Piano Mastery

Piano Mastery

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Title: Piano Mastery Talks with Master Pianists and Teachers
Author: Harriette Brower
Release Date: April 11, 2005 [eBook #15604]
Language: English
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MASTERY***
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PIANO MASTERY
Talks with Master Pianists and Teachers and an Account of a Von
Bülow Class, Hints on Interpretation, by Two American Teachers (Dr.
William Mason and William H. Sherwood) and a Summary by the

Author
by
HARRIETTE BROWER
Author of The Art of the Pianist With Sixteen Portraits
Frederick A. Stokes Company The Musical Observer Company
1915

[Illustration: Photo Copyright By Marran IGNACE JAN
PADEREWSKI]

CONTENTS
PRELUDE
IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI
ERNEST SCHELLING.....The Hand of a Pianist
ERNESTO CONSOLO.....Making the Piano a Musical Instrument
SIGISMOND STOJOWSKI.....Mind in Piano Study.
RUDOLPH GANZ.....Conserving Energy in Piano Practise
TINA LERNER.....An Audience the Best Teacher
ETHEL LEGINSKA.....Relaxation the Keynote of Modern Piano
Playing
BERTHA FIERING TAPPER.....Mastering Piano Problems
CARL M. ROEDER.....Problems of Piano Teachers
KATHARINE GOODSON.....An Artist at Home
MARK HAMBOURG.....Form, Technic, and Expression
TOBIAS MATTHAY.....Watching the Artist Teacher at Work
HAROLD BAUER.....The Question of Piano Tone
RAOUL PUGNO.....Training the Child
THUEL BURNHAM.....The "Melody" and "Coloratura" Hand
EDWIN HUGHES.....Some Essentials of Piano Playing
FERRUCCIO BUSONI.....An Artist at Home
ADELE AUS DER OHE.....Another Artist at Home
ELEANOR SPENCER.....More Light on Leschetizky's Ideas
ARTHUR HOCHMAN.....How the Pianist Can Color Tone with
Action and Emotion
TERESA CARREÑO.....Early Technical Training
WILHELM BACHAUS.....Technical Problems Discussed
ALEXANDER LAMBERT.....American and European Teachers

FANNIE BLOOMFIELD ZEISLER.....The Scope of Piano Technic
AGNES MORGAN.....Simplicity in Piano Teaching
EUGENE HEFFLEY.....Modern Tendencies
GERMAINE SCHNITZER.....Modern Methods in Piano Study
OSSIP GABRILOWITSCH.....Characteristic Touch on the Piano
HANS VON BÜLOW.....Teacher and Interpreter
WILLIAM H. SHERWOOD AND DR. WILLIAM MASON.....Hints
on Interpretation
POSTLUDE.....Vital Points in Piano Playing

ILLUSTRATIONS
Ignace Jan Paderewski
Sigismond Stojowski
Rudolph Ganz
Katharine Goodson
Mark Hambourg
Tobias Matthay
Harold Bauer
Raoul Pugno
Ferruccio Busoni
Eleanor Spencer
Teresa Carreño
Wilhelm Bachaus
Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler
Ossip Gabrilowitsch
Hans von Bülow
Dr. William Mason

PRELUDE
TO AMERICAN PIANO TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
The following "Talks" were obtained at the suggestion of the Editor of
Musical America, and have all, with one or two exceptions, appeared in
that paper. They were secured with the hope and intention of benefiting
the American teacher and student.
Requests have come from all over the country, asking that the
interviews be issued in book form. In this event it was the author's

intention to ask each artist to enlarge and add to his own talk. This,
however, has been practicable only in certain cases; in others the
articles remain very nearly as they at first appeared.
The summer of 1913 in Europe proved to be a veritable musical
pilgrimage, the milestones of which were the homes of the famous
artists, who generously gave of their time and were willing to discuss
their methods of playing and teaching.
The securing of the interviews has given the author satisfaction and
delight. She wishes to share both with the fellow workers of her own
land.
The Talks are arranged in the order in which they were secured.

PIANO MASTERY

PIANO MASTERY

I
IGNACE JAN PADEREWSKI
One of the most consummate masters of the piano at the present time is
Ignace Jan Paderewski. Those who were privileged to hear him during
his first season in this country will never forget the experience. The
Polish artist conquered the new world as he had conquered the old; his
name became a household word, known from coast to coast; he
traveled over our land, a Prince of Tones, everywhere welcomed and
honored. Each succeeding visit deepened the admiration in which his
wonderful art was held.
The question has often been raised as to the reason of Paderewski's
remarkable hold on an audience; wherein lay his power over the
musical and unmusical alike. Whenever he played there was always the
same intense hush over the listeners, the same absorbed attention, the
same spell. The superficial attributed these largely to his appearance
and manner; the more thoughtful looked deeper. Here was a player who
was a thoroughly trained master in technic and interpretation; one who
knew his Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Schumann and Liszt. These things
of themselves would not hold an