They give doses of etudes, sonatas and pieces, yet never get at the
heart of the matter at all. It is even worse than the fake singing
teachers; I feel like saying it is damnable!"
It was my privilege to be present at some of Mr. Matthay's private
lessons, given at the Royal Academy. Several young men were to try for
one of the medals, and were playing the same piece, one of the
Strauss-Tausig Valse Caprices.
Matthay listens to a complete performance of the work in hand, then
turns back to the beginning and goes over it again for corrections and
suggestions. He enters into it with absolute devotion, directing with
movements of head and hands as a conductor might direct an orchestra;
sometimes he dashes down a chord in the treble to urge more force; at
other times lays a restraining hand on the player's arm, where the tone
should be softer. His blue pencil is often busy adding phrasing marks.
In the pauses he talks over with the pupil the character of the piece,
and the effects he thinks should be made. In short his lessons are most
helpful and illuminating.
I also had the opportunity to attend a pupils' "Practise Concert," and
here the results attained were little short of marvelous. Small
children, both boys and girls, played difficult pieces, like the Grieg
Variations for two pianos, the Weber _Invitation to the Dance_, and
works by Chopin and Liszt, with accuracy and fluency.
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