In Search of Chopin (Dover Books on Music) by Alfred Cortot

Author:Alfred Cortot [Cortot, Alfred]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2013-04-17T03:00:00+00:00

Chopin appeared to be about thirty years of age. He has a very distinguished bearing, an almost sorrowful expression and appears to be in delicate health. His melancholy and fragile appearance disappears when he takes his place at his instrument, which from then on seems to absorb his entire interest.

Chopin’s music and the manner of his interpretation of it have similar characteristics—refinement rather than strength—a subtle elaboration—a direct communication from the heart of the composition—a touch that is swift and delicate rather than firm and powerful.

Chopin knew that he no longer possessed the physical strength necessary to enable him to communicate all that was unique in his art to a large audience. It was no longer within his power to extend the range of his playing beyond that intimate circle which enjoyed his musical confidence. His advice to Osborne had been all too sound.

But for the need of providing himself with the necessary means of existence during the coming winter, it is unlikely that Chopin would have attempted any other concerts of the same kind. Nevertheless, while staying on the outskirts of Glasgow, where he was the guest of Mrs. Houston, a sister of Jane Stirling, we find him writing to Gryzmala on the 4th September, that, a concert is being arranged for him in the second city of Scotland, but that he does not know “what it will produce.”

In point of fact this concert became a rather unimposing afternoon performance in the Merchants’ Hall, before “a few dozen representatives of the nobility.” Among these were the Prince and Princess Czartoriski, faithful friends of long standing, whose presence was a great encouragement to Chopin. He says: “I have come back to life again, thanks to the presence of the Polish element, which gave me the strength to play.” The “few dozen” listeners naturally did not provide much in the way of takings—the price of seats was fixed at half a guinea—and the amount produced by the event was only some sixty pounds. Chopin had reckoned on double that amount. In his optimism he had overlooked the traditionally economical habits of the Scotch. The ordinary citizen of Glasgow considered that the price of the tickets was excessive. His concert in Edinburgh was, alas, to produce an even poorer result. The price of the tickets was the same as in Glasgow, and on the evening of the 3rd October, the day before the concert had been arranged, the bookings were so small that Jane Stirling herself took a hundred tickets so that the hall should not be too empty.

One can well understand how discouraging this was to Chopin; indeed, in a further letter to Gryzmala, it is apparent that he looked upon this concert with indifference: “I’ve got to play here to-morrow evening, but I haven t looked at the hall yet or settled on the programme.”

And elsewhere he confides to Mlle de Rozières: “Lots of people here beg me to play and out of politeness I accept. But every time I

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.