MYSTERIOUS MALADY PIANO PLAYING PRODUCES.

North Otago Times, 3 September 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

MYSTERIOUS MALADY PIANO PLAYING PRODUCES.

_ The arms and hands can wear out from constant ■overwork, just as the voice and legs do. This is proved "by the recent misfortune of the great pianist, Paderewski, who had to abandon most valuable engagements because' the, fingers of his right hand could not be" .worked in the deft 1 manipulation of the keys without excruciating agony. "Muscular rheumatism," said the. doctors, "and inflamation of the nerves." The habit of rheumatism* ■■' to settle in/broken, injured, or worn-' iut parts of the body ,is well known. The uric acid, in the blood of the ■jreat musician 'did not settle Hi" lie lyes or the legs because neitbVlf tee parts was weak, It selected! •" :he muscles that day. ajter day are iriven to. their uttermost, and the ilcctric wires of the nerves on which the insulation has worn thin from L ,he almost unceasing flow through 'hem of the nervous energy from the Tcnius's brain. So PaderewsM's 'Olden notes became for the time not •oercly ragged, but went altogether mtil nature was able to repair the ravages of overstrain, assisted, of, course, by all medica,l knowledge and skill that money could procure. Not without a mighty struggle did , •he pianist yield to nature. Mr. °aderewski is a firm believer'in the of the mind over bodily ail-, •nents. The mighty will that made it possible to give up all his boyhood to the tedious practice and to :nt all dissipations and most pleasures from his life, fought the pain in his fingers and forearm,

Before his concert, when the trouble first attacked him, he suffered intensely and consulted his doctors. They told him he had an acute attack of rheumatism, and that it would probably develop into neuritis, lay him up for a year at'least and probably cause a complete nervous breakdown.

This, they said; would happen unless he rested absolutely for several weeks and the concert that night would be impossible. The.pianist made no argument, but went to the manager of 'the concert and said, " I'll play if all my numbers are put on the first part of the programme." This was agreed to and he went through his programme, pale, but with no other visible sign of agony. Nobody in all the audience knew that anything was wrong; nobody suspected that every movement of the nimble fingers brought a twinge of pain like walking on a sprained ankle. It was the iron will that had made him ' first pianist of the world against nature. Paderewski went through the ordeal, but was beaten. All night he tossed with' pain, his arm swathed in bandages, In the morning he acknowledged that -the doctors,, were right and he would take a rest.

A worn-out pianist has far better prospects of getting back his golden notes than has the singer, The arms and hands are a more important and durable part of the body than the voice, and Nature is more liberal in her repair work on the limbs than in the larynx. Mediical skill claims far more in the pianißt's favour, The arms and hands can be given absolute rest but.the ,voqa.l cords must be moved with .jwfo.. breath the singer takes. ' Rheumatic treatment for the general system and ' heroic measures locally are sure to have their effect on the ailing arm, but there is no cure for " old age in the throat.-"Popular Science Sittings."