The Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 18, 1943 Page: 4 of 4
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THRESHES
By Rosemary King
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The middle of the nineteenth cen-
tury saw piano music raised to a
pinacle of perfection never before
equaled nor since surpassed. The
three musicians to whom this de^
velopment is chiefly due are fc&Bert
Schumann as composer, Franz Liszt
as pianist, and Frederic Chopin as
both player and composer.
Chopin was known as the piano
poet who exerted a more subtle in-
fluence on his art than any other
writer of instrumental music. With
but few exceptions he labored in one
field, that of piano composition, and
he expressed himself in the smaller
musical forms. That a composition
is colossal in proportions does not
signify that it is great, and some
of the shortest of Chopin's produc-
tions are gems of the rarest beau-
ty. At the present time it is the test
of a good pianist to be able to play
his works with understanding-.
Like Schubert, he died too young,
being at the summit of his powers,
and thus preventing him from ever
returning home to Poland from Par-
is, where it was said that there were
more pianists than in the rest of
the world. He remained, neverthe-
less, an intense patriot, and perhaps
in a greater degree than any other
composer he reflects his own char-
acter in his music. The two predom-
inating elements of his music are
those of personality and Polish na-
tionality, and in addition a French
influence can be traced in the deli-
cacy of his style and finish, as well
as his mastery of German musical
science.
Polish folk music is rich in songs
and dances, and Chopin early ac-
quainted himself with their melodies.
Contrary to the tendancy of the
time, Chopin did not give poetic
titles to his pieces, but there is a
clear poetic meaning behind his
work. His sharp contrasts of mood
and the vagueness of outline and va-
riety of rhythm are all characteris-
tics of the romantic school. The run-
ning passages require a peculiar | nata,'
technique which he himself invented.
He exacts ^reat things of the pedal,
fingers, and wrist, while his compo-
sitions require the most delicate
touch and an ear of the finest train-
ing. Chopin had these requirements
of remarkable flexible hands and a
peculiarly singing touch, although he
seldom played in public concert halls.
The forms known as mazurka and
polonaise originated in Poland, but i Society
Chopin's mazurkas-are imitations of!
national dances, yet enlarged and i
national dance. Their fascination
largely lies in the frequent change
of mood- some are cheerful, others
sad and depressing—and the Polish
temperament is discernible in all.
The polonaise is a stately march,
or procession, rather than a dance,
It originated at the courts and was
a brilliant spectacle, often partici-
pated in by the royalty of the land.
This type of music, combined with
a heroic and military character,
formed one type of Chopin's polo-
naises, like the one in A flat. His
other kind, as the F sharp minor, is
chiefly melancholy in tone.
The scherzos and ballads are
among his finest works also, as are
the impromptus and fantasies. Hith-
erto the scherzo has been a move-
ment of a sonata, but Chopin applied
the form to an independent piece
for piano. Then, he is also known for
his preludes and less difficult com-
positions, as the nocturnes
Chopin wrote nothing of impor-
tance for the orchestra; it is evident
that he did not care to undergo the
training necessary for this field of
composition, for his orchestration is
thin and uninteresting, while his per-
fect understanding of the powers of
the piano was used to the utmost.
One may venture the opinion that
his concertos are not his best work,
but it would be daring to assert that
there is not great music in the'm.
There is a marked difference be-
The members of the Ave Maria
Club will attend mass at the Holy
Rosary Church Sunday morning at
10. Afterwards everyone will have
breakfast together. The elub is mak
ing plans for a Christmas party and
a Hayride.
The Canterbury Club will have a
luncheon tomorrow at 12:15, at Au
try House. Plans for a Christmas
party will be made, and nominations
for new officers will be held. The
navy boys can obtain permission to
attend the early services each month,
but they cannot get liberty for the
luncheon.
The Rice Student Chapter of the
American Society of Civil Engineers
will meet at 7:30 tonight in the
Senior Commons. All civil engineers
are urged to attend.
0
Dr. Hardin Craig—
(Continued from page 1)
in 1913. He died in office at the age
of 68, February 26, 1935. A compre-
hensive review of his work as schol-
ar and lecturer was delivered at the
Rice Institute after his death by
Dr. Alan D. McKillop, his successor
as Chairman of the Department.
Professor McKillop's memorial ad-
dress was published in the Rice In-
stitute Pamphlet for January, 1937.
Doctor Craig was associated with
Professor Axson at Princeton Uni-
versity as graduate student and col-
twoen them and his other music
written for the piano, as shown in (league.
the E Minor Concerto for Piano, i When Woodrow Wilson, as Presi-
where he chose to forswear roman-1 dent of Princeton University, inau-
ticism as far as it affected form gurated the preceptorial system,
and to adhere closely to the class-
ical concerto model. In spite of this
Hardin Craig' was promoted from an
instructorship to be Edgerstoune
conflict between classicism in the J Preceptor in English. This post he
form and romanticism in the sub-
stance, George Sand, Chopin's friend
and biographer, made the famous
statement that in this work the com-
poser made the instrument speak the
language of the infinite.
Chopin is probably best known to
the general public by the "Funeral
March" from his "B-Flat Minor So-
both by its familiar and
stately theme and by the story as-
sociated with its composition. When
he saw Polignac's pet skeleton placed
at the piano he sat down beside it
and composed from beginning to end
this "Dead March," which was later
played at his own funeral in an or-
chestrated arrangement.
0
(Continued from paye 2)
KTcatly developed. By means of in-
!,i irate harmony and varied treat-
ment, the common dance became one
iif the higher musical forms. Chopin
wrote his mazurkas in a style dis-
tinctly his own; no other composer
has so fully caught the spirit of this
the decoration. The new members
include: Pat West, Ann Martin, Jane
Crow, Catherine Thompson, Gene
Brogniez, Lila Gordon, Marie Jo
Johnston, Allene Lummis, Louise
Loose, Caroline Fay, Barbara Cur-
tin, and Mary Martha Headrick.
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held from 1905 to 1910. In the lat-
ter year he became Professor of
English at the University of Minne-
sota. From that institution he was
an leave during the first world war,
receiving his discharge, December
30, 1918, as Captain in the Quarter-
master Corps. He served as Major
in the Quartermaster Reserve Corps
from 1919 to 1928. In 1919 he be-
came Professor of English and Head
of the Department at the State Uni-
versity of Iowa. This position he
resigned in 1928 to become Profes-
sor of English at Stanfoi-d Univer-
sity.
Professor Craig's career as stu-
dent, teacher, and scholar has car-
ried him straight across the conti-
nent by decades of sevice, East.
North, Middle West, and the Far
West. In these several sections he
has been Uniformly successful. His
achievements . are commensurate
with the first-rate opportunities he
has enjoyed. Born a Southerner, he
is again in the South.
0
Rice Graduates—
(Continued from page 1)
man in the entire class and the oth-
er two are also close to the top. It
is no accident that Rice Institute
men have done so well because I know
from long experience the calibre of
their training. I also know that your
registrar was one of those who co-
operated with us when we recruited
for this class. I want to thank you
for haying sent these men to us and
remain
Ve^y truly yours,
J. Kaplan, Chairman,
Department of Physics—
Meteorology"
Rice-TCU—
(Continued from page 1)
nonetheless useful to the team,
which is sadly lacking in reserves.
Rice Ready
The Rice team is in its best con-
dition to date, with only one man,
Leonard Kilgore, who has a sprained
thumb, on the injured list. The other-
boys are ready to go and all are
ea|er to help their coach keep his
record of no defeats from TCU in-
tact.
* v. .
(Continued from page 2)
the banquet held at San Jacinto Bat.
tie Ground. That's the kind ol party
we would like to hear more about—
without the near wrecks coming
home, of course. Chili's romance
seemed to fade away in church on
Sunday. What is to beeome of our
cheerleader wolf without the re-
straining influence of Patty? John
MacKenzie looked more than slightly
green when his sister, a pretty lieu-
tenant in the WACS, appeared on
the campus Monday morning. Don't
give up, Mac, that gold braid will be
forthcoming someday now. Speaking
of lieutenants, Steve Wilson is back
in Houston again and Mary Clarke
is happy with .the best of them. It's
also good to see Melvin Campbell in
Sallyport again. According to Ralph
there's going to be a mighty fine
party in his honor Wednesday night.
Stanley Young hit the Balanese
Room again, we are glad to hear, and
with his old flame, Betty Love. Well,
what are you waiting for, Stone
face? Mollie Alexander has a pin.
We not only want to know whose it
is, but why she takes it off every
gjgjj
Iff.
ToHonorCouncU
Hie Honor Council announces the
appointment of Ann Martin and R.
C. Wheatley as freshman represen-
tatives to the Council. Wheatley is
a native of Glendale, California.
At its last meeting the Council
voted to have a picnic at Memorial
Park on November 28. Mary Claris
Jarvis was appointed chairman of
the picnic committee.
time a certain person leaves town.
Congratulations, Margie Nell Hous-
ton, on that beautiful engagement
ring, and Lene Holman, also.
Nelsie "L'Amour" Love sings con-
tinually, "Someday My Prince Will
Come" back again in his beautiful
green convertible. Why does Jean
Greenman blush everytime some-
one acuses her of courtin' in the li-
brary. Guilty conscience, Jean?
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The Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 29, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, November 18, 1943, newspaper, November 18, 1943; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth230593/m1/4/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.