Hence Chopin’s art of transforming the piano into a leading tenor or a prima donna and creating the impression of human breathing; hence that preeminence given to broad cantabile style, that intense legato, that inimitable sense of line and phrasing, that fullness of sound, that ‘cello-like quality which the piano can suddenly reveal. Even his particular conception of rubato is vocal and Baroque in essence, in that it seeks, wherever apt, to release the melodic part from all metrical fetters and let it expand with the perfect freedom of inflection found in singing.
Moscheles writes of Chopin’s playing: ‘So one does not miss the orchestral effects which the German school requires from a pianist, but allows oneself to be carried away as by a singer who, unpreoccupied by the accompaniment, gives full rein to his feelings’ (Moscheles, II, p. 39). This predilection for vocal art may be put beside Chopin’s abhorrence of all massive effects, and his insistence on naturalness and simplicity in piano playing. Nothing was more foreign to Chopin’s nature than overemphasis, affectation or sentimentality: ”’Je vous prie de vous asseoir”, he said on such an occasion with gentle mockery’ (Niecks, II, p. 341). But dry and inexpressive playing was equally unbearable to him, and in such cases he would implore the student: ‘Put all your soul into it! [Mettez-y donc. toute votre ame!]’ (Karasowski, II, p. 91) – and what happiness he felt when innate musicality expressed itself spontaneously: ‘She [Wanda RadziwiH] has plenty of genuine musical feeling and you don’t have to tell her crescendo here, piano there, quicker, slower and so on’ (Chopin, SC, p. 37).
Piano technique should be no more than a means; and so it should come directly out of an imperative need for musical self-expression. There Chopin opens the way to a modern conception of music teaching, resolutely turning his back on many piano professors of his time – and after! – whose teaching is based on a mechanistic conception of instrumental playing. …
