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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1907)
iRnESAGK pRAO SED BY THE iVy ASTTEEL & Kill Blind Rdrtland Boy . l&NOTffil MfM Rk5tWu Be received 0$ Successfully Stands The UsMMMll . $ gv aERNvs D,st,nou,shed T TestOf Playiko Before rt 1 I IT l&If IT , cd-- ill BT ALMA A. ROGERS. THE ordeal of playing before the greatest living master of piano forte method has been success fully passed by Francis Richter. He arrived In Vienna just, In time to meet 'Leschetizky before the . Herr Professor's ' departure for Ischl, where he is In the .habit of spending the late Summer and early Fall months. The event to the young pianist was fraught with many hopes and fears, 'particularly the latter, for the master Is reputed to be merciless in criticism ,ond erratic In his personal likings. Tales were heard of how he had been known to rap the fingers of unlucky aspirants, refuse to listen to others after half a dozen notes, and even pro , nounee as hopeless the ambitions of the unquestionably gifted. ., It was with feelings of dread, there fore, mingled with a determination to . do his best to Justify the confidence of hi friends In the far away West, that Francis Richter walked up that shady street on a perfect July day to the tall, yellowish brick house, with a gol--den lyre on the front of the tower, where Theodore Leschetizky lives. The -master was engaged with a pupil, and ..the servant desired that we call again. Bat knowing the difficulty of getting an audience we insisted on waiting, and the manservant finally showed us Into an ante-chamber, where we sat while the. lesson went, on for three hours and a half. Difficult of Access. At its close the servant presented bur cards and there was another long delay, broken by the entrance of a young man student from America. It was a most fortunate entrance for us, as matters proved, for when the great man finally glanced in at the door, our 'countryman assisted to explain the purpose of the call, and when Herr Leschetizky declined to receive a blind pupil, he pushed the point with such earnestness that the master finally consented to hear Francis Richter play, a date being made for the third day following. Herr Leschetizky does not speak English, and our young coun tryman, who, by the way, la Mr. Mozlnsky, of New York, studying here for the concert stage, kindly came again at the crucial hour. A trio of Americans, two of the first generation, we waited on the balcony at the rear of the house overlooking a large gar den with many fine trees, where a few clumps of scarlet geraniums blazed under the dense shadows. Richter Before, the Master. At last the master's step was heard, and his voice greeted us in the music room, where two splendid grand pianos stood side by side. He motioned Francis Richter to one, and seated him self beside the other., There was a complete absence of preliminary. "What will you play?" he asked only. ' When young Richter replied, "The Waldstein Sonata," the expression which overspread the face of our coun tryman plainly Indicated the audacity of the selection; for, as was learned afterward. Beethoven Is a peculiar fa rit with Leschetizky, hs having studied Beethoven undex. Czerny, who was the pupil and friend of Beethoven, and consequently able to impart Inti mate traditions concerning the read ing of his scores beyond the reach of the less favored. The playing began and as measure after measure proceeded without in terruption the tension of breathing be came relaxed, and the player gained confidence. At first the master's gaze was alert. He watched the young pianist's fingers and studied his face by turns. After the first movement of the sonata he reclined easily in his chair, and helped himself to various cigarettes from a receptacle on the piano. It was really a scene suited to the genius of an artist's brush the great room with raftered ceiling wrapped in the shadows of dark oak finishings, the busts and pictures of famous musicians on every side, at one piano the blind boy playing his heart out, his future, at least to his own feeling, staked on the result, and beside the tfther piano the master, his fine head covered with long white hair, listening with half shut eyes while a thin curl of smoke ascended from the cigarette. Rlchter's Clean Playing Praised. At the conclusion of the music he praised the "clean" playing of the per former. Then, seating himself at his piano he repeated passages of the sonata, drawing forth tones of that peculiar brilliancy and power which characterize his method. Two hours of enchantment to the "young artist followed, of mingled music and con versation. The master tested his musical ear and knowledge of har mony by themes which were Instantly and perfectly repeated. He enquired of his birth, his teaching, his oppor tunities, varying the personal matter by running snatches of his own ex perience, his acquaintance with famous musicians, his views of the art. When it was all over he gave a de cision which was the utmost that could be asked. We already knew that never under any circumstances does the Herr Professor teach the technic of his meth od. In fact he had said upon our first call that "he would not teach the technic to God himself." When Paderewskl came to him, already great, he refused to teach him until he had served his turn with the "vorberelters" preparatory teachers in order to acquire the peculiar devel opment of the finger muscles which this method involves. It took Paderewskl three months to do it. Then Leschetizky finished him in repertoire and polish, and be started out to dazzle the world. So, when the master said that he would accept Francis Richter for a pupil as soon as he had learned the technic, and mentioned the particular "vorbereiter" with whom he desired to place him, we felt that the object for which we had undertaken a 7000-mile journey was safe. Richter's Preparatory Teacher. Toung Richter was anxious to begin lessons Immediately, and so a call was made upon Fraulein Prentner, the "vor bereiter." We found her in appearance a very Intelligent woman of middle age, with a keen, bright eye and a most gra cious manner. She is the author of a work descriptive of the Leschetizky method authorized fav tha master, and is THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN. PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 22, 1907. said to be the most thorough and exact ing of his teachers. She is kindness itself to her pupil, placing his fingers in the correct position, as well as aiding him by the example of her own hands. She has said privately she was deeply inter ested in one so highly gifted, and that his quickness was surprising. She has never had a blind pupil before. Several artist pupils are to her credit. Upon the advice of Herr Leschetizky, Francis Richter has taken for his teacher in composition Herr Labor, who has the reputation of being one of the big men, a great harmonist, on the sound, classical lines, and is also blind. But he is a story by himself. The Great Leschetizky. Theodor Leschetizky is a Pole, born 77 years ago. ' When 3 years of age he came to Wien so Vienna sounds here and it has been his home ever since. He spent some years in St. Petersburg, where he was the pupil of Rubenstetn and made the acquaintance of the master musical minds of his generation, many of whose portraits hang on his walls. As has been said, he also studied with Karl Czerny, who, in addition to being the protege of Beethoven, was the author of etudes known to every student of the piano. In figure Leschetizky is of medium height, spare, and with features very well depicted In the accompanying photo graph. He is said to have "much tem perament," which is a polite intimation that he is liberally possessed of those ec centricities which are often prominent in artists. To what extent the ultra-sensitiveness of the highly organized nervous constitution of a genius is responsible, or how much is due Just to the common source a disinclination to overcome the weaknesses of human nature is a ques tion that the present generation may still split hairs about. Some future expert in the weight and measure of emotions may be able to fix the scale. It is a truth, however, that we are apt to forget that the failings of men and women in public life often become consplouous for the sole reason that they are dragged Into the limelight, whereas the same traits, wrapped In the obscurity of commonness, would either excite no comment or be set down to human nature rather than the artistic temperament. Musical Gallery. The Interior of Leschetlzky's house is interestingly reminiscent of the life of the man. The anteroom already referred to is lined with photographs of famous people, chiefly musicians, and nearly "all bear the autographs of " the donors. A large portrait of Paderewskl, inscribe!! with the faithful regards of tha pupil, hangs in the middle of the wall. About it are Liszt, Wagner. Rubenstein, Chopin, Schubert, Beethoven and many others, among them Madame - Paderewskl, a strikingly handsome woman. Near the corner Is a recent photograph of Mark Hambourg, who is also one of the mas ter's artist pupils. On another wall is a small' engraving of Adelina PattI, In scribed In her own delicate chlrography. Indeed there are so many portraits thttt it is scarcely an exaggeration to consider them a musical gallery. Over the mantel piece, dominating the whole, by the way is a life-size oil painting of the master himself in three-quater size. In this room and particularly in the spacious and beautiful music room, a number of th photographed faces are repeated la sculptures. i What Is Technic? Leschetlzky's long conversation with Francis Richter discovered many salient points of his personality. He first discoursed on the necessity of a singing tone, Illustrating his meaning by his own ringing chords. Fire in ex pression was another topic, and . he dwelt on the lack of sentiment In many players, insisting upon poetic feeling expressed with clear, strong tones (this does not necessarily mean noise) In both piano and forte effects. He related music to elocution, reciting lines from several of his favorite au thors. He deplored the fact that what people nowadays look for is technic. He compared the public to the audi ence that crowds the circus tent to see the clown. The first man to turn half a dozen somersaults without stop ping is deluged with applause. But presently another clown comes in who can do ten. The admiration of the multitude Is instantly transferred and a new hero set up. And so on, as time passes, actors appear who can perform 15, 20. 40 somersaults. At last comes one who vaults all around the ring without stopping he is the idol of tha hour. "Thi," said Leschetizky, "is technic." Yet the fame of this man lie In the fact that he has given to the world a superior technical method. "Technic," he said again, -"may rise and fa.ll. But the soul of music is un changed." Marvelous Mechanical Device. Conversation veered about until It included the MIgnon, that marvelous mechanical device by which a player's tones and expression are reproduced as literally as by photograph, through the agency of an electrical attachment to the keyboard. Leschetizky was un stinted in its praise. . "The Mignon is great," he exclaimed, "a great deal can be learned from hearing It" He would desire, for In stance, that a pupil hear a nocturne of Chopin's played upon the Mignon by D'Albert, Paderewskl and others. In order to choose from this variety of styles the one he liked best. "1 wish that Rubenstein were alive to play for the Mignon," he said. "Not for myself, for I know very well how he played, but for the sake of my pupils who lack shading."- Mention of Rosenthal drew forth tha remark, "Oh, he has great technic" Rubenstein and Liszt he ranks as the chlefest of the masters of the piano. Leschetizky said to exercise the utmost freedom in his manner of giv ing lessons. If he is pleased with the pur-ir work, the lesson may last for hours, or, contrariwise, he may cut it short of schedule time. Tou may have one a week,, or you may not be re ceived for months. A severe illness a few years back has left him aomewhat impaired in health, which may partially account for apparent erraticism. But reports agree that when one Is honored with a lesson, it is something to re member, for that the man is a master, indeed, the greatest master alive to day, is admitted even by his own townspeople, where be is revered as much as abroad. Americans form a large percentage of the Herr Professor's pupils. TheN tory goes that Fanny Bloomfieid Zelxler, America's famous pianist, was told, after several years of unpro ductive toil with the master, to go home and stay there. But she persist ed and returned, and at last her genius burst forth. So many more qualities than the musical gift are necessary to the success of an artist! What Is the Master's Method? The Leschetizky method. What is it, and in what is it superior to other forms of teaching? These questions naturally arise in the minds of the uninitiated, and It is not to be denied that the method has its scoffers as well aa its devotees. The essential principle of the Leschetizky method seems to be that of the vertical touch, which, when once acquired, creates tone of surpassing brilliancy and THE COST OF AUTOMOBILES ONE! of the most Important questions that arises in the mind of an own er of an automobile is the cost of main tenance of his car. It is very difficult for one who does not look personally to the upkeep of his car to determine the four points which enter Into its maintenance: How long will an automobile last? What does it cost to operate it? How many miles will it run on a gallon of gasoline? How long will the tires wear? Are probably the four important fac tors in the life of an automobile. In some cases an automobile in the hands of a competent driver will give a great deal more satisfaction, at a minimum cost, as compared to the same car In the hands of a less experienced man. To determine the average cost of maintaining and operating an automo bile, an enterprising manufacturer has just compiled statistics, showing that with judicious handling, and the ordi nary care that should be accorded an automobile, tha amount to support a machine Is not nearly as great as most people believe. One company deter mined recently to discover the cost. It sent invitations through the newspa pers throughout the country, and to owners of single-cylinder automobiles asking them for sworn statements as to the total expense Incurred in the main tenance of their cars. Of those who re sponded, hundreds were willing .to make statements of approximate cost of running their cars, but none of these was used. Only the actual cost, sworn before a notary public and wit nesses, was accepted. One hundred and sixty-four statements were re ceived coming from 30 different' states, which show records of cars that have been used on all kinds of roads and under all sorts of conditions. From the data received the following statistics were compiled: Tha mileage gotten out of the cars varied considerably, rang ing from !50 to 32.000. Many of the affidavits showed a mileage of over 20.000, and nearly 80 per cent had got ten over 10,000 miles out of their cars. The total oombincd made over L500.000 depth, and gives a certainty of attack that Is said to make failure impossi ble. But in order to accomplish the vertical touch, the hands are held in a certain position which involves the development of the finger muscles to a higher degree, muscles not espe cially exercised In other methods being made conspicuous In this, particularly the muscles at the base of the thumb, by means of which that member's effi ciency is greatly Increased. The whole hand moves with the precision and certainty of a fine machine. Add to this mechanical perfection poetic sen timent, and you have the Leschetizky method. The technique is meant solely as the means through which vivid im agination and emotional fire can be most easily, directly, and therefore most effectively expressed. Mechanical perfection not controlled and vitalized by poetic sentiment becomes a carica ture -of the method. ' Unfortunately miles,, or to be exact, 1.555,427, the. av erage of this being 9(61 miles per car. The gasoline consumption afforded great interest. One car running as low as 9 2-3 miles per gallon, while anoth er ran as high as 32 miles per gallon. Forty per cent of the number have claimed to get over 20 miles per gallon, while the average of all Is a trifle over 18 1-3 miles per gallon. The cost of .repair: This amount ranges from practically nothing in some cases, to several hundreds of dollars in others. The total amount of repairs, not Including tires, for the 161 cars, was 16881.29, or an average for each car of 142.74. For the average length of time the cars have been used (1 year, 7 months, 20 days). It means an average of $2.17 per month, or less than 51 cents per week. Another way to compute the cos would be to total the distance traveled, taking 161 cars totalling 1,555,427 miles and with the total cost for repairs J6S81.29. it means that the cost of the upkeep averages 30.004939 per mile, or in other words, only 44 1-4 cents per 100 miles that is traveled. That certainly is cheaper than walking. In considering these points do not overlook the number of passengers carried. Some were runa bouts, carrying one or two, and some times three passengers while others with 4-passenger cars, carrying five or six passengers. The average as shown by af fidavits was nearly 31-2 persons, so it would make this expense less than 13 cents per 100 miles for each passenger. The next Item of expense is that of gas oline. The sworn statements show that the miles obtained per gallon run from as few as 9 2-3 up as high as several who got 23 or more, and one as high as 32 miles per gallon. Take the average of the lot, it shows 18.34 or a trifle over 18 1-3 miles per gallon. The cost of gasoline- varies In different parts of the coun try, but may probably be averaged at 18 cents a gallon; it would then make the average one cent per mile per ear for fuel, or less than 1-3 of a cent per mile per passenger. To obtain the amount of expenditures for tires, which in some cases had been included In the repair expenses because many owners do not keep separate ex sense accounts, 200 dealers throughout there are caricaturers, even among students of the master himself, stu dents who mistake noise for power, body for soul, and mechanical drill for brains. There are such in every art, in every avenue of human expression, those without the vision sublime. But to the student with a keen musical sense, the Leschetizky method sup plies the means of that fuller and freer self-expression which, in Its highest embodiment, is found alone in the artist. To quote again from the master, "The spul of music never changes," although technics may and do. Self-expression, self-utterance, must ever be the prerogative of the artist, to which all mere methods are subordinate, though absolutely neces sary as subordinates. Perhaps here is the place to repeat a sentiment of Les chetizky as he expressed it to Francis Richter, "Never imitate." Vienna. August 17. the country were asked the following questions: What is the longest time you have known a set of tires to wear? What Is the greatest number of miles you have known a set of tires to run? If a customer were to ask you as to about how long or how many miles a set of tires could be expected to last, with proper care, what would you tell him? The answers to the first question wers in about two years. In some cases less, and in several cases three years, and one answer wis four years. To the second question the answers were all the way from 4000 to 15,000 miles, but the majority run along from 6000 to 9000 miles. Re garding the thlrdi question, there was a wide difference of opinion, but they aver aged up between one and two years and from 5000 to 10,000 miles. Many replies being qualified by the statement that It would all depend upon the carefulness of the operator and the roads he would have to travel. It certainly is commendatory not only to any one car, but to the whole Industry, when after a careful canvass of over 160 automobile owners, it is authen tically estimated that the cost of upkeep of a carefully operated car, renders the cost of transportation, per mile, less than any other means of locomotion. When the, Mint Is in the Julep. Atlanta Constitution. When the mint Is in the Julep an' the ham mock's swingln' right 'Neath the shady oaks, a-hidln of the Sum mer sun from sight. Oh. it's then you're seetn' visions of the valleys of delight. When the mint is In the julep an' the ham mock's swingln' right! The trees around you bowin' with a drowsy "howdy-do,1' An' the wind that waves the branches say In' dreamy things o you! An you hear the Ice a-clickln' in the goblet sparkltn' bright. Whea the mint Is in the Julep an' the ham mock's swingln' right. Then life seems worth the livln" an' old trouble's on the shelf. ti An' you feel that you're a-lovin' of your ' neighbor as yourself; Ain't It Joy amazin'. Colonel? Ain't this old world out of sight When the mint is In the julep and tha ham mock's swingln' right? J.
