February 12, 1916 MUSICAL AMERICA 3

1r1EClHIN1IQ\UJEj) NOT JBJRAIN§j) JPif.t\J~II§1rS 9 CHIEF ASSET

· Such Is the Dictum of Martinus deadw!'!ight is the only way to obtain a perfect technique, but it is extremely Sieveking, Who Further De­ difficult to use the weight judiciously. Some pianists use the weight automati­ clares That Building a Tech­ cally, but can not explain how they got it, or can not impart their knowledge to nique Is Merely a Matter of others. My method takes up each finger Physical C u I t u re-D u t c h separately, then the wrist, forearm, arm and shoulder." Pianist Has Special Keyboard His Versatility Constructed to Fit His Broad Mr. Sieveking is a composer of con­ siderable distinction, and his orchestra­ Fingers-At His Recitals His tion of Chopin pieces are valuable addi­ Chair Is Placed at Spot Meas­ tions to the orchestral literature. For two years he was accompanist for ured Off by Him - Same Adelina Patti. He is a linguist of ability, speaking four languages perfectly, be­ Shoes for Concerts as for sides his native Dutch. This is his first Practising visit to America since 1898, when his last appearances here were made with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. lie UILDING a perfect piano technique left Boston to study with the late The­ B is only a question of physical culture, odor Leschetizky, and was one of a group says Martinus Sieveking, the noted Dutch pianist who arrived in New York re­ cently from Paris, and who will be heard here in recital later in the season. Ten years ago Mr. Sieveking gave up composition, concertizing and pedagogy, cut himself off from all outside interests, and devoted his life to evolving a method whereby an absolutely perfect piano technique co uld be mastered in a com­ paratively limited space of time. Secrets of Tone Production Martinus Sieveking, Noted Dutch Pian­ "You want to know about my method? ist, at Piano Keyboard Especially Very good, I tell you. Sit down here. Constructed for His Use No, that is not near enough the piano for you." Mr. Sieveking adjusted the It is about a finger width narrower than chair before the piano, picked up my mine. Rubinstein was the possessor of arm, dropped it. Then-"Relax," he a perfect type of band for the piano, said. "Let all your arm relax-so; that but it was too large and he was always is better. Higher, now! There, you see complaining that his fingers were too that you have no control over your hands broad to play between tqe black keys, and arms, yet you have learned to play. but, apparently, it did not occur to him Well, well, so it is with many people to have a keyboard built to fit his hands. who are playing in public; they have not There should be at least two sizes of learned the secrets of dead weight, and keyboards made, one for large and one dead weight of the arm increases the for small hands." volume of tone 100 per cent. The piano Mr. Sieveking uses now is "Yes, it is true, I have spent fifteen the fifth one he had made before he years in research and study, and have found exactly the right size. A similar given the last ten years to arranging piano for concert work has recently been what I have learned in such form that shipped from Paris. ' I can build a perfect technique in two "Five Finger" Method Wrong years-that I can give the principles of Photograph of Mr. Sieveking's Hands, Showing Their Remarkable Muscular the 'dead weight' method in a lesson of "The usual way of putting five fingers Development one hour. Perfect technique is only a on the piano is wrong," says the eminent question of physical culture, of employ­ pianist. "Putting five fingers on C-D-E­ day, rain or shine. I don't use tobacco, of the master's favorite pupils, which in­ ing and deve-loping judiciously the differ­ F-G retards progress for a beginner. It nor drink liquors in any form. No, I cluded Katherine Goodson, Ossip Gabri­ ent muscles and articulation of the does not give each finger its respective haven't any prejudice against them. I lowitsch, Carreno and one or two other hands." Mr. Sieveking held up his hands place on the keyboard; besides, it makes think they interfere with one's ability to famous pianists. before me as he talked, showing the them crooked and does not develop indi­ do hard work,_ and technique, you know, "But I was not satisfied," he said; "I marvelous mus~les, the breadth of hand vidual strength. Each finger is differ­ is only a succession of raising and low­ saw students working for years who and power of the rather short fingers. ently formed in regard to length and ering the fingers in quick succession­ had not acquired a satisfactory tech­ shape, therefore each finger must be Small Hands Best which means hard work. In late years nique. I said, 'I will either go down, or treated separately. The first group con­ the work of the brain in building up a ·I will master this thing.' Of course it "It is a common error to suppose that sists of single finger exercise. It is the perfect technique has been over-exag­ was hard. It is always hard to work unusually large hands are well adapted basis of my whole method, and, for that gerated. Muscles can be developed not along when one's friends lose faith. They to piano playing. ·Look at the hands of reason, the most important one. I have by concentration of the brain, but by would say, "Poor Sieveking-it is such a Tina Lerner, of Katherine Goodson, of written s,,me special exercises for the playing, thousands of times, some sets of pity he has let this thing take possession Gabrilowitsch. Large hands, with ex­ thumb preparatory to scale playing. exercises. Technique is a thing quite of him.' They thought I had gone crazy, tremely long fingers, are apt to produce Playing a pe:r:fect scale-especially in C apart from phrasing, memorizing, dy­ but I knew differently, and I kept on metallic tones; the full, rich tone comes Major-is one of the hardest problems namics, and all that, and must be devel­ working until I had conquered. Now from the small hands, with short fingers in piano technique. oped first. they say, 'Marvelous!' Is it not laugh­ and broad fingertips. · "The seat and the position at the piano "I came to the conclusion about ten able? For I am the same person they "Look at my hands. I always have is of the greatest importance, a thing years ago that the constant use of the thought insane.'' MAY STANLEY. difficulty with the ordinary keyboard; the that many pianists do not realize. Per­ keys are too narrow. I require a key­ sonally I always use the same chair. It board with white keys one inch in width took me several years to find the proper Botta and Martinelli Relieved Tempor­ the Montserat of the Spanish line. Mr. and the black ones half an inch in width. position. After much experimenting I arily from Military Duty Periquet said that he would return next It is just as reasonable to expect every­ found the most satisfactory seat to be season to help in the production of a one to wear the same glove or shoe as low and rather close to the keyboard. A Following the departure of Edoardo new play of his, which would be put on to expect that the same keyboard should high seat makes rapid wrist work and Ferrari-Fontana for military service in in a New York theater before it was be suited to all· types of hands. octaves in quick succession rather tire­ Italy, it was made public last week that seen in Spain. He declared the play was "Training the hands, arms and upper some, and the tone produced is not so his fellow Italian tenors at the Metro­ a comedy of Spanish life, and, although body for piano playing is a matter of good. politan Opera House, Giovanni Martin­ the title had not yet been decided upon, careful physical development, as it is a "Have you seen famous pianists move elli and Luca Botta, has also been sum­ it would be something like "The Spanish profound mistake to believe that acquir­ their chairs about and adjust them be­ moned to report to the Jtalian Consul in Carnival" in all probability. The play is ing a technique depends wholly upon the fore starting a concert program? I New York. Mr. Fen·ari-Fontana, as an now being translated from the original brain. Certainly, mental concentration measure the distance from the keyboard officer, was compelled to join his com­ Spanish by James Weldon Johnson, who is necessary in studying, as it is in play­ to the back of the chair, mark the place pany at once, but his associates were made the English translation of "Goye­ ing a composition, but the technical part on the floor and have the chair placed granted a temporary leave from duty. scas.'' Enrique Granados, composer of plays the greater role. For example, on the indicated spot. Then I am carefu 1 Kaiser Writes National Hymn; Strauss the music of "Goyescas," will remain in the pianist may know a ' composition by to wear the same shoes when appearing this country a while longer. heart thoroughly within a short time, but in concert that I have used in practicing. to Set It to Music it takes him a considerably longer time An unaccustomed height of heel may An Amsterdam dispatch of Feb. 8 11ia Maude Fay Engaged for Metropolitan? to play it perfectly and if he does not seriously throw one out. The ideal shoe London to the New Yo1;k Sun says: "The play certain parts for a period of time leaves the ankle entirely free, to facil- Kaiser, according to the Berlin Vossische Maude Fay, the noted American so­ he must practice again in order to play itate pedaling. · Z eitung, has composed the words for a prano of the Munich Royal Opera, has it perfectly. Do you see what I mean new national hymn to replace the present been engaged for a season at the Metro­ now, when I say that technique plays a Pianistic Requisites P'russian hymn, "Heil Dir Im Sieger­ politan Opera House, according to an­ bigger role than brains? "What do I consider the requisites of kranz," which is sung to the same tune nouncement made last Wednesday in the a good pianist? Robust health, unlimited as the English 'God Save the King.' The New York Sun. W. J. Guard, press rep­ The Ideal Hand will power, endurance and self-confidence. newspaper adds that the Emperor has resentative of the Metropolitan, was un­ "The ideal piano hand? Short, rather Then, one must have a hand adapted to asked Richard Strauss to write the able to confirm the report. broad, with large fingertips. The most the present keyboard, strong fingers, fl ex­ music.'' perfect piano hand I ever examined was ible articulation. Straight fingers are a After many years of service as direc­ that of the late Alfred Reisenaur. The matter of birth. One is born either with Librettist of "Goyescas" Sails for Spain tor of music at the Ocean Grove (N. J.) idea that Liszt had an enormous hand is or without good fingers for piano play­ Fernando Periquet, librettist of the Auditorium, Tali Esen Morgan resigned erroneous. The plaster cast in the Wei­ ing, and good fingers are half the battle. opera "Goyescas," which was recently recently to accept a position with a Bos­ mar Museum shows his hand to be very "Personally I believe in plenty of out. produced at the Metropolitan Opera ton concern manufacturing musical in­ long, narrow, with rather bony fingers. door exercise. I walk three miles every House, sailed on Feb. 7 for Cadiz on struments.