A CLEVER ACCOMPANIST

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 21

A CLEVER ACCOMPANIST

In her pretty music-room at; Hampstead, a' neighbourhood where.’ slie is. we 11... known, Miss Ethel Cave ;is surrounded by many artistic representations of the great musical masters, conspicuous i among all being busts of her favourite composers, Beethoven and Brahms'.'--Miss Cave was asked : ; “And-what is the great secret of the art of accompanying?” ! “To forget self, and think only of your . singer'or instrumentalist, and follow her of.,him with absolute intentness. •The accompanist’s share of the-/work is important//of course, but it must never be assertive or 'disassociated from the- - chief instfuiheht/-' be it vocal or string_edj-: and must fbe,.so sympathetic as to lid as' far : as "possible one with the voice. You'must, of course/know your music by' heart,/. and. he' .fffeph to concentrate your attention as much as possible on the voice you are accompanying.” “To what do you attribute your unusual ...facility for siglit-readin-g, Miss Cave—l mean, how was it cultivated in the first instance?” .. =,,“.Qiie of my earliest. teachers used to bring me bundles of new music to try over, . and encouragedf/nie to read ah sight. As I did not care, for study, at that time', this suited/me admirably? . Subsequently, of course, I delighted in the’ theoretical part ~ of" music. It is: absolutely essential,:, if you, want to suc••?"ceed'" in the niusicaTf wp'i'ld,; that you should go deeply into/fhe laws of harmony and master all the groundwork of your " profession.” • •. ;.r : “ “How”many hours a day , .do you consider it necessary for. a young musician, to devote to -the piaiiq ?”. .-- ‘ . r “I/think three hours’ daily practice is quife sufficient .. And out of those three hours one hour should be devoted, to exercises only.” j./.M