234 EDITORIAL, HRIC-A-BRAC. Cincinnati aso, is mentioned as a place where there is very title money for concerts unless the management is able to rk them up a8 a fashionable iad. The free concerts given by the schools is commonly assigned as excuse—bur I confess that this exeuse still ais to catisiy me, 1 made mistake last month in locating Mr. Wotils excel- lene English opera work in Philadelphia at the 3 instead of the Grand, as it should have been. Also it appears: that the Castle Square company in Boston has not abandoned igrand opera, but hs lately given “Faust.” “Trovarore,” and s Carmen.” as well ar “Olivette? and “The Lily of Killarney.” While not serially affecting the value of my compiimentary their work, the ervars might as well be corrected Omission was also inadvertently made of credit for the anticle on “The Nature and Exolation of Art” by Mr. A. Fowille. in the last number, Tt was translated for i period- ical from that beautiful La Revista Musicale Halisna (Italian Musical Review)—the handsomest musical periodical in the ‘whole wort. W.8. BM, Frew “Music” Jounal HOW TO DEVELOP AN OCTAVE TECHNIC. BY LEOPOLD copowsky. First of all I would develop the thumb as much as possible by playing repeated notes with it alone (see example below. ‘The repetitions must follow in an unbroken rhythm {withows perceptible breaks aiter accents oF between rhythmic groups) nd be made clear by means of metric accents, given alter. nately with a high and a low wrist In this part of the work I recognize two stages. In che fist stage the motion should be that ofthe thumb alone, with fost perceptible movement of thé hand as such; in the second, the repetitions will be made with hand motion, very slight in extent, but hand and not the thumb as sich “Fo avoid jnattendveness and 10 stimslate the rhysimie in dependence St the stadent. itis advisable to practice the repe titions also with rezular “negative” accentuation. ie. accents falling regularly upen parts of the measure which are natura: Ip light. In this prectice the sound contradicts the inner feel- ing of the rhythm. because while the student ie feeling th ‘measure as written. the accents define it to the hearer as som thing quite diferent. ‘These repeated notes should be carried out on the white keys alone, om the black keys alone, and up and down the chromatic scale ‘The next thing would be to give similar development to the fourth and fifth Sngers, This will be accomplished by first, making the repeated notes with the finger alone: later with the hand. Each finger can be treated by itself; later both to- gether, by playing the chromatic scale in repeated notes, as above, the fourth fnger taking the black keys, with the wrist raised; the fifth finger, the white keys, the wrist low. Care ‘must be taken i all these exercises that the elbow does not, participate in the slightest degree3 HOW TO DEVELOP aN OCTAVE TECHNIC Next I would practice the chrom scale with the thumb particalarly careful tha: Ze thumb should couch the waite Keys near the black, and the latter just at the end, 0 that she line of travel up and down the kevboard is as neatly a6 possible a straight line. Azzntion chould be given that the sh the white keys, and cowmwards in ‘waercby it will lie nearly black keys. Tais wil rend 10 make the thom more fesible, intelligent, and cesponsive. The eros wwise positon of the thumb i meze'r Jor practice, and not 19 be retained in actual playing, When tolerable rapidity fs acquire ven the fouls and fikh Rngess. This be manner eceted in the par the chr but here the scale fs continuous. witho 5. The wrist is elevated ine icurch finger on the black Ses, and depressed for the fith finger on the white keys. Further training can be obtained tendency sowande stiffness of wrist. = Aepression of wrist at stated intervas eight nates, ean be applied ‘The chromatic scale can aow be zracticed in octaves. ant ina great variety of ways, The exiles following show a few of the ways in whieh I would do ==. Those ia which the upper nese or the Tower note is rereazed against a holding note in che ather voice are very Hmgorant and useiul, and must not be neglected. (b. ¢. and 2 Seiow.t The form d is, more dificult icing any member and ii there is 3 semate elevation and HOW To DEVELOP AN OCTAVE TECHNIC, 281 To aim at a great rapidity in repeated notes is the secret of rapid octave playing. Kullak’s work is invaluable, though in complete. Loeschhorn is also good. Wen one has acquired the correct motion of the fingers and the wrist, and has done all the preliminary work conscientiously, the best thing is to make octave studies of good finger erudes. For example Chopin Etudes. opus 25, No.2, in F minor: opus to. No. #2, in C minor, the one Dreyschock ised to play in octaves: opus #0, No. s, om the black Keys, ete. The latter is also good practic in other kess. as for instance in A major. To finish. T will say that ocraves ought to be practiced le- kato. staceato, with and without positive and negative accents with elevation and depression of the wrist, as weil a witho any appreciable motion of the wrist. The more wars one finds, to practice ane thing. the better the results will be practice all double notes ia the manner advised aboye s-= developing actaves. ie, with eaci verve separately. w peated notes in dhe voice aml holding notes in the o: staceato in one voice and legate in the other, staccato legs superegate, heavy andl light. et : Econams in movon isa great des in tele, and panie:=