The mechanical
side is only preliminary. Some one has said that the factors in playing
are a trinity of H's--head, hand and heart. I try at once to awaken
thought, to give a wider outlook, to show that piano playing is the
expression, through the medium of tone, of all that the poet, painter
and philosopher are endeavoring to show through other means: to this
end I endeavor to stimulate interest in the wonders of the visible
universe, the intellectual achievements of men and the deep things of
spiritual discernment.
IN REGARD TO INTERPRETATION
"On this subject I think we should avoid pedantry; not to say to the
pupil, you must play this piece a certain way; but rather say, I see or
feel it in this way, and give the reasons underlying the conception. I
believe the successful teacher should be a pianist. He should understand
every point and be able to _do_ the thing, else how can he really show
the manner of the doing? Many of the _nuances_, subtleties of color and
phrase, effects of charm or of bravura, cannot be explained; they must
be illustrated. And furthermore, only he who has been over the road can
be a safe or sympathetic guide. Tolstoi realized he could not be of
service to the people he would uplift unless he lived among them, shared
their trials and experienced their needs.
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