me was a tone lower than in our days. The organ of St.
Merry had a pitch in B flat. In addition to the tempi and the different
instruments which make the execution difficult, one must add the
recitatives which were very much employed and of which at that time a
serious study was made. I recall a beautiful example of recitative in
the "Iphigenia in Tauris."

We come now to the modern epoch. From the time of Liszt, who not only
revolutionized the performance of music on the piano, but also the way
of writing it, authors give to performers all necessary indications, and
they have only to carefully observe them. There are, however, some
interesting remarks applicable to the music of Chopin which recent
editions unfortunately are commencing to falsify. Chopin detested the
abuse of the pedal. He could not bear that through an ignorant
employment of the pedal two different chords should be mixed in tone
together. Therefore, he has given indications with the greatest pains.
Employing it where he has not indicated it, must be avoided. But great
skill is necessary to thus do without the pedal. Therefore, in the
new editions of the author, no account of the author's indications
whatever is observed. Thus in the "Cradle Song," where the author has
indicated that the pedal be put on each measure and taken off in the
middle of it, modern editions preserve the pedal throughout the entire
measure, thus mixing up hopelessly the tonic with the dominant, which
the composer was so careful to avoid.

A question of the greatest importance in playing the music of Chopin is
that of "tempo rubato." That does not mean, as many think, that the time
is to be dislocated. It means permitting great liberty to the singing
part or melody of the composition, while the accompaniment keeps
rigorous time. Mozart played in this way and he speaks of it in one of
his letters and he describes it marvelously, only the term "tempo
rubato" had not at that time been invented. This kind of playing,
demanding complete independence of the two hands, is not within the
ability of everybody. Therefore, to give the illusion of such effect,
players dislocate the bass and destroy the rhythm of the bar. When to
this disorder is joined the abuse of the pedal, there results that
vicious execution which, passing muster, is generally accepted in the
salons and often elsewhere.

Another plague in the modern execution of music is the abuse of the
tremolo by both singers and in