Page:Letters to a Young Lady (Czerny).djvu/52

, and therefore of being blamed and laughed at behind their backs. For, even with regard to amateurs, persons avail themselves of the right to blame when they have not received any pleasure; and, in fact, who can take their doing so in bad part?

Many, otherwise very good players, have in this manner, by an unsuitable choice of pieces, lost both their musical reputation and all future confidence in themselves.

When playing before others, you should particularly endeavour to execute your well-studied piece with tranquillity and self-possession, without hurrying, without allowing your ideas to wander, and more especially without coming to a stand-still; for this last is the most unpleasant fault which we can commit before an audience.

Before you commence, the fingers must be kept quite warm; you must avoid any inconvenient mode of dress; and you should, if possible, always play on a pianoforte with which you are well acquainted; for an instrument, of which the touch is much lighter or much heavier than that which one is accustomed to, may very much confuse a player.

But, besides professedly playing before others, it may often happen that you are suddenly required, in the company of intimate