Piano Mastery | Page 3

aid of the ear, which tests and judges each shade and

quality of tone. He counsels the student to listen to each tone he
produces, for quality and variety.
CLEARNESS A MUST PRINCIPLE
"The player, as he sits at the piano, his mind and heart filled with the
beauty of the music his fingers are striving to produce, vainly imagines
he is making the necessary effects. Paderewski will say to him: 'No
doubt you feel the beauty of this composition, but I hear none of the
effects you fancy you are making; you must deliver everything much
more clearly: distinctness of utterance is of prime importance.'' Then he
shows how clearness and distinctness may be acquired. The fingers
must be rendered firm, with no giving in at the nail joint. A technical
exercise which he gives, and which I also use in my teaching, trains the
fingers in up and down movements, while the wrist is held very low
and pressed against the keyboard. At first simple five-finger forms are
used; when the hand has become accustomed to this tonic, some of the
Czerny Op. 740 can be played, with the hand in this position. Great
care should be taken when using this principle, or lameness will result.
A low seat at the piano is a necessity for this practise; sitting low is an
aid to weight playing: we all know how low Paderewski himself sits at
the instrument.
"You ask what technical material is employed. Czerny, Op. 740; not
necessarily the entire opus; three books are considered sufficient. Also
Clementi's Gradus. Of course scales must be carefully studied, with
various accents, rhythms and tonal dynamics; arpeggios also. Many
arpeggio forms of value may be culled from compositions.
"There are, as we all know, certain fundamental principles that underlie
all correct piano study, though various masters may employ different
ways and means to exemplify these fundamentals. Paderewski studied
with Leschetizky and inculcates the principles taught by that master,
with this difference, that he adapts his instruction to the physique and
mentality of the student; whereas the Vorbereiters of Leschetizky
prepare all pupils along the same lines, making them go through a
similar routine, which may not in every instance be necessary.
FINGERING
"One point Paderewski is very particular about, and that is fingering.
He often carefully marks the fingering for a whole piece; once this is
decided upon it must be kept to. He believes in employing a fingering

which is most comfortable to the hand, as well as one which, in the
long run, will render the passage most effective. He is most sensitive to
the choice of fingering the player makes, and believes that each finger
can produce a different quality of tone. Once, when I was playing a
Nocturne, he called to me from the other end of the room: 'Why do you
always play that note with the fourth finger? I can hear you do it; the
effect is bad,' He has a keen power of observation; he notices little
details which pass unheeded by most people; nothing escapes him. This
power, directed to music, makes him the most careful and painstaking
of teachers. At the same time, in the matter of fingering, he endeavors
to choose the one which can be most easily accomplished by the player.
The Von Bülow editions, while very erudite, are apt to be laborious and
pedantic; they show the German tendency to over-elaboration, which,
when carried too far becomes a positive fault.
CORRECT MOTION
"Another principle Paderewski considers very important is that of
appropriate motion. He believes in the elimination of every
unnecessary movement, yet he wishes the whole body free and supple.
Motions should be as carefully studied as other technical points. It is
true he often makes large movements of arm, but they are all thought
out and have a dramatic significance. He may lift the finger off a
vehement staccato note by quick up-arm motion, in a flash of vigorous
enthusiasm; but the next instant his hand is in quiet position for the
following phrase.
STUDYING EFFECTS
"The intent listening I spoke of just now must be of vital assistance to
the player in his search for tonal variety and effect. Tone production
naturally varies according to the space which is to be filled. Greater
effort must be put forth in a large hall, to make the tone carry over the
footlights, to render the touch clear, the accents decisive and contrasts
pronounced. In order to become accustomed to these conditions, the
studio piano can be kept closed, and touch must necessarily be made
stronger to produce the desired power.
INTERPRETATION
"A great artist's performance of a noble work ought to sound like a
spontaneous improvisation; the greater the artist the more completely
will this result be attained. In