for a special glory of the
instrument is its power of shading, its flexibility of utterance, from
piano to forte or vice versa. The limits themselves, to be sure, are
not so striking as in certain other instruments, _e.g._, the
pianoforte cannot produce the almost ghostly whisper of which the
clarinet is capable, nor can it equal the trumpet or the trombone in
intensity or volume. But it can produce a very beautiful pianissimo;
and if a sense of relativity be kept, and soft effects begun quietly
enough, it can be made to sound with remarkable brilliancy. The
pianoforte should always be played with a keen regard for this power
of shading, of nuance; the tones should undulate like the winds or the
waves. Anything like the steady sostenuto level for which the organ
shows itself so fitted is, except for special effects, entirely
foreign to the nature of the pianoforte. Nor should we ever attempt to
make it, per se, a loud, overpowering instrument. Its forte and its
brilliancy are purely relative; and, when forced to do something
unsuited to its real nature, it protests with a hard, unmelodious
tone.

[Footnote 213: The few exceptions being the Polish Songs, the Trio for
Violin, 'Cello and Pianoforte and the orchestral accompaniment to the
two Concertos.]

[Footnote 214: There will occur to every one numerous passages in
which the pianoforte is expected to be a kettle-drum, or where the
figuration is far better suited to the violin than to the hand in
connection with keys.]

[Footnote 215: This by reason of its combined powers in melody,
harmony and rhythm. Some of these qualities it shares, to be sure,
with the organ; but the organ is inherently lacking in rhythm, and its
solid, block-like tones do not exercise the same fascination upon the
imagination as do the fleeting sounds of the pianoforte. It is, of
course, possible and desirable to enjoy both instruments--each in its
own proper sphere, and each for its characteristic effects.]

Likewise the two pedals,[216] when their technical names are
understood, imply their own meaning, just as their popular
designations hint at the way in which they are often abused. The pedal
employed by the _right_ foot, properly called the "damper pedal," is
so named because, by its action, _all_ the dampers of the key-board
may be raised simultaneously. This allows the strings to vibrate
together and to send forth great waves of colored sound like those
produced by an Aeolian harp; an