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"Abby Whiteside (Aug 27, 1881 Vermillion, South Dakota – Dec 10, 1956 Menlo Park, CaliforniaA Comparison of the Leschetizky Methods of Piano Techniques Retrieved 2018-11-12.) was an American piano teacher. She challenged the finger-centric approach of much classical piano teaching and instead advocated a holistic attitude in which the arm and torso are the conductors of a musical image conceived first in the mind. Life Whiteside majored in music at the University of South Dakota. After a period spent teaching at the University of Oregon, she studied in Germany with Rudolf Ganz. On returning to the United States and teaching first in Oregon and then New York City, she slowly developed the ideas for which she became known. Ideas The catalyst for the development of Whiteside's philosophy was the realisation that, as she wrote, "...the pupils in my studio played or didn't play, and that was that. The talented ones progressed, the others didn't--and I could do nothing about it." Whiteside, Abbey. (1969). Indispensables of Piano Playing-Mastering the Chopin Etudes and other essays (2nd ed.). New York: C. Scribner's Sons. p.ix Whiteside praised the natural ability of the child prodigy and the jazz pianist, and sought to understand how an untutored technique could be capable of virtuosity. One of her teaching principles stemming from that view was that piano pieces must be assimilated not so much as muscle memory, but as an intrinsic memory of musical content. One of her pedagogical devices to achieve this was to practice works in different keys, or cross-handed, even simultaneously cross-handed in different keys. Then, upon returning to the correct key, hand positions, and tempo, many of the previous problems in technique had been overcome. Another important device—used especially in the correct tempo of the piece, no matter how fast—is what she calls "outlining": skipping notes provided that the basic rhythm and body dynamics of motion were maintained. (Her term "basic rhythm" is explored below.) The pianist uses these techniques to establish the musical content as firmly in the mind as possible, replacing note-to-note technical concentration—and the attendant note-to-note musical attention—with accomplishment of the larger musical phrase. In "Indispensables of Piano Playing" Whiteside describes a fulcrum system that a pianist uses for effective playing. She states that the finger is the fulcrum of the wrist, the wrist the fulcrum of the forearm, the forearm the fulcrum of the upper arm, the upper arm the fulcrum of the shoulder, and the shoulder the fulcrum of the upper body. Whiteside believed all these parts needed to act as one in order to produce good sound and the soul was the chief operator of this system. In her view, fingers are almost useless as agents of either direction or force. Although they might be tutored with much patience to achieve a certain level of dexterity, they possess only limited strength and movement. Indeed, the fourth finger in particular possesses very little of either. Instead, Whiteside advocated the use of the humerus as the principal force for producing a tone at the piano—the shoulder joint, being simultaneously powerful and subtle, is more than capable of doing all the work of any individual finger, and moreover is capable of maneuvering any finger into the optimum position such that a simple downward arm movement is required to sound a note. Thus "weak" fingers (i.e., the fourth finger) are not weak if they are driven by the force of the arm, and exercises to develop their "strength" are a waste of time. More than even the arm, however, Whiteside advocated the concept of a basic rhythm—a somewhat specialized term in her writings which indicated an innate sense of phrasing present in all but the most unmusical humans. This rhythm informs every action involved in producing a musical phrase, with the torso, humerus, forearm, wrist and fingers forming a single mechanism to express it. Thus, trying to create a completely independent finger technique is inhibitive to the unified expression of a musical phrase and only encourages what she called "note-wise procedure"—conceiving music as a sequence of unconnected pitches rather than as a whole. Whiteside considered the Chopin Études to be the exact point at which a finger-based technique broke down—only a technique which used the arm to direct the phrases conceived in the brain could even approach them. She was utterly dismissive of the exercises of Czerny and Hanon, writing: "Hanon is used for developing independent fingers with equal hitting power. Obviously this cannot be accomplished. Each finger may gain more power, but there will still be inequality in the fingers. Fingers need to be only expert in transmitting the power of the arm." Whiteside's sense of muscular use is partly along the lines of the Alexander technique; perhaps the best-known and best-formalized modern school was founded by Dorothy Taubman.The Taubman Approach (Taubman's method is now being carried forward by the Golandsky Institute.) Criticism In spite of the remarkable results Whiteside achieved with her own pupils (many of whom were far from promising when beginning lessons with her), a technique based on independence of the fingers continues to be widely taught; although the notion is now widespread that an effective arm technique is essential to fluent playing and avoiding repetitive strain injury, few teachers have been willing to entirely abandon the concept of finger drilling. Critics have pointed out that only one of Whiteside's pupils, Robert Helps, became known as a concert virtuoso. The same charge could be levelled at an influential contemporary in England, Tobias Matthay, whose only single noted pupil was Myra Hess (actually not true, there were plenty more, like Moura Lympani amongst others). Where some argue that her case is not helped by the inadequacies of her prose style (it has been described as convoluted, unclear, repetitious and poorly structured), a comparison with Matthay reveals that her books are far superior in clarity of prose - she was in any case first and foremost a teacher rather than a writer. The fact that she taught privately would have reduced her chances of having 'concert pianist material' students, since they would almost always prefer to study at a conservatoire. Many great pianists and pedagogues had few if any famous pupils, from Chopin to Dinu Lipatti - they were offering training in authentic pianism, which is often somewhat at odds against the superficial acrobatics of the contemporary concert scene as typified by Lang Lang. Favourable testimonials from adult learners who have read her books are widespread. A recurring theme is that the very same Chopin Études on which she based so much of her teaching had been a stumbling-block until her methods were applied. (It might also have some relevance that Chopin himself is reported to have opposed this idea of equalizing the fingers, which was beginning to catch on in his time.)Eigeldinger, Jean-Jacques: "Chopin: pianist and teacher." Cambridge University Press, 1986. Legacy In addition to Robert Helps, two of Whiteside's pupils became noted teachers in their own right: Joseph Prostakoff, who taught the noted jazz pianist and educator Barry Harris, and Sophia Rosoff, who taught Harris as well as jazz pianists Fred Hersch and Ethan Iverson. Whiteside also tutored two American composers: Morton Gould and Vivian Fine. In the late 1950s, Rosoff set up the Abby Whiteside Foundation, dedicated to promote her ideas, train teachers and performers and organize recitals by pianists trained in Whiteside's methods. Works * Whiteside, Abby, 2003. Abby Whiteside on Piano Playing: Indispensables of Piano Playing, Mastering the Chopin Etudes and Other Essays. Joseph Prostakoff, Sophia Rosoff, eds. Amadeus Press, Portland. [Indispensables orig. pub. posthumously, 1955; Mastering orig. pub. posthumously, 1969]. . * References External links * The Abby Whiteside Foundation * The Golandsky Institute * 1881 births 1956 deaths People from Vermillion, South Dakota American music educators University of South Dakota alumni University of Oregon faculty "
"Mouth of the Still River is traversed by a bridge that carries the Housatonic Railroad near Lovers Leap State Park The Still River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 tributary to the Housatonic River in Western Connecticut. Course and watershed The Still River headwaters emanate from Farrington's Pond () at the New York border with Danbury, Connecticut. It meanders through Sanfords Pond () and Lake Kenosia () before entering a concrete aqueduct near downtown Danbury. It then turns north, becoming a more conventional river as it cuts through Brookfield and southern New Milford before joining with the Housatonic (). The river has a drainage area of 85 square miles, and a mean flow of 377 cubic feet per second.Hobbs, W. H. (1901). Character of the Drainage. In Still Rivers of Western Connecticut (Vol. 13, pp. 17-26). Bulletin of the Geological Society of America. The Still River has a brief but impactful history that has influenced its condition today. The farming industry in Danbury led to extreme pollution in the river. Beginning around the 1860s, the river again experienced significant mercury pollution from the hatting industry that continued for several years. This pollution had both ecological and anthropogenic effects on the surrounding environment, eventually leading to a need for remediation and cleanup. History Even before the hatting industry began in the late 1700s, the Still River was known as a dead river. This was due to pollution from farms in the area surrounding Danbury, CT. Farmers used the river as a cite to get rid of waste and other toxic debris. Historical documents from Danbury and surrounding towns cited the river as a sewage dump around the 1880s, and the water was unusable for both agricultural and industrial use. It wasn't until a court case ruling in 1895, along with the Clean Water Act in 1972 that the city of Danbury was required to take responsibility for the sate of the riverhttps://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/water/watershed_management/wm_plans/still/stillriverdanburywbppdf.pdf. In 1993, Danbury constructed a new sewage treatment plant to help improve water quality. In 2014, the Still River Partners was created with the hopes of rebuilding the watershed, and as of 2019, this group is still responsible for maintaining and improving the river. Pollution Mercury nitrate was discharged to the river by the hatting industry from circa 1860 through the first half of the 1900s. The hat factories used the chemical in the felt making process to remove animal fur from pelts. During this time, levels of mercury were found to be 5-10 ppm with extremes up to 100 ppm. These levels were about 500 times higher than background levels. Although the hatting industry was the main cause of mercury pollution, there were other industries that contributed as well. The P. Robinson Fur Cutting Company was a fur removal company sited on the Still River. During the peak of the hatting industry, mercury pollution transported via the river's current into the Housatonic River, and into the Long Island Sound. The mercury pollution was detrimental to the river's life and the surrounding ecosystems, and didn't start to fully rebound until the construction of the sewage treatment plant. Many species of fish can now be found, and kayak ramps have been installed downriver from Danbury. Cleanup and Remediation At least three organizations have an interest in preserving the Still River and its watershed. Spearheaded by Danbury's Health Department, the Still River Alliance was organized in 1995 as a consortium of three different groups. The Alliance developed a website (see external links below) which has not been updated for several years. Due to budget cuts, the driving force behind the Alliance, Jack Kozuchowski, retired and the Still River Alliance seems to have floundered since then. Mr. Kozuchowski is currently an environmental consultant. Coordinated by the Housatonic Valley Association and with funding from Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, key stakeholders and municipalities formed the Still River Partners group and launched an EPA approved watershed planning process to improve the water quality of the Still River which is still active today. Development and Conservation The Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership is striving to develop a River Trail on the Still and Housatonic rivers for canoeing and kayaking. They periodically organize river clean-ups, using paid contractors and volunteers, to clear debris from the river. They also lobby for kayak put-in/out ramps. The beginning of the trail is located behind the Marriott Courtyard hotel, just off of Route 84 (Exit 8) in Danbury. Rapids interrupt the river trail in Brookfield (no portage is available), and three dams across the Housatonic require portages along the way to Long Island Sound.The dams include the Shepaug Dam that impounds Lake Lillinonah, the Stevenson Dam Hydroelectric Plant that impounds Lake Zoar, and the Derby Dam between Derby and Shelton that impounds Lake Housatonic. The Still River Preserve in Brookfield covers about adjacent to the river. The preserve is owned by Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust of New Milford, Connecticut. The city of Danbury has a $4.85 million bonding package, approved in a February 2008 referendum, for use in building recreational projects on city-owned land. A list of potential projects was prepared. It includes completing the native plant hedgerow at Lake Kenosia (part of the Still River, west of the city) and doing a feasibility study to build a boardwalk and bird-watching site on about the city owns in Mill Plain Swamp (Lake Kenosia discharges into the swamp, which drains into the Still River). A separate $6.6 million bonding package, approved in the same referendum, could be used to purchase Sanford's Pond and building a trail through it. See also *List of rivers in Connecticut *List of rivers in New York *Still River Greenway References External links *Still River Alliance *Housatonic Valley Economic Development Partnership *Weantinoge Heritage Brookfield, Connecticut Geography of Danbury, Connecticut New Milford, Connecticut Rivers of New York (state) Rivers of Fairfield County, Connecticut Rivers of Connecticut Rivers of Putnam County, New York Tributaries of Housatonic River "
"Portrait of Kaspar von Zumbusch, c. 1900 Kaspar [Clemens Eduard] Zumbusch (23 November 1830 – 27 September 1915), as of 1888 Ritter von Zumbusch (a nobiliary particle), was a German sculptor, born at Herzebrock, Westphalia, who became a pre-eminent sculptor of neo-Baroque monuments in Vienna. He went at the age of eighteen to study in Munich. at first unsuccessfully at the Academy and then Polytechische Schule under Johann Halbig. He continued his studies in Rome. He won the competition in 1866 for a monument to Maximilian II of Bavaria, for the Maximilianstraße, Munich (unveiled 1875). In 1873 he was called to Vienna as professor in the academy, a post he held until he was made Professor Emeritus in 1901. His most important works are a statue of Count Rumford, Munich; and the monuments to Prince August of Prussia (Bellevue Park, Berlin), Beethoven (1873-1880, Vienna), Maria Theresa (1887, Vienna), and to Emperor William I (1896, Wittekindsberg, Westphalia). Also in Vienna are his monuments to Count Radetzky (1891) and to Archduke Albrecht (1898-1899). He also modeled many private funeral monuments, decorative works, and portrait busts, including one of Wagner. He died in 1915 at Rimsting. His brother Julius Zumbusch was a sculptor and one of his sons Ludwig von Zumbusch was a graphic artist and painter. Another of his sons, Leo von Zumbusch was a dermatologist known for his contribution to the identification of generalized pustular psoriasis. Among his pupils was the Friulian sculptor Alfonso Canciani. Maxmonument.JPGMonument to Maximilian II of Bavaria, 1866 Wien - Maria-Theresien-Denkmal.JPGStatue of Maria Theresa in Vienna, 1872-1887 Albertina Vienna June 2006 612.jpgMonument to Archduke Albrecht before Albertina in Vienna, 1898–99 Wien - Beethoven-Denkmal.JPGMonument to Beethoven in Vienna, 1880 Beethovenplatz 12.JPGPutti on the Beethoven monument, 1880 References External links * 1830 births 1915 deaths 20th-century German sculptors 20th- century male artists 19th-century German sculptors German male sculptors Members of the Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art "