Scan 320
The American history and encyclopedia of music, 1908
10 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1In piano trios and quartets of modern composers we often find the piano part so brilliant and heavy as to overpower the strings, ruining the idea of the trio or quartet by bringing one instrument into greater prominence than the others of the group.
3We look then for about the same skill in the performance of chamber music that we do in orchestral performances. While we cannot expect the same massive solidity of tone, for no four, five or eight instruments can give this as is possible with the several large groups of an orchestra, we may look for the same excellence in balance of parts and in quality of tone.
5In producing an exact agreement of tone as regards quality and power, the string quartet far surpasses the orchestra if properly performed, for this quality depends largely upon the skill of the musicians.
7It is because many who listen to concert performances of chamber music do not seem to know that its excellence lies largely in the subordinating of each instrument and each performance to the balance of the group that they encourage the bringing into prominence a special instrument, usually the piano.
9The pianist in a quartet should subordinate himself and his instrument quite as much as he who plays a piano accompaniment to a vocal solo, only in the case of chamber music there is or should be no solo part. When the three, four, five or more instruments so work together, so blend as to give the effect of a great voice with various registers and wonderful compass and range and marvelous power of expression, then we know the composer and the performers have subordinated and unified the parts and instruments for the beauty of the whole and we are listening to an artistic composition artistically interpreted. This perfect balance is possible in a quartet as it cannot be in a great body of instruments and performers, for so much depends upon the common understanding, common sympathy of a band of musicians who must become but parts of one great
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