Page:A Dictionary of Music and Musicians vol 2.djvu/751

PIANOFORTE-PLAYING. At the same time it must be admitted that the technical execution of Woelfl was highly remarkable, and even exceptional; that Steibelt proved a dangerous rival to Beethoven at Vienna; that Czerny's merits as an educational writer, and a most painstaking, thorough, and successful teacher were quite exceptional, and that Herz had in his best time no equal for elegance and brilliancy of execution. The effect produced by these excellent pianists was founded on legitimate principles of technical execution, and was due to a patient and complete training of the fingers. Czerny in particular, in his 'School of Velocity' (op. 299), in his admirable 'L'Art de délier les Doigts' (op. 740), and in his 'School of the Legato and Staccato' (op. 335), shows a consummate knowledge of all the minutest details of pianoforte-playing. To complete this part of the subject it may be mentioned, that amongst Hummers pupils we find the names of Hiller, Henselt, and Willmers.

Clementi's direct pupils were (1771–1858),  (1782–1837),  (1777–1839),  (1784–1852): as indirect pupils may be mentioned,  (1761–1812),  (1788–1849 [App. p.748 "1784"]), and  (1799–1862). The celebrated J. B. Cramer was one of the most excellent pianists in the history of the art. Though never overstepping the limits of the legitimate resources of the piano as a chamber-instrument, his performance displayed an unusual sense of that richness of variety and treatment which the piano can be made to reveal; his playing possessed plastic roundness and rare expression of harmony and beauty, while his appearance and deportment at the instrument were eminently gentlemanlike; in fact, Cramer may be said to have combined the best qualities of both the Mozart and the Clementi school. Beethoven preferred his 'touch' to all others; the quietness, smoothness, and pliability of the movements of his hands and fingers, the unexceptionable clearness and correctness of his execution, and the exquisite moderation of his style, rendered his performance unique; added to which he possessed an innate nobility of expression, and a rare suavity and euphony of delivery. His celebrated 'Studies' are the best proof of his incomparable manner of playing.

At this time the construction of the pianoforte was making great progress, and meeting more than ever the desires and needs of the executants. The richly gifted Irishman, usually called 'Russian' Field, the inventor of the universally popular form of the 'Nocturne,' was one of the greatest pianists of all time. His touch, with an almost perpendicular position of the fingers, surpassed in sweetness, richness, and sostenuto all that had been heard before; and with regard to the picturesque distribution of light and shade, the greatest correctness and neatness, combined with a peculiar Irish frankness and simplicity of feeling, he had scarcely a rival. At this time the greatest attention was shown to the cantabile style; the varieties of touch, its beauty, mellowness, roundness, and singing quality, its brilliancy and crispness, were studied with unremitting zeal and care, and performers even thought it worth their while to investigate the anatomical construction of their hands and the sources of strength, elasticity, and endurance; the degrees of force were carefully measured, and all thumping, banging, indistinctness ('smearing' as the Viennese called it), was held up to ridicule.

, the teacher of Mendelssohn and Taubert, was a brilliant and excellent performer, remarkable for a certain spiritualistic, dreaming expression. , on the other hand, was most successful in the strict style of performance—fugues, canons, etc.,—, already mentioned as an indirect pupil of Clementi, was a truly grand performer: he possessed a great nobility and grandeur of style, combined with a certain sentimentality, a characteristic German feature of his time; he could, like Field, boast of a beautiful and singing touch; he possessed furthermore very large hands, which allowed him to spread his chords up to tenths and elevenths; and he understood how to use the pedals with effect and judgment. excelled in a most carefully and systematically trained and thoroughly 'purified' technical execution: his scales, including those in thirds and sixths, were like strings of pearls; the most complicated figures came out with astonishing clearness; and even during the most daring and intricate gymnastic evolutions Kalkbrenner retained a perfectly quiet position of body and hands. Although entirely deficient in sympathetic warmth of expression or enthusiasm, he captivated his public by a singular elegance and neatness of style, and a 'technique' which was absolutely perfect. To complete the group of pianists who gather round Clementi, we mention, a pupil of Field; he possessed most of Kalkbrenner's excellent qualities, but was in his best time (1830–1840) bolder and more original than Kalkbrenner in planning and carrying out new effects.

We now come to the centre of gravity of all that concerns pianoforte-playing in its best, noblest, and highest features,—to (1770–1827). Himself one of the greatest executants, endowed with rare muscular force, possessing an iron will, which conquered all obstacles, glowing with a lofty enthusiasm, and last not least, a never-surpassed self-command, he was enabled in his Sonatas and Concertos, in some of his Variations, Fantasias, and Rondos, to produce entirely and astonishingly new, rich, and grand effects; indeed he gave to the piano a soul, and succeeded in winning for it a poetical expression. The great difference between Beethoven and all his contemporaries is found in the fact that in his piano works the technical figures grow out of the principal idea; they are natural and logical consequences or results of the leading theme, and are thus in every instance in thorough harmony and relation with the initiative part.