ALFRED CORTOT Rational P rinciples of P ianoforte Technique Translated by R. LE ROY-METAXAS 8 ICE SENART - PARIS BOSTON - OLIVE! IN COMPANY - NEW-YORK SOLE 1S FOR THE U. S.A.INDEX Page Foreword... ae . 1 Plan for the study of the exercise 2 Daily hey-hoard gymnastics. . 4 Rational principles of pianoforte technique CHAPTER L Evenness, i CHAPTER I Passing under of the thumb~Scales-Arpeggios. 23 CHAPTER TIT dependence and mobility of the fingers. 8 The technique of double notes and polyphonic playing. 37 CHAPTER IV The technique of extensions... boo CHAPTER V. The technique of the wrist - The execution of chords. 72 Repertory : co 97ALFRED CORTOT Rational P rinciples of Pianoforte Technique FOREWORD ‘Two factors form the basis of any instrumental study ‘one psychological factor from which nation, reasoning, the feeling for shading and tone : in taste, imagi- a word, style ~ one physiological factor, that is, dexterity of the hands and fingers, absolute submission of the mus- cles and nerves to the material exigencies of execution. For the development of the psychological side, which is above all a function of personality and taste, peda- sogy can rely only upon the enrichment of general cul- ture, upon the development of the imaginative and ana: lytical faculties which open the way to the translation of the emotions and sensations evoked by music. For this purpose there exist neither good nor bad sys- tems, but only good and bad teachers. ‘On the other hand, endless collections of exercises of every kind solicit the zeal of pianists anxious to acquire mechanical mastery of the keyboard. ‘There is, speaking literally, an overwhelming choice of these works. We should certainly never have consi- dered adding a new element of perplexity to this im- posing collection of contradictory theories, through which the problem of pianistic technique is seen wearing the ter- rific aspect of @ hundred-headed hydra, had not our especial care been that of simplifying the question and demonstrating the vulnerability of the monster. One of the most significant points in the progress of instrumental teaching during the last few years, is that the COPIRIGHT BY EDITIONS MAURICE SERART - 1938 mechanical and long-repeated practice of a difficult pax sage has been replaced by the reasoned study of the dif- ficulty contained therein, reduced to its elementary prin- ciple. With this fact in view, we have established = method of work whose laws we have attempted to apply in our edition of the works of Chopin We shall try, in the following pages, to generalise # formula, whose efficiency several years of eAperienre have allowed us to test, by extending it to pisnistic if ficulties of every order, reducing the (alter to five cate gories, each of which will be analysed in a separate chap: ter. That is to say, that instead of pursuing virtuosity along the uncertain paths of complication and ever.in- creasing technical difficulty, we shall seek on the con- afforded us trary, making use of the valuable examp! by athletic training, to retain only those movements which are indispensable to its complete development. It will thus become possible to review every morning. in the space of about an hour, the complete cycle of the problems of piano-playing. No doubt these daily gym- nastics for the pianist will be compared to the series of physical and respiratory exercises prescribed by hvgie- nists. Such a comparison, even made ironically, cannot fail to please us. It perfectly defines the object and uti lity of this work,