Books › Musical Courier 1927-06-16: Vol 94 Iss 24, 1927 › scan 13
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Musical Courier 1927-06-16: Vol 94 Iss 24, 1927
76 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 14. See the scan on archive.org.
1QUESTIONS ABOUT PIANO STUDY ANSWERED
2By Alexander Raab
4Alexander Raab, eminent pianist, pedagog and guest teacher at the Chicago Musical College, has been secured by the Musical Courier to conduct this department and will answer questions pertaining to piano study. Teachers and students may address Mr. Raab at 830 Orchestra Bldg., Chicago. Mr. Raab's time is so well occupied that he will only be able to answer a certain number of questions—naturally the most important—each week.
6Q.—Is it not better to take a difficult place in a worthwhile composition for a technical exercise instead of "exercises" to improve or develop technic? I think it such a waste of time to spend many hours on musically meaningless exercises. Do not great artists consider technic merely as a means to an end?—M. L. B.
8A.—Any difficult part of a (classical) composition will make a good enough exercise to improve your technic. But it would be better to find the right kind of an exercise in preparation for the particular difficulty you wish to overcome. If you use parts of a composition exclusively for this purpose you may without noticing it lower your interpretative powers. The danger is that you may not play the part which you have used as an exercise with the same attitude as the rest of the composition. The unity which distinguishes a great work may suffer by this kind of practice and your interpretation will show a different spirit between the technical and other parts of the composition so studied.
10Your point of view that exercises alone will not develop your technic better than worthwhile pieces, is correct. The true living technic is only to be acquired by the study of the works of our great masters. But prior to any kind of study you must have succeeded in establishing perfectly natural and sane physical and mental playing habits in order to make continuous and lasting progress possible.
12Remember that technic is not acquired by mere repetition of exercises or compositions. However, the correct understanding of fundamental principles must precede all playing.
14It is unquestionably true that technic is only a means to an end. Therefore you must not be content with it in a condition where it demands too great a part of your attention during performance for it will hinder the perfect delivery of your message.
16II
18Q.—I am a piano teacher and would appreciate your advice in regard to a pupil who is a type with which probably all teachers have had experience with. He is a boy of twelve, gifted and intelligent but not reliable in the preparation of his lessons. He seems to understand what I explain to him and sometimes has excellent lessons, but in general his progress is slow and unsatisfactory.
20He doubtless should practice more but still I feel it should be possible to arouse his interest in a more natural manner by simply insisting on more practice, even though I do this in as kind and encouraging a way as possible.
22Could you suggest something?—K. C.
24A.—It is hardly possible to diagnose for you the case of your pupil. You should have been more explicit in your communication, telling what you ascribe the trouble to, and what you up to now have already resorted to in your experiments to better the results.
26The possible reasons (if not laziness) for this kind of trouble are too numerous to have them all accounted here.
28A very important factor in achieving results in teaching is the choice of the right kind of teaching material. Never allow it to become uninteresting, dry or monotonous. Another very important rule is always to have the work for the next lesson as clearly outlined as possible. The pupil must know exactly what he has to do in every piece, otherwise he will keep on "playing through" his assignment all the time, thinking that he is practicing.
30Sometimes it has a very good effect if one uses a part of the lesson time in actual practicing with the pupil. The progress becomes visibly quicker and this fact generally arouses more interest and ambition for practicing. Besides, by practicing together, the meaning of the word "practice" becomes clearer to the pupil and will make him realize what you in fact expect him to do at home.
32Naturally you must also consider his physical and mental makeup. School work is often more or less of a burden to a pupil. Not seldom has it been that the seemingly mysterious cause for the "up hill" labor in the studio of many a gifted youngster could be traced to some little "friend." The case is more difficult when it is the influence at home.
34III
36Is it considered very bad to use the soft pedal in the Moonlight Sonata? It is marked "Senza sordini" but I found that without the soft pedal I cannot produce the kind of pp. I would like to hear.—N. R. D.
38The marking "senza sordini" in this case does not refer to the so called soft pedal. Under "sordini" the piece of felt is meant which covers the strings of each key. The felt is used as a damper to prevent the vibration of all but those strings immediately required by the player.
40Senza sordini (without damper) is identical to "con pedale" (with pedal) and Con sordini (with damper) means "Senza Pedale" (without pedal).
42This—to our mind—somewhat round about way of marking pedal could perhaps be explained by the fact that in Beethoven's time the Clavecin was still very much in use. Both instruments, however, had a different mechanical appliance to regulate the dampers. The Clavecin had to be managed with the knee, whereas the pianoforte, as at present, with the foot.
44Since not every Clavecinist played the pianoforte also, and as the word "pedal" could exclusively refer to the one appliance used by the foot, Beethoven probably decided on the marking "senza sordini" as a means of indicating unmistakably to the players of both instruments that the composer wanted the pedal to be used.
46The fact is that the sonata in C sharp minor, op. 27, No. 2, appeared first under the title "per il Clavicembalo o Pianoforte."
48There is no tradition of Beethoven's pedaling. The only indication we have, is that quoted above.
50BIRMINGHAM, ALA.
52BIRMINGHAM, ALA.—The Birmingham Conservatory of Music celebrated the opening of its handsome new building with a faculty recital, in which the following members participated: Edna Gockel Gussen (director of the Conservatory), Minnie McNeill Carr, Kate Smith, Elizabeth Gussen, Celeste Poole, Norfleet Sudduth, Ethel Abbott, Anna Bernhard, Marion McCray, Addie B. Kemp, Margaret Regan, and Louise Collins. This was followed by a series of students' recitals, outstanding among which was that of Jane Hamill, pianist, pupil of Edna Gockel Gussen.
54The annual May Music Festival presented by the music department of Birmingham-Southern College, O. Gordon Erickson, director, proved a great success this year, lasting from May 12 to 15. The festival opened with the presentation of the opera, Bohemian Girl, by Balfe, staged in the Open Air Theater on the college campus. It was beautifully given, proving an excellent vehicle for college talent, and the setting on the hillside with thick-foliated trees and a castle erected on the hill, was realistic. So was the Gypsy scene, when a full moon rose over the sleeping Gypsy camp, revealing it before the colored lights were turned on. Thousands of people witnessed the performance. The leading roles were taken by Mattie Will Guthrie, as Arline; Ione Smith as the Gypsy Queen; DeValse Mann, as Thaddeus; James Westbrook, as Devilshoof; Thomas R. Walker, Jr., as Count; John Tate, as Florestein; and Harry Brownlie, as Captain of the Guard. On the second night, Arthur Craft, New York tenor, was presented in concert, with Minnie McNeill Carr as accompanist. Mr. Kraft made a splendid impression, responding to many encores and recalls. The third concert of the festival was orchestral, presented in the Open Air Theater before a large audience. O. Gordon Erickson conducted the orchestra.
56The department of music of Howard College (Paul de Launay, director) closed with a series of brilliant recitals. The final one featured a piano-orchestra of eight pianos with sixteen performers playing at one time and Professor de Launay directing. Other recitals were given by voice pupils of Mme. Olive de Launay, instructor in voice at the college. Ella Thomas received a diploma in voice, and Ethel Counts and Luther Hearn gave excellent recitals. George Neely and Mrs. J. C. Waites, assisted by Sara Hunt, pianist, were heard in concert.
58Professor de Launay has just had issued from the press of J. Fischer & Brother, New York, a volume of four original compositions entitled Quatre Poemes Mystiques, for piano. This quartet of unusual pieces recently received the Paris award for originality.
60Mrs. Walter Heasty presented pupils in a song recital. Those singing were Virginia Blair, Evelyn Knecht, Ruth I. Stanford, Mrs. H. G. Dyer, Mrs. Colquit Majure, Mrs. C. D. Barr, and Cornelia Perrynan.
62The Birmingham Music Teachers' Association has elected the following officers for next year: Lowela Hanlin, president; Sarah Mallan, vice-president; Carrie Ingram Gillespie, recording secretary; Mrs. Burr Nabors, corresponding secretary; Mrs. E. L. Carter, treasurer.
64The Birmingham Music Study Club has named the following leaders for next year: president, Emma McCarthy; first vice-president, Mrs. Paul Earle; second vice-president, Mrs. George C. Harris; third vice-president, Mrs. G. Houston Davis; recording secretary, Mrs. Jane M. Lehman; corresponding secretary, Mary Miller Colbourn; treasurer, Mrs. A. J. Grefenkamp; librarian, Mrs. J. L. Yancey; Federation secretary, Mrs. V. W. DeWilton; chairman of standing committees, Alice Graham (Study Course), Mrs. E. G. Chandler (Artist Course), Mrs. W. D. Tynes (Altruistic), Mrs. Tom McCarthy Carr (Box Office), Mrs. R. B. Cox (Junior Club), Mrs. W. L. Kroh (Juvenile Clubs), Mrs. Harry O. Underhill (printing), Mrs. Annie T. Wise (Public School music), Mrs. T. L. Bissell (sacred music), Mrs. Upton Singluff (student contests); the advisory board—Mrs. Oliver Chalifoux, Mrs. W. S. Lovell, Mrs. Victor Hanson, Mrs. Charles J. Sharp, Mrs. G. Houston Davis, Mrs. E. T. Rice, Mrs. E. G. Chandler. The Artist Course announced for next season includes Mary Fabian, soprano; Russian Symphonic Choir; Julia Claussen, contralto; Flonzaley Quartet, and Maier and Pattison, duo pianists.
66The Birmingham Music Study Club recently presented a handsome new baby grand piano to the new Public Library. The Birmingham Public Library is the only one south of Cleveland equipped with a sound proof music room and piano.
68Mrs. J. W. Luke presented pupils in a MacDowell recital.
70The Louie Compton Seminary presented in graduate recital Harriet Smith, piano pupil of Mrs. J. W. Luke.
72A. G.
74Gescheidt Pupil in New Brunswick
75Anne Cornwell Starke, soprano, gave a recital at The Highland Park Community House, New Brunswick, N. J., on May 11, her audience was large and very appreciative, demanding several encores. Mrs. Starke displayed a voice of real beauty and brilliance and sang with easy mastery of the technical difficulties in a widely varied program. Her remarkable range (her songs compassed considerably over two octaves and included several high Cs), the complete control of tone values, from great power to the most delicate pianissimi, were a delightful surprise to her hearers. A sense for the deeper beauties in her songs has produced an interpretation that is highly artistic and convincing, shown best of all perhaps in her Russian group, and her perfect enunciation makes possible an enjoyment of the poetry as well as of the music. Mrs. Starke's program included Handel's Skylark Pretty Rover, and Gia La Notte (Haydn), Alleluia (Mozart), Over the Steppe and My Native Land (Gretchaninoff); Tchaikovsky's By the Window, and In the Silence of the Night (Gretchaninoff); Rain (Curran), Sanctuary (La Forge), Wayfarer's Night Song (Martin), and The Wind's in the South (Scott). Mrs. Starke was accompanied by her husband, Emory P. Starke.
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