I wish to submit for your consideration one more programme, representing the great schools of music, simply to show you that such a list can be made of pieces well within the powers of an amateur of ordinary technical ability.
| Polyphonic School (1500-1750). | |
| 1. Canzona in seto tono | Girolamo Frescobaldi (1588-1645). |
| 2. Prelude No 1 from the "Well-tempered Clavichord" | J. S. Bach (1685-1750). |
| Classic School (1750-1827). | |
| 3. Andante and Finale from Sonata No. 1 | W. A. Mozart (1756-1791). |
| 4. Sonata No. 37 | L. van Beethoven (1770-1827). |
| Romantic School (1821 to the present). | |
| 5. Slow Waltz (from "Album Leaves") | R. Schumann (1810-1856). |
| 6. "Marche Hongroise" | Franz Schubert (1797-1828). |
The compositions embraced in this programme are well within the power of an amateur of moderate ability.
If, however, you can play more difficult music, your choice will be extended. Nevertheless, I adhere to my first assertion that it is not at all troublesome to make up a programme of compositions which may be classed as easy. And here let me give you some final advice. Select for a musical at which you are to be the performer music somewhat easier than that which you are accustomed to study under your teacher. The reason for doing this is so plain that it is hardly necessary to mention it. If you are unaccustomed to formal piano-playing before an audience, you will undoubtedly be nervous. Now if you go to the piano knowing that the music before you is going to tax your utmost powers, you will be still more nervous, and the probabilities are that you will not only not play the music effectively, but that you will play it badly and make many technical slips. The more you make, the more nervous you will become, till it would not be surprising if you should break down altogether. On the other hand, if you are conscious that the music is well within your powers—that you have technical facility enough and to spare—you will not be harassed by fears of making blunders, but will lose all your nervousness as soon as you begin to play and to realize how easy your work is. Thus instead of being constantly on the watch for fear of making mistakes, you will be able to devote your entire attention to giving every phrase the right expression. If you have carefully studied the musical beauties of each composition, you will no doubt surprise yourself as well as your friends by the intelligence and sentiment of your playing. Bear in mind the fact that such great artists as Paderewski frequently charm and move an audience more by the amount of color and expression which they throw into easy compositions like Chopin's E-flat nocturne, while in their more brilliant playing, as in one of Liszt's Hungarian rhapsodies, they gain applause rather as the result of amazement at their conquest of technical difficulties than as the demonstration of sincere delight in the music itself. And now I shall leave the rest to the girls. I am sure that among the readers of this paper there must be hundreds and hundreds of girls who can play the piano well enough to get up such musicals as I have suggested.
THE PYROTECHNIC DISPLAY FROM THE FLOATS.