exceeds the fourth grade, yet
they are little poems that the greatest artist could play with pleasure.

Perhaps, on the whole, the songs of Grieg show his remarkable talent in
its most favorable light, and for this purpose those in the first Grieg
Album of Schirmer are as good as any. Accordingly, it is from this
that the selections of the illustrative programs are taken. For low
voice, "Sunset" and the "Cradle Song" are both very delightful, the
latter particularly so. The former might be sung by baritone, but the
latter requires an alto. Yet another song for low voice, which would
indeed be better for a baritone than alto, is "The Poet's Last Song," a
noble lyric of elevated sentiment. For high voice, "Good Morning" and
"Thanks for Thy Hand" are both unusually fine songs.

No doubt other examples equally good are to be found in other works of
Grieg, of which the house of G. Schirmer publishes four volumes, which,
being in the Schirmer Edition, are sold at moderate prices. From
these, should it be more convenient, other selections could be made.

CHAPTER IV.

RUBINSTEIN AND TSCHAIKOWSKY.

ANTON RUBINSTEIN.

For the purposes of the musical amateur and pianist, the two most
important of the well-established Russian composers are Rubinstein and
Tschaikowsky. It is by no means easy to make up a satisfactory
half-program from either composer, and this without in any way
disparaging their remarkable genius, which had personal qualities of a
very marked character and a richness of musical inspiration in certain
directions rarely surpassed. But in both these masters there is an
element which is peculiarly Russian; a fondness for force as such, and
for stormy passion. Moreover, both composers have in their nature
intense contradictions, which render it extremely difficult to compile
a short list of pieces in any way satisfactorily representing their
individualities.

Anton Rubinstein, as is well known, was one of the most distinguished
piano virtuosi who hay appeared since Liszt. He was born, November 28,
1830, at a place called Wechwotynez, and died at Peterhof, near St.
Petersburg, November 20, 1894. Soon after his birth his parents
settled in Moscow, where his father had a pencil factory. Rubinstein's
mother was very musical, and from her he received his earliest
instruction, up to his seventh year, when he became a pupil of a local
musician named Villoing, who was his only teacher. In 1840 he a