TALKS ON MUSIC.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXV, Issue IX, 1 September 1900, Page 384

TALKS ON MUSIC.

By

W. H. WEBBE.

(Specially Reported for the “Graphic.”) The following is the substance of a talk to music students by Air W. if. Webbe, at his School of Music, Grafton Road, on Thursday evening. August 16th, about TOUCH AND TECHNIQUE. What is technique? The means whereby music is produced from the instrument; the better the technique, with intelligence and feeling added, the l>etter will be the music produced. What is touch? The art of producing tone by the manner of striking the keys. If the touch is good, the quality of tone produced will be good; if bad, a bad quality of tone is the result. How often we hear the remark, when an artist is playing, “What a charming toueh Miss So-and-So has,” which simply means what a charming tone is produced. Touch and tone-production are inseparable; touch being the cause, and the tone produced, the effect. Touch, as the necessary preliminary study in the art of pianoforte playing, is overlooked by some teachers; in fact, amongst the majority of beginners the importance of tone-produc-tion is not understood. The names of the notes are oft-times hurriedly learnt, and the result is a plethora of humdrum playing, franklin Taylor writes: “Touch is to the pianist what a good management of the voice is to the vocalist, or a good action of the bow to the violinist, the means of producing agreeable sounds and of executing difficulties.

Kullak says. “The toueh is the art of making' the tone in piano playing not only beautiful, but of making it in its various combinations, in the right manner. The latter is the foundation of the former.” There are varieties of touch, and from each a different quality of tone is produced. Thus, if a soft legato touch is required, then the touch must Ire produced by what is called a knuckle-joint or finger touch with a quiet hand. A harsh, uncouth tone produced by stiff finger is displeasing to a cultured ear, while a piece of music, however simple, produced with a musical tone is always pleasing. Ehrenfechter, a disciple of Deppe. writes about a “Beautiful Touch”: —

"It is, one may suppose, owing to the scarcity of the article, probably, that there exists a pretty general notion that a beautiful touch is a natural gift. Nothing of the kind; all who wish for it can obtain ft.’ L. Plaidy, the author of the wellknown technical school bearing his name, classifies touch as follows: —(1) the legato; (2) the staccato; (3) the legatissimo; (4) the mezzo-staccato. Kohler, in his “ Systematic Course for Pianoforte Playing and Music.” groups the varieties of touch into four classes, according to what is termed the lever movements, viz.: (1) The stroke with the finger from the knuckle joint; (2) the stroke with the tip-joint of the finger; (3) the wrist stroke: (4) the stroke with the forearm from the elbow joint. Kullak. in his famous lx>ok, “The Aesthetics of Pianoforte Playing,” expresses dissatisfaction with the classification of the varieties of toueh given by either Plaidy or Kohler, and in writing on the subject gives seven varieties, viz.: (t) The legato-passage touch; (2) the melodious touch; (3) the touch by drawing in the finger tip; (4) the staccato touch with the entire finger; (5) the wrist touch; (6) the mezzo-staccato; (7) the stroke touch with the arm. Kullak. in this work, reviews several of the great schools of technique and touch, from that of Turk (1812) to n>e one by Tausig-Ehrlich, published about twenty years ago, after Tansig’s death.

Dr. Riemann, in his "Catechism of Pianoforte Playing.” after explaining the nature of the normal or so-called knuckle-stroke touch, deals with the staccato touch, and then refers at some length to what is known as the side-stroke touch, which is the throw-

ing of the hand’s weight apparently sideways on the keys. Ernst Pauer divides touch into two distinct classes, legato and staccato. He adds to the latter the portamento (a compromise between the legato and staccato). Pauer is somewhat brief on this subject in his “Piano Primer,’ and his examples are very few.

Franklin Taylor likewise divides touch into two kinds: Legato, or connected; staccato, or detached. T'hese he sub-divides into (1) brilliant touch for rapid passages; (2) cantabile, or melody touch; (3) accompaniment touch. ' In this author’s “Pocket Primer” (Macmillan), eleven pages are devoted to this subject. There is probably to be found in Kullak’s “Aesthetics of Pianoforte Playing” more matter on the subject of touch and tone-production than in any other work of the kind. The following paragraph culled from it is well worthy of perusal by all thoughtful pianists: —

" 1 one-production on the pianoforte depends, on the one hand, upon the specific nature of the hammer action, and the characteristics of the latter, provided that it is normally )>erfect. consist (1) in the absolute responsiveness of the striking action directed against the strings; (2) in the shading and modification of the degree of power and rapidity proper to that striking action, and most intimately connected with its responsiveness; (.3) in the equalisation of each single member of the total mechanism, so accurately adjusted, that like exertion of strength gives like quality and quantity of tone, the shades of the latter following the modifications of the former. The medium through which the hand enters into communication with the hammer action is the key-board, a surface which through its mathematically regular division into single sections likewise exhibits externally the principle of equality, and stimulates the sensitiveness of the fingers; the shape of the hammers, too, is founded on a corresponding equality in form development.” It must be borne in mind that not only the actions, but the resonating qualities vary' considerably in pianos of different construction. At any rate, nearly all modern makers of repute are moving in the right direction, and do their best to provide their pianos with a good and well-regulated action, and the quality of tone is gradually improving as better-class instruments are more in demand.

When teaching the varieties of touch the pupil should be sufficiently instructed respecting the mechanstm of the action so as to be made to understand the results of the different manner of touching the notes. Some actions are far more ready to respond Io the touch than others; some are ingenious in their mechanism, and regulated so nicely that defects in a rough and uncultivated touch are somewhat neutralized. Many actions are made so as to require a very firm and decided toueh, and easily' show up the player’s ability or otherwise. At the last lecture about the piano and its construction, explanations were given in detail respecting the different parts of the action and them functions which the student of pianoforte playing would do well to bear tn mind.

Before proceeding to explain tindifferent varieties of touch, attention should be drawn to the position of the hands, which should be easy and natural. It is Deppe who says regarding the position of the hand, “When it looks pretty, then it is right.” For the normal legato toueh the hand should apparently rest quite easy on the keys, but not leaning over sideways towards the little finger. An exact position of the hand, howevei, cannot be regulated for all players-— different-shaped hands necessitate slightly different treatment, but the main principles are, of course, the same for this or any other touch. Position of the Player.—lt is a mistake to sit too high, with the elbows above the keyboard, for by so doing the toueh is more likely to become stiff and hard. The sent should be firm and comfortable; shaky stools are to be avoided. An ordinary shop Austrian bentwood cane-bottom chair,

cut down to proper height, is to be recommended, or, better still, a wellmade four-legged square seat. The player should be seated near the centre of the keyboard, and at a distance which enables the hands conveniently to reach the extreme upper and lower notes. The arms should be kept in an easy position close to the sides, with the elbows almost level with the keys, but not higher. The player should sit erect, and keep both feet close to the pedals when not using them, avoiding all unnecessarymovements of either body, arms or legs.

The hands should be kept in an easy position over the notes, and tne knuckles should either be bent inwards or raised. The fingers should be rounded so that the notes may be played with the tips of the fingers. Do not sit too high; it is preferable to err the other way. Deppe says, “You may have the soul of an angel, yet if you sit too high the tone will not be poetic.” Without doubt sitting too high is detrimental to proper technical training. because the weight of the arm is thrown too much on the hand ana fingers; and not only this, but tne muscles of the arm, if too high, are passive, and not in such a good position for action in playing. The following are the touches I will now explain and illustrate: 1. The finger legato or normal touch. 2. The hand staccato touch. 3. The hand legato touch. 4. The finger staccato toueh. 5. The down-arm touch (legato). 6. The up-arm touch (staccato). 7. The devitalised toueh. In addition to numerous illustrations given by Mr. Webbe from Beethoven. Scharwenka, Mason, Chopin, etc.. Miss Spooner, the assistant teacher. played several fine exemplifications of the various touches from the works of Chopin, Mendelssohn, Rheinberger and other masters. (To be continued.)