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Huneker, James, 1860-1921

"Chopin : the Man and His Music"

But he found that he had made a mistake, and, after
hearing it played by Tausig, confessed that the virtuoso had
infused into the 'nine pages of enervating music, of one and the
same long-breathed rhythm, so much interest, so much motion, so
much action,' that he regretted the long piece was not longer."
Tausig's conception of the barcarolle was this: "There are two
persons concerned in the affair; it is a love scene in a discrete
gondola; let us say this mise-en-scene is the symbol of a lover's
meeting generally."
"This is expressed in thirds and sixths; the dualism of two
notes--persons--is maintained throughout; all is two-voiced, two-
souled. In this modulation in C sharp major--superscribed dolce
sfogato--there are kiss and embrace! This is evident! When, after
three bars of introduction, the theme, 'lightly rocking in the
bass solo,' enters in the fourth, this theme is nevertheless made
use of throughout the whole fabric only as an accompaniment, and
ON this the cantilena in two parts is laid; we have thus a
continuous, tender dialogue.


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