A Gift Of The Piano
This book of interviews with great pianists of the early 20th Century fell into my hands by accident as a gift, twice removed, from an elderly woman who loved the piano and knew that I did as well. Originially published in 1917, "Great Pianists On Piano Playing" consists of interviews arranged in the form of essays with 28 great pianists and teachers. The American pianist and author James Francis Cooke (1875 -- 1960) conducted the interviews and wrote two introductory essays. Cooke also prepared biographical sketches of each of the 28 pianists he interviewed and, in addition, prepared study questions for each interview to assist in the reader's understanding.
As an amateur pianist for many years, I loved this book. I enjoyed getting to know the pianists. Some, of course, are still famous including Rachmaninoff, Paderewski, de Pachmann, Busoni, Bachaus, and others; while some other pianists in the volume, famous in their day, are now less well known. Each of the artists took the piano and music highly seriously, and their comments have a great deal to teach. Many of the essays are geared to the difficult process of becoming a concert or "virtuoso" pianist, but the essays are of great values for amateur pianists and teachers as well. I also enjoyed the book for the insights it gave into life in Europe and America just before the Great War. There is a degree of social history which may be learned as a by-product from these essays as the writing style, formality, and in some instances preconeptions of the era differ from those of the early 21st Century. Readers will not mistake these essays for contemporary writings.
Each pianist offers his or her (five of the pianists are women) thoughts on music, piano performance and piano study. The essays offer varying perspectives on piano technique, what it is, and how it is to be learned. Most but not all of the pianists favor substantial technical work for pianists, including scales, arpeggios, and etudes by, for example, Czerny. Virtually all of the pianists recommend the serious study of Bach to aspiring pianists at all levels.
Several essays discuss the importance of piano practice and emphasize the importance of regular effort, concentration, and not wasting one's time during practice. There are discussions of various pianistic "methods" (none of which are to be rigidly followed) and of acquiring a beautiful touch, learning to play with accuracy, and the study of phrasing and rhythm.
There are essays on the teaching of the piano in Russia, Hungary, and the United States. Several of the contributors offer comments on what, at the time of the interviews, was the contemporary state of piano music. More than one contributor, for example, speaks highly of the music of the American composer Edward MacDowell whose music today is too-little heard. There are two essays, by Katherine Goodson and Ernest Schelling, that offer insights into the process of learning a new piece.
An overriding theme of the volume is that learning the piano requires dedication and hard work. But the primary theme of the essays is that flawless, mechanical technique is only a means to an end. Pianism, from the beginner to the virtuoso level, requires love and understanding of the music and the development of informed musical individuality and personality. Work and the development of a personal musical style are the pervasive themes of the volume. One of my favorite essays in this book is Rachmaninoff's. He describes well musical training in Russian conservatories, including the emphasis on technique and on the use of Hanon's studies, but he is clear that technique is only a beginning. Rachmaninoff says:
"While, of course, the student must play the notes, and all of the notes, in the manner and in the time in which the composer intended that they should be played, his efforts should by no means stop with notes. Every individual note in a composition is important, but there is something quite as important as the notes, and that is the soul. After all, the vital spark is the soul. The soul is the source of that higher expression in music which cannot be represented in dynamic marks. The soul feels the need for the crescendos and diminuendos intuitively. The mere matter of the duration of a pause upon a note depends upon its significance, and the soul of the artist dictates to him just how long such a pause should be held. If the student resorts to mechanical rules and depends upon them absolutely, his playing will be soulless."
It is important to learn the technique of the instrument but it is vital and essential to play with what Rachmaninoff calls "soul".
I enjoyed learning about the history of this book. It was published first in 1917. The Dover edition, which I received as a gift, was published in 1999 but is now out of print and, apparently, rare. There are two current editions available of this book which I have not seen.
This book was a chance but lovely gift from a pianist who thought of me even though I didn't know her very well. The circumstances of me finding the book and its content made this a special volume.
Robin Friedman
