<h2><SPAN name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></SPAN>CHAPTER II.</h2>
<h3>AN EVENING ENTERTAINMENT AT HERR ZACH'S.</h3>
<p>DRAMATIS PERSONÆ.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Herr Zach</span>, <i>formerly a flute-player, not very wealthy.</i><br/>
<span class="smcap">His Wife</span>, <i>of the family of Tz. (rather sharp-tempered).</i><br/>
<span class="smcap">Stock</span>, <i>her son, 17 years old (is studying the piano thoroughly).</i><br/>
<span class="smcap">Mr. Buffalo</span>, <i>music-master of the family.</i><br/>
<span class="smcap">Dominie</span>, <i>piano-teacher (rather gruff).</i><br/>
<span class="smcap">Cecilia</span>, <i>his daughter, 13 years old (shy).</i><br/><br/></p>
<p><span class="smcap">Zach</span> (<i>to Dominie</i>). I regret that I was unable
to attend the concert yesterday. I was formerly
musical myself and played on the flute. Your
daughter, I believe, plays pretty well.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> Well, yes! perhaps something more
than <i>pretty well</i>. We are in earnest about music.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Madame</span>, of the Tz. family (<i>envious because Cecilia
received applause for her public performance yesterday,
and because Mr. Buffalo had been unable to
bring out Stock,—all in one breath</i>). When did
your daughter begin to play? Just how old is she
now? Does she like playing? They say you are
very strict, and tie your daughters to the piano-stool.
How many hours a day do you make her
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_18" id="Page_18"></SPAN>[18]</span>practise? Don't you make her exert herself too
much? Has she talent? Isn't she sickly?</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> Don't you think she looks in good
health, madam,—tall and strong for her years?</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Madame</span>, of the Tz. family. But perhaps she
might look more cheerful, if she was not obliged to
play on the piano so much.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie</span> (<i>bowing</i>). I can't exactly say.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Zach</span> (<i>suddenly interrupting, and holding Dominie
by the button-hole</i>). They say you torment and ill-treat
your daughters dreadfully; that the eldest
was obliged to practise day and night. Well, you
shall hear my Stock play this evening, who, some
time, by the grace of God, is to take the place
of Thalberg in the world. Now give me your
opinion freely (of course, I was only to praise): we
should like very much to hear what you think
about his playing, though perhaps Mr. Buffalo may
not agree with you.</p>
<p class="sd">(Mr. Buffalo is looking through the music-case
and picking out all the Etudes, by listening
to which Dominie is to earn his supper.)</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie</span> (<i>resigned and foreseeing that he shall be
bored</i>). I have heard a great deal of the industry
of your son, Stock. What are you studying now,
Mr. Stock?</p>
<p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_19" id="Page_19"></SPAN>[19]</span><span class="smcap">Stock</span> (<i>in proud self-consciousness, rather Sophomoric</i>).
I play six hours a day, two hours scales
with both hands together, and four hours Etudes.
I have already gone through the first book of
Clementi and four books of Cramer. Now I am
in the Gradus ad Parnassum: I have already studied
the right fingering for it.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> Indeed, you are very much in earnest:
that speaks well for you, and for Mr. Buffalo. But
what pieces are you studying with the Etudes?
Hummel, Mendelssohn, Chopin, or Schumann?</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Stock</span> (<i>contemptuously</i>). Mr. Buffalo can't bear
Chopin and Schumann. Mr. Buffalo lately played
through Schumann's "Kinderscenen," that people
are making such a talk about. My mamma, who
is also musical, and used to sing when papa played
the flute, said, "What ridiculous little things are
those? Are they waltzes for children? and then
the babyish names for them! He may play such
stuff to his wife, but not to us."</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> Well, these "Kinderscenen" <i>are</i> curious
little bits for grown-up men's hands. Your
mother is right, they are too short: there certainly
ought to be more of them. But they are
not waltzes!</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Stock.</span> Indeed, I am not allowed to play waltzes
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_20" id="Page_20"></SPAN>[20]</span>at all. My teacher is very thorough: first, I shall
have to dig through all the Gradus ad Parnassum;
and then he is going to undertake a concerto of
Beethoven's with me, and will write the proper
fingering over it. I shall play that in public; and
then, as he and my aunt say, "I shall be the death
of you all."</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mr. Buffalo</span> (<i>who has overheard him, steps up</i>).
Now, Herr Dominie, how do you like my method?
Perhaps you have a different one? Nevertheless,
that shan't prevent our being good friends. Certainly,
if any thing is to be accomplished in these
times, it is necessary to keep at work,—that is
my doctrine. But Stock, here, has unusual patience
and perseverance. He has worked through all
Cramer's 96 Etudes in succession without grumbling.
He was wretched enough over them; but
his papa bought him a saddle-horse to ride round
on every day, and he revived in the fresh air.</p>
<p class="sd">(Herr Zach with his wife and an old aunt are
playing cards in the further room.)</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> But do you not combine the study
of musical pieces with the study of exercises, in
order that the cultivation of the taste may go hand
in hand with mechanical improvement?</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mr. Buffalo.</span> My dear friend, you are too narrow-minded
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_21" id="Page_21"></SPAN>[21]</span>there,—you make a mistake: taste
must come of itself, from much playing and with
years. Your Cecilia played the two new waltzes,
and the Nocturne of Chopin, and Beethoven's trio
very nicely. But then that was all drilled into her:
we could tell that well enough by hearing it,—Stock
and I.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> Did it sound unnatural to you,—mannered?
and did you think it wooden, dry,
dull?</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mr. Buffalo.</span> Not exactly that; but the trouble
was it sounded <i>studied</i>. The public applauded,
it is true; but they don't know any thing. Stock
and I thought—</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> Do you not think that the taste for
a beautiful interpretation may be early awakened,
without using severity with the pupil? and that
to excite the feeling for music, to a certain degree,
even in early years, is in fact essential? The
neglect of this very thing is the reason that we
are obliged to listen to so many players, who really
have mechanically practised themselves to death,
and have reduced musical art to mere machinery,—to
an idle trick of the fingers.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Mr. Buffalo.</span> That's all nonsense. I say teach
them the scales, to run up and down the gamut!<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_22" id="Page_22"></SPAN>[22]</span>
Gradus ad Parnassum's the thing! Classical, classical!
Yesterday you made your daughter play
that Trill-Etude by Carl Meyer. Altogether too
fine-sounding! It tickles the ear, to be sure,
especially when it is played in such a studied
manner. <i>We</i> stick to Clementi and Cramer, and
to Hummel's piano-school,—the good old school.
You have made a great mistake with your eldest
daughter.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> The world does not seem to agree
with you.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Madame</span>, of the Tz. family (<i>has listened and lost
a trick by it, steps up quickly, and says maliciously</i>).
You must agree that she would have played better,
if you had left her for ten years with Cramer and
Clementi. We don't like this tendency to Schumann
and Chopin. But what folly to talk! One
must be careful what one says to the father of such
a child! It is quite a different thing with us. Mr.
Buffalo is bound to our Stock by no bond of affection.
He follows out his aim without any hesitation
or vanity, and looks neither to the right nor
to the left, but straightforward.</p>
<p><span class="smcap">Dominie.</span> I beg your pardon, madam: you may
be right,—from your point of view. We must be
<span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_23" id="Page_23"></SPAN>[23]</span>a little indulgent with sensitive people. But will
not your son play to us?</p>
<p class="sd">(Stock plays two Etudes of Clementi, three of
Cramer, and four from the Gradus, but did
not even grow warm over them. The horse
his father gave him has made him quite
strong.)</p>
<hr style='width: 45%;' />
<p>I may be asked, "But how did Stock play?"
How? I do not wish to write a treatise: my
plan is only to give hints and suggestions. I am
not writing in the interest of Stock, Buffalo,
& Co.</p>
<p>After the playing, we went to supper: the oysters
were good, but the wine left a little sharp taste.
My timid daughter did not like oysters; but she
ate a little salad, and at table listened instead of
talking.</p>
<p>A few innocent anecdotes were related at table
about horses and balls and dogs and Stock's future.
On taking leave, Madame said condescendingly to
Cecilia, "If you keep on, my dear, one of these
days you will play very nicely."</p>
<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_24" id="Page_24"></SPAN>[24]</span></p>
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