Books › Musical Courier 1928-06-21: Vol 96 Iss 25, 1928 › scan 32
Scan 32
Musical Courier 1928-06-21: Vol 96 Iss 25, 1928
103 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026. Printed page 33. See the scan on archive.org.
1June 21, 1928
3Musical Courier Forum
5Modern and Old-Fashioned Finger Technic
6To the Musical Courier:
7In so many of your criticisms, and criticisms in other papers, and also descriptive analyses of different pianists' technic, I notice a great line drawn between modern finger technic and old-fashioned finger technic.
8What I would like to know is, what books one can read to learn more about the modern finger technic.
9I know this modern finger technic employs arm weight in some way, but further than that it is very vague to me. I would like a description.
10X. L.
11This question was referred to Carl M. Roeder, who replied:
12"Relaxation and arm weight do not constitute piano technic; they form the basic conditions from which a modern pianistic equipment grows.
13"The old school technic gave its chief attention to the development of finger precision and directness of attack, restricting the player to hammer-like blows from the knuckle, wrist or forearm joints. The resultant hardness of tone was somewhat modified by an easing up of the wrist, but the entire process was percussive. Moreover, by stressing, as it did, an incidental at the expense of a basic principle, it was pedagogically unsound.
14"The modern technical training, in its effort to produce ampler resonance and warmer tone-quality, has aimed to reduce percussion to a minimum. In its place it advocates greater body, shoulder and arm freedom and 'pressure from within,' establishing through arm adjustment and rotation a close-to-the-key relation which makes each finger as it plays a center of gravity.
15"The tone is evoked, not provoked, the arm being regarded as a channel through which the inner impulses can be directed to the finger-tips without the interference of unnecessary constriction. A new evaluation of what is called finger independence recognizes the fact that the fingers cannot say to the hand, the hand to the arm, or the arm to the body. 'I have no need of thee!'"
16"In this coordination of all the physical factors the need for keen-edged and thoroughly controlled fingers, backed by an elastic and flexible wrist, is not lost sight of; on the contrary, with arm rigidity removed they (the fingers) are all the more ready for training, and prepared to transmit, as does the perfect bulb in the electrical socket, that energy which comes from another and greater source, in every degree of intensity and power demanded.
17"Thus it is seen that what is generally accepted as 'weight touch' is not a dead, thuddy drop upon the keys, nor a loose-jointed, dish-raggy deivilization. Rather it is a highly organized control of all the factors involved in piano playing, as dependent upon fully developed muscular responsiveness as it is upon relaxation, arm weight and finger balance.
18"Books recommended are Touch and Technic (Mason), also books on piano technic by Rudolf Breithaupt."
20What Is Your Opinion?
21New York City.
22To the Musical Courier:
23On June 4 and 5 there was a violin contest held at Carnegie Chamber Music Hall under the auspices of the New York Music Week Association.
24On the afternoon of June 5 the chairlady declared Master Paul Winter the winner of the Gold Medal in the Interborough Contest of Division X, Class A, Section, Grade B. The judges were: Messrs. Henry Burck, Max Bendix and Roland Meyer. A few hours later Miss Isabelle Lowden, the director of the New York Music Week Association, notified Master Paul Winter over the telephone that an error had been made, and proclaimed Master Benjamin Altman the winner.
25As teacher of Paul Winter, may I ask your opinion of this most unusual and silent reversal of a public announcement of a music contest Gold Medal winner?
26(Signed) CARL SCHAIOVITZ.
28Seattle Opera Artist Company Well Received
29The Woman's Century Club of Seattle, Wash., presented the Seattle Opera Artist Company, Jacques Jou-Jerville, director and founder, in three performances, on May 17, 18 and 19. The offerings at the first of these were extracts from The Marriage of Janet (Masse), by Frances Jordan; act three of Mignon (Thomas), by Eleanor Carson, James Mount, Olga Kahlke and Chester H. Skidmore; extracts from act three of Werther (Massenet), by Ellen Colby-Strang and Rita Jamieson; act two of Our Lady's Juggler (Massenet), by Herbert Bartlett, Edwin Gilbert Cook, Charles A. Hutton, James R. Harvey, Maurice Deny, J. Leslie Pitcher, and Folsom Fisher; act five of Faust (Gounod), by James R. Harvey, Julie Gilbert and Alfred Green.
30The second night's program consisted of extracts from the following operas: Werther, Samson and Delilah, Lakme, Rigoletto and Faust, with the participants being Mrs. G. T. Warren, Adele d'Amico, Ruby Ohman, Maurice Deny, Katherine Skidmore, Rita Jamieson, Gudrun Baker, Irene Froumuth, James Mount, J. Leslie Pitcher, Mary Hutchinson, Aurelio Sciacqua, Alfred Green, Olga Kahlke and James R. Harvey.
31The Magic Hour, Bartlett, Orpheus, the Colonial Interlude, Carmen and The Prodigal Son were given the last night, with the casts as follows: Irene Froumuth, Gladys Wallace, Katherine Skidmore, Florence Beeler, Aileen Ardis Eccles, James R. Harvey, Ellen Colby-Strang, Herbert Bartlett and Edwin Gilbert Cook.
32The company was presented in The Prodigal Son by the Portland, Ore., chapter of Pro-Musica, Inc., at the home of Mr. and Mrs. M. Lloyd Frank on May 27.
34I See That
35Alice Paton, soprano, while spending a few days at her home in Dover, N. H., attended the alumni reunion at Wellesley College, of which she is a graduate.
36Six of Adelaide Gescheidt's vocal pupils have been engaged for leading church choir positions in and near Greater New York.
37Plans for the forthcoming season of Stadium Concerts are announced.
38Victor Benham wins London Success in Chopin recital.
39Arthur M. Abell writes of his twenty-seven years' personal recollections of Koussevitzky.
40Heidelberg's third festival proves unique affair.
41London hears Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex via Radio.
42"An Organized School Music Curriculum: A Practical Accomplishment at Grand Rapids, Mich.," is the subject of an interesting article by David Mattern.
43Earle and Stanley Hummel gave an interesting recital.
44Charles Wakefield Cadman has written a new song.
45The Cornish School announces its fourteenth summer session.
46Fra Gherardo enjoys continued success in Milan.
47Ann Arbor School of Music held its commencement exercises.
48Gershwin's new work is to have its American premiere next season.
49Lillian Gustafson was enthusiastically received in Ottawa.
50Rudolph Thomas conducts opera program in Cincinnati.
51The Cincinnati Zoo Opera Season opens auspiciously.
52Sigma Alpha Iota Convention will begin in Ithaca on June 23.
53Jeritza wins fresh triumphs in Copenhagen.
54Corona and Gigli were acclaimed in Verona.
55London waxes enthusiastic over Hutcheson.
56Josephine Lucchesi returns from intensive concert and opera tour abroad.
57Los Angeles Opera Season will commence on October 1.
58Soloists for the Chautauqua season are announced.
59The Cleveland Orchestra has been engaged for the Cleveland Municipal Concerts.
60Millie Ryan discusses Opera in English.
61George D. Haage celebrates 25th anniversary.
62Patricia MacDonald tells how she became a folk song singer.
63Josef Hofmann sails for Europe.
64Handel Wadsworth sponsors the Troubadours.
65Nikolai Sokoloff, awarded degrees by two universities, sails for Europe.
66The Goldman Band Concerts are attracting large throngs.
67Pasquale Amato recovers from operation.
68The Chicago Civic Opera Association announces plan of "One Dollar Down and One Dollar a Week" for obtaining subscriptions.
70DIRECTOR AND PRINCIPALS IN DEBUSSY'S PRODIGAL SON, PRESENTED IN SEATTLE AND PORTLAND
71Left to right: Edwin Gilbert Cook, Ellen Colby-Strang and Herbert Bartlett, members of the Seattle Opera Artist Company, Jacques Jou-Jerville, director and founder, who gave a performance of Debussy's Prodigal Son in Seattle on May 19 and also at the Portland, Ore., home of Mrs. Lloyd Bacon on May 27, under the auspices of the Portland Chapter of Pro Musica. (Photo by Hartsook.)
73MUSICAL COURIER
75News Flashes
77London Enthusiastic Over Hutcheson
78London—Ernest Hutcheson's recital in Wigmore Hall was a tremendous success, a representative audience greeting the pianist with great enthusiasm, according to a cable report.
80Corona and Gigli Acclaimed in Venice
81According to a recent cable received from Venice, the current opera season there opened brilliantly with a performance of Tosca, with Gigli and Leonora Corona heading the cast. Both artists were enthusiastically received.
83Cincinnati Zoo Opera Opens Brilliantly
84(Special telegram to the Musical Courier)
85Cincinnati, O., June 19.—First and second nights of the Cincinnati Zoo Opera season were great triumphs. Nevada Van der Veer and Josephine Lucchesi scored success in La Gioconda and Rigoletto. Tremendous enthusiasm. Isaac Van Grove, a great musical director, and his company are splendid.
86M. D.
88Giannini Triumphs at Covent Garden
89(Special cable to the Musical Courier)
90London, June 19.—Giannini, making Covent Garden debut in Aida on Friday night, scored greatest personal triumph of Italian season. Both by superb vocal mastery and convincing portrayal of role, which was devoid of the usual prima donna mannerisms, she completely conquered audience. Critics, who were unanimous, praise her highly. She was recalled ten times after the Nile Scene, but her success culminated in the finale where the overwhelming loveliness and brilliance of her voice were most telling. House sold out for Butterfly performance tonight.
91(Signed) CESAR SEARCHINGER.
93Sigma Alpha Iota Convention in Ithaca
94(Special telegram to the Musical Courier)
95Ithaca, N. Y., June 18.—The 25th anniversary of Sigma Alpha Iota, a national professional musical fraternity for women, will be celebrated at the Biennial Convention to be held here from June 23 to June 27 inclusive. Epsilon Chapter, of the Ithaca Conservatory, will entertain some three hundred guests representing more than seventy chapters situated in various sections of the United States. Epsilon Chapter will be assisted in this entertainment by chapters from the New England Conservatory of Music (Boston), Syracuse University, the Eastman School of Music, Susquehanna University and the Alumnae Chapter, Epsilon-Epsilon, located in New York City, and Delta Epsilon Alumnae Chapter, located in Ithaca. Lillian Speakman, of the Ithaca Chapter, is in charge of the convention.
96An elaborate program of events has been arranged which will include recitals by Leon Sampaix, Joseph Lautner, Wallingford Riegger and Stefan Sopkin, of the Ithaca Conservatory faculty.
97The regular business session will open on June 23. This meeting will be followed by a Founders Day Program, which will be in charge of Sigma Theta of the Eastman School of Music. On the afternoon of June 25 a joint recital will be given by Gretchen Haller, contralto, and Hazel Hallett, pianist. That evening another recital will be given which will be open to the public. This will take place at The Little Theater of the Conservatory and is known as The Delegates' Musicae, and in which will appear the representatives from each of the eight provinces into which the various chapters are divided. This recital will be followed by a reception given to visitors by Lambda Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon Fraternity. June 26 will be Alumnae Day, at which time a song recital by Frances Sebel, soprano, an honorary member of the organization, will be given. There also will be a recital by Nora Hunt, of Ann Arbor, Mich. Miss Hunt is one of the founders of Sigma Alpha Iota.
98A detailed report of the convention will appear in an early forthcoming issue of the MUSICAL COURIER.
99A. E. B.
101Elisabeth Rethberg Arrives
102Elisabeth Rethberg, who recently scored unusual success as Helen of Troy at the world premiere of Strauss' The Egyptian Helen, in Dresden, arrived on the S. S. Majestic on June 19, going almost immediately to Ravinia Park where she will sing in The Masked Ball at the opening of the season on Saturday night, June 23.
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