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8
THE
MUSIC TRADE
REVIEW
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THE PLAYER-PIANISTS' DEPARTMENT
[It is in every way eminently desirable that a publication
which undertakes to give so much space and so authoritative
a treatment to the great player industry, as does The Re-
view, should not neglect what is after all the real excuse
for the player's existence, namely, the music that is evoked
from it. Recognizing the extraordinary importance of do-
ing everything possible to spread more widely appreciation
and love for music among player-pianists, The Review's
Player Section for the present month contains below, and
will in future regularly contain, a department devoted to
the musical interests of player-pianists and of the player-
piano. Each month one musical article of general interest
will appear, together with useful hints, notes and comments.
This is in addition to the regular sub-section of the Player
Section which analyzes the monthly issues of music rolls,
Professional demonstrators, salesmen and player-pianists of
every degree will find each month on the "Player-Pianist's"
page of the Player Section much valuable information. And
the Editor of the Player Section will at all times be glad
to answer Inquiries on any and all musical player matters.
pound no problems to us, and content themselves are always bright and gay, and the ingenuity of
with giving us delight, rest and peace.
the composer is taxed to provide for them."
The music of the eighteenth century is properly
Sonata and symphony, wrought in these forms,
to be called "classical." For it was during this then, were the monuments which the masters of
age that musicians first firmly fixed the forms' in the eighteenth century, Handel, Haydn and Mozart
which all future developments of the art were pre-eminent among them, erected as immortal signs
to rest, and from which all modern music, in its of their inspiration and power. But these were
various manifestations, was to spring. When we not all. Handel has come down through history
speak of music as being "classical" we ought to more greatly revered and admired for his tre-
refer only to this period. Unhappily, ignorance mendous oratories than for his chamber music,
and the vagaries of popular usage have caused lovely and gracious though this is. Haydn truly
people to call all music "classical" that is serious. is "father of the symphony," but Mozart's operas
Modern music is not "classical." It is romantic are better known than his works for piano and
or what you will, but unless a composer deliber- orchestra. Lastly, old Sebastian Bach looms at
THE MUSIC OF SWEETNESS AND LIGHT. ately sets out, as did Brahms, to copy the old us from the dim past, immeasurably lonely in his
formal construction in all its rigidity, his music solitary grandeur, communing with the divine in
Two hundred years ago the world moved slowly.
cannot
be called "classical." This, however, is an atmosphere of rarefied serenity and rapture.
Men were content with a graceful Andante, in
foreign to the main purpose of the present words. No gorgeous trappings are here, no taste of the
place of the Allegro Furioso that now holds sway
What we have in mind to say chiefly is that, apart
salon or court, nothing of the polite grace of his
over the tempo of life. The early eighteenth cen-
from the eminent desirability of an acquaintance compeers, but the white purity and grandeur of the
tury witnessed the beginning of what was another
with eighteenth century music, it is a good thing
Alps themselves testifying daily to the glory of
Augustan age in Literature and the Fine Arts. It
saw the rise of Pope, Johnson, Gibbon, Voltaire to know something of the forms which were per- God. The music of Bach is a religion.
fected at this time, and of the men who wrought
In spite of such exceptions, the leading works
an'd Rousseau in letters, of Handel, Bach and
them into living tone. Such a description, as brief
of the period are in sonata form. Haydn's essays
Haydn in music. The former twin-giants were to
and non-technical as possible, may now be given.
in this direction show the sonata form in its
make music an intellectual occupation instead of
As the writer has said in another place, "The
simplest guise. There is absolutely nothing to
merely a sensuous pastime. The pure formal art
of composition was to rise during this century to germs of these forms had existed for a long time puzzle over in his statement of themes, with their
its greatest height of beauty and inspiration. before, but Handel, Bach and their contemporaries rigidly regular repetition, alternation, working out
first began to use them systematically. They were and coda. He exhibits a naive, almost childish,
The Golden Age of Music was then to dawn.
evolved partly from dance forms and partly were gaiety and happiness. Simple-minded geniality
In these hurrying days we affect sometimes to
the more or less deliberate result of conscious de- shines through all his work. It is the happy out-
sneer at the music of two centuries ago. Handel,
vice. * * * The greatest, most elevated and pouring of a happy mind, not a bit profound or
Scarlatti, Purcell, Palaestrina, Haydn and even
Mozart, are too serene, too simple, for our sophis- most perfect of musical structures is the "sonata." melancholy but quietly jolly and calmly contented.
ticated ears. Nothing is good for us but the This form is identical with the orchestral "sym- It is sweet and lovely music, infinitely refreshing
phony," a sonata being a symphony for one or to the tired mind. The player-pianist should hasten
complex, the emotional, the profound. We must
two solo instruments, while a symphony is a to acquaint himself with Haydn's "Surprise" sym-
have even our music propounding problems to us,
sonata for orchestra. * * * As slowly devel- phony, his "Farewell" symphony and others, all
we cannot rest till even the tone-art has attempted,
oped by C. P. E. Bach and his immediate suc- of which can be had in piano arrangement, as well
no matter how vainly, to set world-riddles before
cessors, the sonata became a piece for the piano, as with his very delightful little sonatas for piano.
us in new guise.
organ or other solo instrument, divided into four
Good rolls of these are to be had in various
And, withal, 1 , it is so futile. The old masters
parts or movements. The first movement was editions.
cared naught for such neurotic straining after
Wonderful Mozart shows u s a deeper spirit.
emotional expression. Their one aim was to pro- rigidly worked out according to set rules, while
the others were respectively a slow song-like an- "Eternal sunshine in music," he has well been
duce pure abstract beauty. The classical school
dante, a minuet and a rondo. The rigid construc- called. Yet there is less naivete, more philosophy
of composition, which found its full fruition in
and a deeper outlook in his marvellous works.
the lovely creations of Mozart's genius, is far tion of the first movement form must not blind
our eyes to the fact that its thematic material— Living a materially difficult soft of way, always
more worthy of modern attention than most of
the melodies of which it fundamentally consists poor, always in trouble, Mozart nevertheless had
us believe. We need not love ancient music to the
—are themselves derivable from easy dance tunes, at his command a fund of never-ending merriment
exclusion of all else. We need not all be fanatics,
and
not from song tunes, which latter are less and gayety which translated itself into his music,
even gentle and charming fanatics like Dolmetsch.
abrupt and more extended by the very nature of
yet was ever infiltrated through the sadder side
But we can, and should, take time once in a while
their emotional significance.
of his life. By consequence, there are divine tender-
to dwell in the regions of fairyland that the music
"The first movement of a sonata develops two ness, deep communion of spirit with the infinite,
of the classical masters re-creates for us. It is
distinct musical ideas, the first generally stirring gentle but strong resolution, everywhere present.
a land of fiction, where no hint of reality dwells.
and emphatic, the second gentler and more melan- One is glad to know that Mozart was happily mar-
Tt is a land of pure, formal, abstract beauty, which
choly. These two distinct musical thoughts are ried. Poor boy, his Constance was all he had.
propounds no problems, asks no questions, expects
enunciated, repeated, developed, according to the And he loved her so. It is good to know that she
no answers, which is sufficient unto itself, and
learning or fancy of the master and brought to a loved him too, and that these two irresponsible
which stands quite apart from the dull cares of
close with a 'coda' or tail-piece. A good example children lived an internal, intimate life of the ut-
actual existence. A lovely and serene demesne,
is the first movement of Mozart's sonata in D most bliss. So much of this shows out in Mozart's
one wherein the soul loves to wander, coming
No. 13.
music. He who is happily married, he over whose
forth refreshened and sweetened most graciously.
"The second movement is not so rigid in its heart some gracious lady reigns with sweet
- It is good sometimes to linger in these scented
outlines. It usually consists in a slow and song- strength as queen and wife, priestess of a shrine
gardens. Many of us are so material, so much
like melody, which is eunciated at the beginning loo holy to be thrown open to vulgar gaze, whose
engrossed in the cares and worries of a purely
of the movement and then worked out in the form name is Love, he to whom marriage liar, only
concrete life that we imagine ourselves unfit for
of a set of variations, as in the Andante of Beet- meant the strengthening of romantic passion, not
dalliance with abstract beauty. But this is' a great
hoven's Symphony in C minor No. 5, or of the its death, will understand and interpret aright
mistake. We should forget sometimes the rush
much that Mozart puts in his music, much that
and worry of the world, and bring our minds Mozart Sonata above mentioned.
"The minuet, afterwards developed into the will ever be as a sealed book to others. And it
on to those other planes where the misery and
scherzo by Beethoven, is a modification of the is manly music. Mozart was not effeminate. He
sin of life trouble no more. While the master-
dance form, always in three-quarters time. The was a man, and a proud man. But the tenderest
pieces of literature require a more or less highly
educated taste, the delights of beautiful music scherzo follows the same rule, but is often grim sweetness is that which comes from strength.
and tragic in character. The 'trio,' or second part
As examples of Mozart's tender graciousness the
can be thoroughly experienced by any one who
of a minuet or scherzo, is usually very merry and
slow movement of the Jupiter symphony in C
will just take the trouble to listen. This is es-
gay in character.
major stands almost supreme. His immense
pecially true of the classical school, whose com-
"The rondo is a musical paraphrase of the old strength and learning combined with wonderful
positions were inspired by no thought save that oi
making the finished work beautiful. Even those poetic form so well known to students of classical melodiousness and finished charm, are splendidly
of us to whom music has meant only rag-time, will French poetry, and so well exemplified in the writ- shown in the Finale of the same magnificent work.
find ourselves amazed at the loveliness we may ings of Francois Villon, the poet-vagabond of the But enough has been said to justify the statement
discover in the music of the eighteenth century Middle Ages. In the poetic form one line is con- that the nuisic of the classical period has in it
masters. Yes, it is good to consort with these tinually repeated as a sort of 'refrain.' In music much to comfort and refresh the tired mind and
soul. We have called it the music of sweetness
bright spirits, wh6 bother us with no. doubts, pro- the same idea is carrigcl out Such