Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

SGAMBATI 59
fainted away. ' He is coining to, however,' added the
man ;
' he is getting up his courage ; he has already
spoken, and asked if he might be allowed to finish
his examination. Ah ! there he is playing again ;'
and, mindful of our promise, we once more retned to
a distant room, and in about twenty minutes were
joined by our friend and fellow-student. He looked
very happy, and so, indeed, he well might be ;
for he
had played his longest and most difficult trial-piece
quite exceptionally well, and he got a much higher
number of marks than he had ever dared to hope.
But to return to the relation of my studies with
Sgambati. He gave me the scales to practise in
thirds, and arpeggios in the diminished seventh, for
raising the fingers from the key-board—recommend-
ing these as the best possible daily drills for the
fingers. He also gave me some guidance in the first
book of KuUak's octave studies, and he tried to
initiate me into the elastic swing and movement of
the wrist, so important in the octave - playing of
modern compositions. Sgambati's playing of Liszt
was, now that I compare him with many others
whom I have since heard, more poetical than any.
In the sudden fortissimi so characteristic of the school
his tone was always rich and full, never wooden or
shrill ; while his jdanisisimi were so subtle and
delicate, and the nuances, the touches of beauty,
were fraught with a sighing, hngering, quite inimit-
able sweetness, which one could compare to nothing