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Huneker, James, 1860-1921

"Chopin : the Man and His Music"

8, would be beneficial. It
certainly would. By the same token, the playing of the F minor
Sonata, the Appassionata of Beethoven, in the key of F sharp
minor, might produce good results. This was another crotchet of
Wagner's friend and probably was born of the story that Beethoven
transposed the Bach fugues in all keys. The same is said of Saint-
Saens.
In his notes to the F major study Theodor Kullak expatiates at
length upon his favorite idea that Chopin must not be played
according to his metronomic markings. The original autograph
gives 96 to the half, the Tellefsen edition 88, Klindworth 80,
Von Bulow 89, Mikuli 88, and Riemann the same. Kullak takes the
slower tempo of Klindworth, believing that the old Herz and
Czerny ideals of velocity are vanished, that the shallow dip of
the keys in Chopin's day had much to do with the swiftness and
lightness of his playing. The noble, more sonorous tone of a
modern piano requires greater breadth of style and less speedy
passage work. There can be no doubt as to the wisdom of a broader
treatment of this charming display piece.


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