lasting impression and the strongest ambition to emulate their extraordinary powers. Moreover the young students of the Conservatoire met privately to play violin Duets, Sonatas and easy string Quartets (and this is surely a very pleasant way of getting acquainted with the different works of the great composers and of learning to read at sight) whilst an ambitious pupil was always able to find some pianist — good, bad, or indifferent — to go through the pieces he was then studying with his teacher.
3That there was a time when the young English student was compelled to seek a higher musical training abroad must be admitted, but fortunately this is no longer the case. Until he has equipped himself with a thorough all-round musical knowledge which can nowhere be better obtained than in the best music-schools in London, very little can be gained by studying in a foreign country, and it is positively erroneous to think, that by sending a student abroad, he will return a great artist. Should the young player be lucky enough to study under a first-class master abroad he is certain to profit a great deal in some way or another — but if he should be placed with a second-rate professor (and fees often decide for the latter) no good whatever can be derived from a stay of, say, two years; and this only too often proves to be the case. Rather let the talented young English, Canadian, Australian, African and other Colonial violinists learn with a good master here, in their Mother-land, where their artistic qualifications and special characteristics will be understood best. Let the young artist worship high ideals as long as possible, and with the generous and patriotic support of the music loving British Public (such as was bestowed upon the Author in his native country), the time cannot be far short when an enormous advance by the British violinist will be witnessed. Is there not, in a city like London, every opportunity of attending the best orchestral, chamber and other concerts? For here nearly all the most famous artists appear from time to time and consequently the stale complaint of "lack of musical atmosphere" holds good no longer.
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