the pianoforte, to which he devoted himself exclusively,[213] no
understanding or adequate appreciation of the subtleties of his
style is possible without some knowledge of the nature and at-
tributes of this instrument which, in our time, has become the
universal medium for the rendering of music. All of Chopin’s
works were not only published for the pianoforte but were con-
ceived intermsof the pianoforte; his style in this respect being
quite unique in the history of musical art. For there are no-
ble and poetically inspired thoughts of many composers which
may be satisfactorily presented through a number of media: pi-
anoforte, organ, string-quartet or voices. This fact has been the
cause of many so-called transcriptions of orchestral or string-
quartet music for the organ. A composer, furthermore, often
publishes a work for a certain instrument when the inner evi-
dence shows that, during the period of creation, he actually had
some other medium in mind. Beethoven’s Sonatas abound[214]
in effects which, for their complete realization, require an or-
chestra; so that, notwithstanding the beauty of the thought, his
style is often anything but pianistic. In certain of César Franck’s
pianoforte works we are conscious of his predilection for the or-
gan, as the spirit of the music demands a sustained volume of
sound which the organ, with its powerful lungs, alone can give.
But if the full beauty of Chopin’s conception is to be gained,
his music must be played on the pianoforte and on nothing else.
The pianoforte has, to be sure, several limitations; it is not per
se a loud instrument in comparison with a trumpet or an organ,
and the whole nature of its tone is evanescent—that is, as soon
as the tone is produced, it begins to fade away, [decrescendo
symbol]. This latter apparent limitation, however, is in fact
one of its most suggestive beauties; for nothing is more stim-
ulating to the imagination than the dying away of a beautiful
sound, as may be felt in the striking of a clear-toned bell, or in
the wonderful diminuendo of the horn. This effect, inherent in
pianoforte tone, should be more utilized rather than deplored,
especially since dwelling on a delightful harmony or a single dra-
matic note is a definite characteristic of “tempo rubato”—that
peculiar feature of Chopin’s rhythm. The pianoforte can nei-
ther steadily sustain a tone [sustaining symbol] nor increase it
[crescendo symbol]; achievements for which the strings and the
wind instruments are so valued. On the other hand, the instru-
ment has the merits of great sonority and marvellous coloristic
possibilities; and when music is composed for the pianoforte by
ann
(Ann)
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