Scan 332
The American history and encyclopedia of music .., 1908
4 lines. Read by computer on 8 September 2026. Printed page 288. See the scan on archive.org.
1which with indomitable courage has struggled through years of sorrow. His compositions include a great many mazurkas, waltzes and polonaises, expressing the national dance music of his country, and even these are sad. Although so much of his music is of a national character, it expresses his own individuality, which was melancholy to a rare degree. Chopin is out of his element in long compositions, his intense sensations were too pronounced for sustained effort, so we find his music expressed in dances and short compositions. His preference was for the minor key and in beauty of expression and harmony he remains the unrivaled master of the tender tones. Chopin's musical genius opened for him the best circles of Polish society, a society at that time unrivaled in Europe for its ease of intercourse, the beauty and grace of its women, and its liberal appreciation of artistic gifts. These impressions of refinement have left their impress on his music, his works are full of the most subtle touches of sentiment, they breathe refinement and artistic temperament. As a pianist the delicacy of his touch, the melancholy tints of his tone-coloring, the excellent purity of his phrasing, made him a great favorite and a musical idol. His preludes are quite indefinite in form and character, producing an unfinished effect, nevertheless they give us brief glimpses of wonderful soul pictures, breathing poetry and passion. His nocturnes are, as their titles express, short, dreamy, contemplative melodies that satisfy the emotions without producing any strain upon the intellect.
3Liszt is without doubt the composer who appeals but slightly to the thoughtful concert lover. And small wonder, when he himself in discussing the essentials of good music said: "Three things are necessary to make a great pianist: first, technique; second, technique; and third, technique." And this technique in one form or another is what constitutes the greater part of his compositions. The music reflects the man back of it, and Liszt's music is cold, polished, brilliant, but it does not touch the heart. His works astonish us by their complexity, they reveal the technical resources of the
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