Scan 17
Musical Courier 1899-11-29: Vol 39 Iss 1028, 1899
32 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 18. See the scan on archive.org.
1Truth Versus Error.
3(Communicated.)
5"WHO are these that darken counsel by words without knowledge?"
7In the particular case in which I am interested, they are W. S. B. Mathews and Ward Stephens, who, in a Philadelphia monthly publication, have written upon a subject which they evidently do not understand. I have been requested to answer their remarks, which appeared, respectively, under the headings, "Letters to Teachers" and "Dumb Pianos," and feel that I am in position to do so, as I understand thoroughly the subject under discussion and believe, too, I know why W. S. B. Mathews and Ward Stephens are only able to take a contorted view of it.
9The name of W. S. B. Mathews is very familiar to me; that of Ward Stephens is not, and at first I had great difficulty in finding out anything about this latter gentleman, but I finally identified him as the hero of a little episode which I will cite later.
11I read to Mr. Virgil the paragraph appearing in "Letters to Teachers," which refers to the Virgil Practice Clavier, and asked him what he thought of it. He answered: "I don't think anything of it at all, for Mr. Mathews once said to me in a half confidential way, half-jocular way, 'The less I know about a subject the more I can say upon it.' The many remarks emanating from Mr. Mathews that have appeared in print from time to time during the last decade have convinced me that his assertion was no joke, but a positive fact. I have taken no notice of his inconsistent expressions upon the subject of the Clavier because I felt sure sensible people would understand his motive in condemning the Clavier Method and see clearly the emptiness of his remarks."
13The question which Mr. Mathews answers is, "Will you kindly let me know what you think of the dumb or practice piano?" I quote from his reply: "I do not know what you mean by dumb piano. If it is the Virgil Practice Clavier I can say that many find it useful for strengthening the fingers, making the touch more even and for practising upon without disturbing the neighbors. It does not take the place of a piano, except for very poor players (under whose fingers it produces perhaps a better effect than the piano)," &c. I have studied the Clavier Method with Mr. Virgil personally for about four years, and must say that the above remarks sound to me as though they came from the pen of someone who has not given four hours' attention to it. Mr. Virgil is himself the very first to condemn the idea that the Practice Clavier takes the place of the piano, and I certainly know of no other teacher who makes more thorough use of the piano than he does. As soon as a pupil's movements and muscular conditions are under control, he employs the piano to test the quality and effectiveness of the touch and execution. He claims that a good tone is the result of right doing—that is of exercising the right mental and physical control—and that as it is not possible to make good musical effects until some, at all events, of the mechanical part of piano playing has been mastered, it is wisest to attack the mechanical difficulties at once and conquer them in as short a time as possible. He finds that, without tone, the task can be more quickly accomplished than with tone. He says, though, that if piano playing involved no more than musical, emotional sense, he would be the first to say, use always a piano in study and practice, but because it involves much more he has invented the Clavier and advocates its use.
15With regard to sparing the neighbors' ears, Mr. Mathews always evinces that praiseworthy Christian trait of loving his neighbors not only as well, but even better than himself, whenever he discusses the Clavier's good qualities.
17In my opinion Mr. Virgil has much more correct ideas upon the subject of the use of tone in piano study than have most teachers of the piano. He will not use tone unless he can have good tone, and never asks his pupils to play to him upon a piano of unmusical tone or out of tune. I know from experience, on the other hand, that many professors who are of the opinion they would utterly ruin their pupils' musical sense if they allowed them to play on any instrument without tone, provide for their use worn out pianos with harsh tone and uneven touch and more frequently than not out of tune. A student once said to Mr. Virgil in Berlin: "I have studied with several of the leading professors in Germany, who talked to me all the time about tone, but strange to say, you are the only teacher I have found here who provides for his pupils a really beautiful instrument upon which to study tonal effects."
19Mr. Mathews claims to know of no artist who has made use of the Practice Clavier for any but a very short time, and says that those who have given testimonials would willingly recall them. He mentions as one of these Dr. Mason. This seems strange, as only a few days ago Dr. Mason, who in course of conversation with me brought up the subject of the Clavier, entirely unprompted by any remark of mine, said: "I am constantly misquoted and misunderstood. People often accuse me of being double-faced, as they say I act in a friendly way toward the Virgil Company and at the same time speak against the Clavier. As a matter of fact, this is entirely untrue. I think in most respects very highly of the Clavier and am always free to say so, but am of opinion that some people make abuse of it." "Mr. Virgil," I replied, "is quite of your opinion and is the first to condemn those who use it senselessly. It must be used intelligently and in the study of tonal effects, always in conjunction with the piano." I have not asked Dr. Mason whether he wishes to recall his testimonials, but in view of the following facts I should think he does not.
21More than ten years ago he wrote a review of the merits of the Practice Clavier, which closes as follows: "The 'Clavier' enables one to temporarily banish the stimulating influence of the piano tones without suspending the means of defining the rhythm and verifying the touch. While personally regretting that the invention did not appear long enough ago to have served me throughout my musical career, it has, nevertheless, placed me under obligation to its gifted inventor, and I desire to thank him for so valuable a contribution to the pedagogics of an art to which I have devoted so many years of a busy life, and to heartily recommend his invention to the intelligent use of every earnest student and player of the piano." Eight years later he wrote: "I regard the Virgil Practice Clavier as of inestimable value to piano students in every degree of development, as well as to the most advanced artists, since its faithful use compels mental concentration and consequently secures and maintains completed mental and physical technic."
23So accomplished, thoughtful and conscientious a musician, pianist and teacher as Dr. William Mason would not, I feel confident, have written a second recommendation after eight years' deliberation had he not really been convinced of the merits of the Practice Clavier.
25Referring to De Pachmann, Mr. Stephens says: "It was not long after his use of this dumb keyboard that not only I but many of his friends noticed that there was a new and disagreeable element in his touch—hardness * * * it is to be hoped that he has abandoned the use of the thing forever." Let me take this opportunity of informing Mr. Stephens that he has not done so. Nearly three years ago, when Mr. Virgil first went to Berlin, De Pachmann at once visited him and wanted to learn more about the Clavier. When leaving Berlin to go to London, De Pachmann was more anxious about his Clavier than anything else, and was very delighted when Mr. Virgil arranged that he might leave his own instrument in Berlin and have another directly he reached London. He applied for the promised Clavier as soon as he arrived at his destination. Upon landing in America he at once called at the Clavier Company's office and presented a letter from the British Clavier Company requesting that he might be supplied with an instrument without delay. Only a few nights ago at the close of his first recital at Mendelssohn Hall I went to see him in the artists' room and overheard him speaking to several pianists in the most enthusiastic manner about the Clavier and the benefit he had gained from its use. Among other things he said that Mr. Virgil has done more for pianists than has any other living man.
27What about De Pachmann's touch? Has it lost so much? Why is it that Mr. Stephens and some of De Pachmann's friends imagine that it has? He himself has not noticed it, nor have the critics.
29Has Mr. Stephens read the latest criticisms of De Pachmann's playing? I heard the artist in question play in Berlin several times last year. There the critics are hard enough to please, and they spoke in high terms of his exquisite touch. In London and the English provincial towns, where he played a number of recitals before coming here, he met with the greatest success and the critics pronounced his touch his crowning glory. The general opinion here is that he is now playing better than on the occasion of his last visit to this country. I turn to a few papers and read some of the criticisms of his playing and see such expressions used as "his exquisite gradations of tone," "the marvelous tones, the velvety scales," "the surpassing tonal loveliness," "exquisite and velvety delicacy of touch," "his wonderful tone coloring and beauty of touch," "the purity, evenness and limpid smoothness of his scale playing and the warm, singing quality he brings from the piano," &c. One paper concludes by saying, "Altogether the artist of to-day is a pleasant improvement on the artist of a few years ago, attractive as the former was. His charm is greater, his art more compelling." We read elsewhere: "His style has broadened, he has gained in repose, and his rubato is not so violently unrhythmatical as it was six years ago. The caressing beauty of his touch, its rich, singing quality, was happily exhibited in the larghetto. * * * It was legitimate piano playing, the instrument yielding up its utmost toll of tone and sounding at times like a miraculously attuned Aeolian harp." Can Mr. Stephens digest all this?
31Mr. Stephens has a mistaken idea of Joseffy's opinion of the influence of the Clavier upon pupils. Joseffy called only last week at the Clavier office and ordered a new Clavier, not to take the place of the one at his house.
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