Scan 15
Musical Courier 1893-09-27: Vol 27 Iss 707, 1893
104 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 16. See the scan on archive.org.
1the fleshly stolidity of Miss Sutherland and the fullness of Miss Johnston; I profess I prefer the exotic Miss Friganza.
3Perhaps it is a matter of imperfect sympathy, but I was disappointed in the fun makers. They were earnest, they did their best; but when they succeeded the result was due to librettist's rather than to individual effort. For individually they lacked flavor. Mr. Leoni was a picturesque slave dealer, and Mr. Hamilton, who in experience is qualified to play "Chronos," roared nobly as the bully "Mars."
5The operetta is mounted gorgeously, and it has all the elements of popularity. The orchestra, enlarged and under the direction of Mr. John J. Braham, contained members of the Symphony Orchestra and did good work.
7* * *
9The sale of tickets for the concerts of the Boston Symphony Society takes place this week.
11Max Hinrich is camping in the Adirondacks.
13The musicians of the town are fast returning from summer exile.
15Mr. Apthorp has a stupendous article about Mr. Lang in the last number of "Music." PHILIP HALE.
17How to Keep Up a Repertoire.
19(no line here) one of two readings
20It is astonishing how much musical resource one may have that is not of the least practical value.
22THIS is not addressed to professional people in relation to professional repertoire. It may seem small and detailed, even to many unprofessional musicians of broad grasp of mind. Requests for assistance in this direction, however, prove that to musicians of average ability it will be a help to know the difficulties which others find and the means by which they have been overcome.
24Almost all busy artists realize the difficulty of keeping the lamp of ready execution ever trimmed and burning—of having ready for all occasions a sample of their ability to do what is expected of them. The lack of this is a serious matter. Many realize it, others are too short sighted; many too lazy to overcome it.
26To those having positions to bestow, the shiftlessness of those desiring positions is especially apparent in this neglect of providing a masterpiece that shall indicate the measure of their ability. Opportunities of extending acquaintance and making impression are thus lost. The effect upon the observer is not good: it indicates a lack of character not encouraging. While within the reach of all, this prime advantage is utilized by but few of those most needing it.
28"But how am I to keep up a repertoire of masterpieces for possible show demand? I have not the time. I am making my own living and studying 'out of hours.' Every moment is occupied in meeting the demands of the advance pressure. I cannot memorize. I forget easily what I do learn. One week I am well equipped, the following, through extra pressure, all has vanished like smoke, or the edge of perfection is dulled for lack of practice. I am caught in a circle. When it would be of the utmost value to me to be able to show what I really can do, a feeling of uncertainty as to the performance, and a dread of misrepresentation, prevent, and the opportunity is lost. My piano is piled with good music, brilliant and attractive, vocal and instrumental. I can play for hours with the notes before me, but am absolutely helpless without them. If invited formally to a meeting with important people, I am burdened with packages and rolls. If called upon unexpectedly, I might as well be without a musical education. What shall I do?"
30In the first place, let me say by way of sympathy that I fully share every horror of the drudgery which such equipment entails. There is no plan that I have not tried, no logical, occult or reasonable means with which I have not experimented, and there is no combination of them that is not more easy to bear than the mortification, annoyance and setbacks which result from being unable to comply with the request "Play, sing, something!" the natural desire to hear the art work of a reputed specialist.
32One thing certain: nothing can be accomplished in this line by one who drifts. A helm is much more necessary than a compass on the sea of perfected repertory.
34You must first of all arrange some corner, cove or cave of your busy life for the carrying out of a plan, which must be laid according to the strict laws of system and precision—above all, regularity. From experience I am convinced that there is some unaccountable power in having a practice hour, not only daily and of the same length, but at the same hour of each day. Better the time between 11 and 12 each day than between 11 and 4 to-day, 2 and 7 to-morrow. Make the time short rather than too long at first. It is easy to lengthen it with increased interest, very easy to weary and disgust, then good-bye to progress or profit. Nothing can be done without regularity.
36Next, Will must be enlisted in the work. A gentle pressure of wishy-washy wishing is all that some reach in the matter. Nothing is done to conquer difficulty by many, even of those who practise anxiously. The mental condition of a seething, boiling point of concentrated grit, necessary to lay hold of, grasp, climb, reach, and reduce musical difficulty to beauty is not reached by one practiser in twenty. The back is not bent, the wrench is not made, the teeth are not set, mentally. You do not agonize! Weariness sets in before results are obtained, disappointment and weakness of will are the only result.
38Running over old pieces, trying over new compositions, sight reading—all good enough in their place—are so many mediums of mental dissipation and slovenliness, that are of no value in fixing a répertoire. It is astonishing how much musical resource one may have that is not of the least practical value.
40The same degree of "agonizing" is not required by all in memorizing. One remembers with the reading, one with the comprehension, another finds the oldest piece vanish into blankness when the notes are removed. To the fortunate first, application is all that is necessary. The last must make up and down hard work of note transference, or give up all idea of ever shining in musical life.
42The mind must be brought into condition to work. Involuntary attention is largely a matter of habit. One has but to remove the eyes from a piece of music as familiar as "The Lord's Prayer" to discover the useless condition in which the mind is, nine times in ten. There is no activity there—nothing but a passing mental motion that does not "lay hold."
44To start the mind into full vigor take a piece of music, old or new, separate any one strain or measure, nay, one or two chords, from the surrounding measures, and go to work upon it with the sole idea of compelling the mind to retain notes. The one who has the best knowledge of keys and chords is the one best equipped to memorize. One cannot too deeply censure the teaching that leaves this grouping of families and members of notes for the later stages of musical work. It is the basis of all intelligent playing, the foundation upon which musical structure is built. It is the source of accuracy and the means of preventing error. There is nothing in the first principles of harmony that cannot be mastered by children who can understand the first principles of grammar and arithmetic.
46With a knowledge of chord and key one can memorize in large mouthfuls, grasp large slices of idea by one mental effort, while one ignorant of these must study note by note and group by group independently, without cause or reason—a much more wearisome and tedious undertaking.
48Take the treble alone first, as much as the mind can hold—one measure, one chord, one note if necessary, as will sometimes be found by an unharnessed mind. Next, learn the bass in a like detailed manner, and fill in with the treble, noticing, arranging and classifying as much as possible.
50To many the melody comes of itself; the harmony it is which must be learned. In such case memorize the bass first, and great pleasure will be found in associating the two. Here, for example, are two measures in C, two in F, two in G and two in C again—four ideas only, whether "hard" or "easy." Any accidentals which may occur will fix themselves as intruders. A memory of the arrangement of the chords is all that is necessary; individual notes will fix themselves. With a knowledge of keys the amount of arbitrary memorizing will be found to be very slight, and notes will come to group themselves unconsciously and astonishingly, as the habit of mind grows strong and grasping with each effort.
52The very instant you are tired stop, but follow up that one piece till it is thoroughly mastered, no matter how unattractive, how difficult it may be. Time enough to study "pretty" pieces; you are doing this for discipline not pleasure. Believe me this pays. If you wish to become convinced of the truth of it, just do it! After a few efforts, three strains will seem as easy as one did at first, and the growth will be as steady and progressive as the advancement in strength from the lifting of the calf to that of the ox. After a time a page will be as easy of acquisition as a strain was at the beginning. Later on the mind comes to observe several points on first observation and without conscious effort. This unconscious memorizing, based upon an intelligent knowledge of what the piece contains, not upon an arbitrary remembrance of notes, makes the retention of the piece unshakable once learned, and needing but a slight revision once in a while to keep the piece in fit condition for packing or exhibition.
54For the average mind the time to memorize a piece is after it has been thoroughly and faithfully studied, all the weeds taken out and a decided thought in the mind as to the intent of the composition.
56Would that quickness and thoroughness could be united more frequently than is the case! The quick memory fails in repetition through depending on natural retention, which means remembering "in spots." How irritating people are with their "You remember so and so? It goes like this—ah, me! how does it go? Like this—oh, dear; how things do slip away!" &c. They suggest possibilities of beauty without carrying out one satisfactory strain. They are no good to music, their hearers or themselves.
58To many the difficulty of memorizing is getting at it. Once started properly the pleasure of satisfactory acquisition becomes a delight.
60After a piece is once learned make a point of never letting it go. Play it every day on principle. But remember, the same care must be exercised the fiftieth time playing as the first. One can get in the habit of running old pieces over in so desultory a manner, dropping a note here to-day and there to-morrow, that, like patterns cut from consecutive imitation, all trace of the original outline is lost and the design is bungling, uncouth, clumsy—the whole one detestable blur. Eternal vigilance is the price of satisfactory piano playing.
62As to keeping up a number of pieces after they have been learned, there are many good ways, but any of them to be efficacious must be adhered to with fidelity. One must originate little plans for inducement and stimulus. For myself, I deny myself all sight reading, of which I am passionately fond, until a certain piece is safely stored away in the memory. I sometimes decide to use neither pedal nor expression till the notation is perfectly memorized. As mechanical playing is extremely distasteful, all possible speed is made in the memorizing, you may be sure. I sometimes compel myself to have a certain piece ready to play without the notes before a certain person arrives, or some certain event takes place. Under no circumstances whatever do I permit myself to drop one piece half learned to learn another. I have made this such a musical habit that an unfinished piece would haunt me in my sleep. It is sometimes helpful to memorize a piece backwards page by page, in which case the greatest difficulties are repeated the greatest number of times.
64No merchant must be more systematic, thrifty and persistent in the accumulation of gain, than the musician who desires to have and to hold a répertoire.
66Keep a list on the piano of all pieces learned. Make a memory structure on the plan of the "House that Jack Built," adding two to one, three to two, four to three, &c., uniting repetition monotony and progress in one unshakable mass of musical resource. A practise program is an absolute necessity. Have something on this order:
68<table>
69 <tr><th>Exercises,</th><th>so many minutes.</th></tr>
70 <tr><td>Advance work,</td><td>"</td></tr>
71 <tr><td>Memorizing new work,</td><td>"</td></tr>
72 <tr><td>Old pieces without notes,</td><td>"</td></tr>
73 <tr><td>Old pieces with notes,</td><td>"</td></tr>
74 <tr><td>Sight reading,</td><td>"</td></tr>
75</table>
77After the pieces have accumulated so that there is not time to play all carefully every day, separate those played by laying them crosswise upon the pile, adding to the crosswise pile each day, till the circuit has been made, when commence over again. This secures progression of repetition, otherwise the same three or four are being played each day while the rest remain untouched. Each day commence where you left off the day before, adding the latest as soon as learned.
79The most stupid, light-headed unmusical person in the world cannot fail of achieving the most satisfactory results in this way. The rare excellence and satisfaction thus created are like steam in an engine. The exhilaration impels to further achievements. Dexterity, skill, fluency are required, but above all the control of moods necessary to do the same thing over every day regularly.
81Nothing is more utterly demoralizing musically and mentally than the habit of "running over pieces," which seems to be the end and aim of most girls' practice. Concentrate and accumulate. Make each piece finished. Memorize when made so. Keep old music bright. Never mind being "sick'n tired" of a piece. The best is not gotten out of some compositions until after they have been worked threadbare. Perfection is always novel, always exhilarating.
83Never mind moods. No temperament is more subject to them than the musical one. There come times in studies musical to the composer as to the five-finger exerciser, when all things seem to stagnate. The mind is numb, fingers are stiff, interest is dead. But that such times invariably precede those of unusual leap of advancement is the record of all. Let regularity govern feeling and will force to execution. Gently and gradually warmth will follow.
85GRAND CONCERT TOUR.
86New York Philharmonic Club.
87EUGENE WEINER, Director.
88SIXTEENTH SEASON, 1893-94.
89EUGENE WEINER, Flute Virtuoso. SOL MARCOSSON, Violin Virtuoso.
90GEORGE SAUER, Viola. FRANK S. PORTE, Violin.
91CARL BARTH, Violoncello Virtuoso. S. ELKIND, Double Bass Soloist.
92ASSISTED BY
93Miss MARION S. WEED, Mezzo Soprano.
94For terms, dates, &c., address
95STAR LYCEUM BUREAU,
96ALFONSO FOSTER, Manager, Tribune Building, New York.
98THE NEW YORK CONSERVATORY OF CATHOLIC CHURCH MUSIC.
99Established under the patronage of
100THE MOST REV. ARCHBISHOP M. A. CORRIQAN D.D.
101Particulars may be had on application.
102REV. JOSEPH GRAF, Director,
103139 East 43d Street, New York.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.