Chapter 17:

The English School: Matthay; His Pupils and Coleagues

English piano instruction during the 18th century was greatly influenced by foreign-born musicians.

Mendelssohn performed and conducted successfully in Britain between 1829 and 1847. His refined classical style appealed significantly to the methodical English temperament.

Music Schools in England

The Royal Academy of Music:

Founded in 1823

The Royal College of Music:

Founded in 1882

William Townsend
Balance of Arm in Piano Technique (Published in 1890)

To achieve true finger independence:

Every finger movement must be made without occasioning the movement of any other part of the hand (p.364) Inhibition of involuntary movements is as important as the movement itself.

but this inhibition is impossible as long as the weight of the hand and arm is not balanced.

Balance of Arm in Piano Technique

The weight of the arm should be used with the greatest care.

if balanced arm-weight is not constantly in use during playing, the result is loss of tone-quality, of correct leverage, of independence of finger-action, of physical comfort and of naturalness of demeanour. (p.365)

Balance of Arm in Piano Technique

Exercises:

Balance without hold

Balance with hold

Finger > Key resistance > push > hold and elasticity of the wrist

Harold Bauer (1873 1951)

Violinist and pianist Moved to Paris in 1892 on the advice of Paderewski to take violin lessons, but worked as an accompanist instead.

His only piano lessons were with a musician aunt.

He developed his technique by seeing a young dancer.

Tobias Matthay (1858 1945)

He entered the Royal Academy of Music in 1872, at age 14

In 1880, he was named assistant professor of piano at the same institution

He published The Act of Touch in 1903.
Of economy, either in time, words, paper or printing ink, Mr. Matthay has no conception Of course there is much more in the book, and many things that have pedagogical value; but it is laboriousto dig them out of Professor Matthays verbal tumulus. - New York Tribune, September 1904

Ambrose Coviello, one of Mathhays colleagues, later wrote a little volume entitled What Matthay Meant, His Musical and Technical Teachings Clearly Explained and Self-Indexed.

Matthays Act of Touch is grouped into four divisions: I. General Aspects of the Problems of Pianoforte Playing

II.Key Treatment from its Instrumental Aspect

III.Key Treatment from its Muscular Aspect IV.On Position

Section I
Intelligence in Playing Attention Inwards:
Musical-Imagination to perceive Musical-Emotion and Musical-Shape Ability to judge the Time-Spot and Tone-Kind for each note

Attention Outwards:
Attention Muscularly and Aurally. Feel key-resistance before and during the descent and Hear the completion of the descent

Section II describes and analyzes the piano and its parts, discusses the behavior of the strings, talks about the importance of treating the key as a lever, and addresses issues in the process of tone production.

Matthay describes the relationship between speed of keydepression and tone quality. (p.375)

Some of Matthays arguments against striking the keys:

We cannot estimate the weight Loss of energy

quality of tone is impossible of attainment

loss of power, and loss of tone-beauty

Unreliability in the case of rapid reiterations of the same note

Unnecessary muscular fatigue

Risk of overworking the muscles, and inflaming the tendons

In Section III, Matthay describes the process of tone creation from a muscular perception, emphasizing:
Feeling the key-resistance Proper touch (never in the form of a blow) Resting (always constant either at surface or bottomlevel of the keyboard) Rotary freedom of the forearm Finger position and action:
Thrusting or Bent (muscular) Clinging or Flat (weight)

The fourth and last section is brief. In it he states that correct body posture is the only way to achieve correct muscular actions but it doesnt guarantee them.

About hand position, he insists that each finger is in position, and feels each key, before the act of keydepression is commenced