There was something imponderable, fluid, vaporous, evanescent in
his music that eluded analysis and illuded all but hard-headed
critics. This novelty was the reason why he has been classed as a
"gifted amateur" and even to-day is he regarded by many musicians
as a skilful inventor of piano passages and patterned figures
instead of what he really is--one of the most daring harmonists
since Bach.
Chopin's elastic hand, small, thin, with lightly articulated
fingers, was capable of stretching tenths with ease. Examine his
first study for confirmation of this. His wrist was very supple.
Stephen Heller said that "it was a wonderful sight to see
Chopin's small hands expand and cover a third of the keyboard. It
was like the opening of the mouth of a serpent about to swallow a
rabbit whole." He played the octaves in the A flat Polonaise with
infinite ease but pianissimo. Now where is the "tradition" when
confronted by the mighty crashing of Rosenthal in this particular
part of the Polonaise? Of Karl Tausig, Weitzmann said that "he
relieved the romantically sentimental Chopin of his Weltschmerz
and showed him in his pristine creative vigor and wealth of
imagination.
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