Former
Matthay Piano Festival Programs
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Tobias Matthay
(1858-1945)
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Tobias Matthay (1858-1945), born in London of German parents, taught piano at the Royal
Academy of Music in London, England for over fifty years. Matthay's revolutionary concepts
about the displacement of tension and his attention to natural musical laws attracted
considerable attention. In 1905 he opened the Tobias Matthay Piano School while continuing
at the Royal Academy. The playing of Myra Hess, Irene Scharrer, Clifford Curzon, Moura
Lympany and others trained by him soon established his position as one of the greatest
pedagogues of all time. Students from throughout the world sought his advice on artistic
as well as technical matters. In the twenties and thirties, Matthay ran an American summer
school, leading to the establishment of the American Matthay Association in 1925. It was
founded to promote Matthay's principles in the United States. During his lifetime, the
members of the Association were chosen by Matthay himself. Since his death, members have
included not only those who studied piano with him but also outstanding pianists and
teachers who have worked in the Matthay tradition. The efforts of these musicians, their
students and the memory of Mr. Matthay are celebrated in the annual piano festivals
.
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About the Matthay Festival
The Matthay Festival is designed to offer participants direct and concentrated access
to the teaching principles of Tobias Matthay. Sessions are devoted to the principles as
they apply to teaching at all levels, including that of the performing artist. Daytime
sessions include lectures, demonstrations, performances and master classes. Recitals are
held in the evening. The year 1999 marks the forty-first annual gathering. Previous
Matthay Festivals have taken place at Tamworth, New Hampshire; Philips Academy, Andover
MA; the University of Maryland, College Park; the University of Central Florida, Orlando,
the Royal academy of Music, Toronto; Chatham College, Pittsburgh; San Jose State
University; Williams College, Williamstown, MA; Wheaton College, Norton, MA; the Hageman
Piano Studio and Dayton Art Museum; Kennesaw State University, GA, Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, the University of South Carolina at Columbia and Wittenberg
University in Springfield, Ohio.
For further information on this year's festival please contact:
Stephen Siek
Department of Music
P.O. Box 720
Wittenberg University
Springfield, OH 45501-0720
Phone: (937) 327-7348
Fax: (937) 327-7347
music@wittenberg.
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THE MATTHAY NEWS
Matthay News is the title of the Journal of the American Matthay Association.
There follows a brief excerpt from the Fall 1996 journal article entitled: Synopses of
Lectures and Lecture Recitals from the 1996 Matthay Festival
DR. GARY WOLF - "On Memorization"
According to one author, "All learning is memory in one form or
another." The pianist depends on a combination of visual, tactile and aural senses.
There are some who have a mental picture of the score as they perform. Gary uses two
techniques to help the pianist's memory. First, he gives his students a one page piece
(not too hard), has them look at it for fifteen minutes, then he has the student play it
from memory. Gary learned the second technique from Cecil Genhart. Using a two-part
invention by J.S. Bach, Gary played the music until a student said "Stop".
During the stop time Gary continued to think the composition and when the student said
"Start" he re-entered the music. This pattern of stop-think-start continued to
the end of the invention. As you can see the focus must always be on the music and the
student must know what comes next.
Gary suggested to all who play from memory to build on the progression of music
by making chains of sound which then progress to new chains of sound. Keep your mind on
the thing you are doing at the time - don't anticipate too far in advance - expect to use
your automatic response - and work from the sound first then to the key and then the
finger.
From Mr. Matthay's work entitled "On Memorizing and Playing from
Memory" comes the following quote, "The new must be connected-up with something
already present in the mind. Isolated facts mean nothing - they must be connected-up. To
use the memory-way successfully, allow each item of the text to suggest the next. Do not
disturb the memory-progressions in performance."
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List of Educational Works for Pianoforte by Tobias Matthay
in Chronological Order prepared by Jessie Henderson Matthay
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THE ACT
OF TOUCH IN ALL ITS DIVERSITY |
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THE
FIRST PRINCIPLES OF PIANOFORTE PLAYING
Being an abstract from the author's "The Act of Touch". Designed for school use
and with two additional chapters - "Directions for Learners" and "Advise to
Teachers". |
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COMMENTARIES
ON THE TEACHING OF PIANOFORTE TECHNIQUE
A supplement to "The Act of Touch" and "First Principles". |
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RELAXATION
STUDIES - in the muscular discriminations required for touch, agility and expression in
pianoforte playing. |
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THE
PRINCIPLES OF FINGERING AND THE LAWS OF PEDALLING
An abstract from above. |
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THE
FOREARM ROTATION PRINCIPLE: IT APPLICATION AND MASTERY |
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THE
CHILD'S FIRST STEPS IN PIANO PLAYING
Written for children, but also for adults as an introduction to their teaching |
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THE
PIANIST'S FIRST MUSIC MAKING
The music material to accompany above, by Felix Swinstead and Tobias Matthay |
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THE NINE
STEPS TOWARDS FINGER INDIVIDUALIZATION
A supplement to "The Pianist's first Music Making" and "The Child's First
Steps" and summary of technique. These three together are in place of the now
out-of-date "Tutor". |
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DOUBLE-THIRD
SCALES: THEIR FINGERING AND PRACTICE
Practice Card No 1. |
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THE
T.M.P.S. PRACTICE TRIANGLE AND CARD
Exercises for Rotational Freedom, Finger Extension and Freeing. |
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MUSICAL
INTERPRETATION
Its laws and principles, and their application to teaching and performing |
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ON
MEMORIZING
and playing from memory, and on practice generally. A Psychology Lecture. |
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ON
METHOD IN TEACHING: A LECTURE |
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THREE
PSYCHOLOGICAL LECTURE |
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THE ACT
OF MUSICAL CONCENTRATION
A lecture on the function of analysis in playing. |
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THE
VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE
in pianoforte technique: A summary of the laws of technique. |
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AN
EPITOME
from same (for School use). |
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SOME
PIANO FALLACIES OF TODAY |
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THE SLUR
OR COUPLET
of notes in all its variety. Its interpretation and execution. A lecture: A continuation
of "Musical "Interpretation" |
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ON
COLORING AS DISTINCT FROM TONE-INFLECTION
A lecture. |
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FOUR
DAILY EXERCISES
for advanced players |
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THE
APPROACH TO MUSIC
by Tobias Matthay, Harold Craxton and Felix Swinstead.
Book I. "How Do You Do Mr. Piano?"
Book II. First Solos
Book III. First Duets
Book IV. Second Solos
Book V. Second Duets
Book VI. Third Solos
Book VII. Third Duets |
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FIRST
LIGHTS ON PIANO PLAYING |
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THE
GENTLE ART OF CHORD SPREADING: A lecture ready for press. |
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