Scan 12
Violin master works and their interpretation, 1925
6 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1tempos are hurried, the slow movements are dragged, the ritenuti as well as the accellerandi are exaggerated, owing to which the rhythm suffers. And rhythm is the foundation of all music and of Hungarian music in particular.
3There are only a few of the elect who are able to correctly grasp the character of the music which they interpret; who divine the composer's intention, who know how to make a distinction between lyric and dramatic music, to differentiate a heroic from a tender theme, to separate the supervirile urge which thrills a moment of passion from the jocose or the gracious mood in their interpretation. Only a few are able to spread out the rich color-shadings of tone as the inspired painter does on his palette before transferring them to his canvas. Monotony, colorlessness, lack of shading will destroy the beauty of the finest work. I tell my pupils, again and again, that every single dynamic sign or accent mark with which the composer or an authoritative editor has provided a composition, is every bit as important as the note it qualifies. Unfortunately, most students and often even matured musicians and solo artists are content to play the notes without regard for the above mentioned considerations. And there also is another type of monotony which creeps into the performance of outstanding works: this is the monotony of tempos. Only a few composers possess the gift of setting down their meaning clearly and exactly on paper. This is, in truth, extremely difficult and in most cases almost impossible, though Beethoven forms an exception to this rule. The performance of his chamber music, in particular, demands a wealth of hitherto unsuspected individual shadings which are purely Beethovenian. In such works the interpreter's talent, his temperament, his appreciation of beauty and his delicacy of perception for the intimate character of the various themes is revealed. They also throw into relief that inexplicable something, so highly important to the musical ear—the variation of tempos in one and the same composition. Whether it be a concerto, a romance, a scherzo or a nocturne, the principle remains the same. Only in the delicate and absolutely unobtrusive application of this principle does a distinction exist.
5Since this principle of the variation of tempo and shading is the life-principle of any composition played, since it reveals
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.