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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
A Plea for the Piano.
THE RIDICULOUS CHARGES MADE ANENT THE
"HOUSEHOLD ORCHESTRA" REFUTED
BY ALFRED VEIT.
To some individuals music appeals as
one of the highest manifestations of art, to
others as a pastime, and to a third class as
an abomination. This equally applies to
the piano, the Cinderella among modern
instruments.
The present abuse to which the instru-
ment is subjected is not of recent origin.
The charge that the instrument is "soul-
less, mechanical and devoid of expression ' '
dates back to its earliest invention, some
hundred and fifty years ago. The sing-
ing quality inherent in stringed instru-
ments, like the violin and 'cello, was lack-
ing to some extent when the piano was
still in its infancy. The charges then may
have had some justification. Since then
the evolution of the instrument has re-
sulted in a most remarkable product of
human ingenuity, and in consequence these
charges are without foundation. A sim-
ple comparison between compositions of
the pre-Beethoven period, and the piano
used during that period, with what follows,
will illustrate the progress in the develop-
ment of the piano. Despite this fact, there
are always scoffers to decry the whole in-
strument. Scoffers like Theophile Gautier,
who declare music to be "the most dis-
agreeable of noises," and add that the pi-
ano is the most disagreeable of instru-
ments.
In view of the fact that the greatest com-
posers chose the piano as a vehicle to ex-
press some of their most beautiful thoughts,
it seems almost idle to take up the cudgels
in behalf of what appears to be the most
unpopular among modern instruments.
The list of these composers includes the
names of Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven, Schubert, Weber, Mendelssohn,
Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Rubin-
stein, Tschaikowsky and St. Saens. At a
glance it will be seen that these names be-
long to the most illustrious representatives
in the Pantheon of Art, and include the im-
mortals, with the exception of the operatic
composers, Gluck, Verdi, Gounod, Wagner,
Meyerbeer and Bizet. And even among
the latter, twe excellent pianists are to be
found—Meyerbeer and Bizet.
Does this fact in itself not sufficiently
demonstrate that the great masters did not
consider the piano "mechanical, dead and
soulless? " Had they entertained this idea,
should we have the wonderful sonatas of
Beethoven, the gems of Schubert, Men-
delssohn and Weber, the musical poems of
Schumann and Chopin-, without mention-
ing the works of the older masters?
The contention will be advanced, says
Alfred Veit in The Musician, that the great
composers devoted their genius merely in-
cidentally to the piano or its predecessor,
the clavichord; that Bach and Handel cul-
tivated the organ and oratorio; Mozart,
Haydn and Beethoven symphony and
quartet; Weber, opera, and so on. Ad-
mitting the partial truth of "this state-
ment, it cannot be denied, however, that
much of their work was incorporated in
their compositions for the piano, an in-
strument they loved and cherished.
Mozart began to play upon the piano at
the early age of three, and whilst he at-
tained a certain proficiency even upon the
violin, he never relinquished his hold up-
on the piano. Again and again he re-
turned to the piano and lavished some of
his choicest melodies upon that instrument.
Beethoven, although afflicted with deaf-
ness, found consolation in his favorite in-
strument. Well known are his pathetic
attempts to reproduce his sublime har-
monies upon the key-board, even though
he could not hear them. Even Rossini,
the musical epicure, satiated by the tri-
umphs he obtained in opera, devoted the
latter years of his life to the piano. To
Moscheles, the pianist, Rossini speaks of
the pleasure he felt in studying the piano
and composing for that instrument. He
asks Moscheles not to be envious of his
(Rossini's) budding talent as a pianist,
and upon Moscheles leaving Paris, sends
him a message "that Rossini is working
hard at the piano, and when next Moscheles
comes to Paris, he will find Rossini in bet-
ter practice." All this, as well as the fact
that Rossini styles himself a pianist of the
fourth rank is, of course, good-humored
banter, but proves that the Swan of Pisaro
was deeply interested in the piano, a fact
also evidenced by some posthumous com-
positions written for the instrument and
found after the composer's death.
Chopin, the Ariel of the piano as he has
been aptly called, could find no better me-
dium for the expression of his fairy-like
fancies than the much abused instrument.
We have heard celebrated artists sing Chop-
in's Nocturne in E flat (the same composi-
tion Sarasate transferred to the violin and
played); we have heard Wilhelmj play the D
flat Nocturne on the violin, Anton Hecking
play the C sharp minor Etude on the 'cello,
and despite the brilliancy of these feats,
who shall say that these compositions ap-
peared more beautiful and to better advan-
tage than when performed on the instru-
ment they were originally intended for—
the piano? Some of the Polonaises by
Chopin have been repeatedly arranged for
the orchestra, and still, when played by
Rubinstein, what need of strings, reeds
and brass? Did the martial melodies not
ring out orchestra-like, thus demonstrating
in this and previous examples that the
piano unites in itself the voice, the violin,
the 'cello, in fact the whole orchestra?
There are those who quote Keats cy-
nically by saying that heard melodies are
sweet, those unheard are sweeter. To
these individuals the piano never appealed
and never would appeal. The art of Ru-
binstein, Essipoff and De Pachmann is
lost upon them. For them abide the coon
song and rag-time melodies. With the
triumphant victory of the coon song and
the rag-time melody, the appreciation of
good music has received a severe blow.
Without doubt, these forms of musical
composition will see their day.
Musical fungi of this type are short lived
eventually go where the woodbine twi-
neth, to weep together with Ta-ra-ra-boom-
de-ay and similar glorious products of de-
parted greatness. To the real lover of mu-
sic their triumph for the time being is dis-
couraging, as it reacts upon all branches of
music. Consequently also, upon the appre-
ciation of the piano. For instance, com-
pare the effects produced by the playing of
a nocturne or mazurka by Chopin and the
delivery of a ragtime melody in a modern
drawing-room. While the gem by Chopin
will be listened to in silent apathy, the pro-
duction that thrives in the music halls causes
eyes to glisten and hands to applaud. In like
manner the coon song will immediately
command respectful attention, where the
opening measures of a composition for the
piano will be signal for conversation. And
the worshippers at the shrine of colored art
are the very ones to exclaim with unctuous
voice and gesture that they "can only lis-
ten to the very best piano-playing;" at
best, they maintain, " t h e piano is only an
instrument of persuasion and lacks the vo-
cal qualities to make it charming and in-
teresting."
Since the day of Philip Emanuel Bach,
who speaks of "singing as much as possi-
ble on the piano," pianists have endeav-
ored to attain that end, and not without
success, as those will testify who have
heard Rubinstein sing Henselt's Love-
song on the piano, or Joseffy sing Pergo-
lesi's Air "Nina" on the same instrument.
Liszt has given the wild, throbbing life
of a whole race upon the piano in his Hun-
garian rhapsodies; Chopin, the Pole, the
hopes and disillusions of a conquered
people.
In the slightly altered words of Shake-
speare :
The man that hath no love for the pi-
ano, or is not moved with its concord of
sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils;
The motions of his spirit are dull as night,
And his affections dark as Erebus;
Let no such man be trusted.
Dull Finish for Piano Cases.
Talking with a representative of the
" Indicator" upon the subject of dead fin-
ish for piano cases, Braton S. Chase, vice-
president of the Chase-Hackley Co. of
Muskegon, Mich., expressed the opinion
that if the manufacturers would only come
together and agree to make some of their
styles in the dead-finish cases there is no
doubt that a market could be made that
would always continue to be a feature of
the piano business. Mr. Chase believes
that the wish for such cases already exists
and that it only needs the concerted action
of the piano manufacturers to bring out
that wish in open expression and establish
the demand. It is not a very serious prob-
lem at best, but would it not be a good
matter for the national association to look
into ?
William C. Ellis, a well-known piano
tuner, died suddenly at his home, 148 Ba-
con street, Worcester, Mass., on Monday.
He had been in business for thirty or more
years, having his store at 364 Main street,