Kalkbrenner & Co.

In chapter 8 of Gerig's text we are introduced to the 'devils, and black sheep and really bad eggs' of piano pedagogy's history. These are the Dr. Frankensteins of the pedagogical world, who sought to engineer good pianists by hooking them up to fantastic mechanisms which irrepressibly bring to my mind visions of Beyonce's famous hand jewelry in her even more famous video about single ladies.

Kalkbrenner, maker of one of these mechanical monstrosities for 'enhancing' technique is the poster boy for these sorts of machines, so it is on him I will concentrate. Firstly, while these contraptions had many problems, not least of which are the possibility of injury, and weakening of the muscles, it is interesting to note why they were invented, and to remember the tradition they came from. Up until around this time, the finger school of playing had been almost universally acknowledged, and the correct treatment of the hands was of paramount importance. Playing the piano, to increase one's polish and education, was also in the public consciousness, increasing the need for ways to teach good technique, quickly.

In to this situation steps Kalkbrenner, snapping his suspenders and flashing a cheesy grin, ready to improve everyone's technique. But while he certainly made money and reputation off of his invention, what he says about its use is interesting to me. He speaks about issues with his trills, tension in his hand, and seeking a way to reduce tension. Reducing tension is something I have thought about for years, and I have recently been considering its value in trilling; I trill only with my hand, relaxing the rest of my arm. This aspect of trilling made reconsider what Kalkbrenner was trying to do with his invention. Yes, resting one's arms on a bar while playing sounds terrible for the health, but perhaps the relaxation it would achieve in the arms is worth thinking about, and attempting to emulate in certain aspects our playing.

This idea of finger technique seems to pervade most of the philosophies on playing of the people mentioned in this chapter (a fair number of whom, I should mention in all fairness are neither devils, black sheep nor bad eggs). These are the last of the older finger school, and some, like Moscheles should be congratulated for for beginning to welcome in the new style of music that was emerging.