The Dearth of Accompanists

SIR,-How is it that so few musicians can accompany?Is this the reason why at so many concerts violin or 'cello sonatas are never heard?Anyone who plays a stringed instrument knows that nothing is so tiring as to rehearse well-known concertos and other works which every musician worthy the name ought at least to have some knowledge of.I have lately heard four of London's best pianists.The accompanying of one of them was certainly everything that could be desired; another was certainly accurate, but mechanical to the last degree; the other two had only one idea, so far as I could discern, viz., to smash the pianoforte.How any string quartet could play with such blacksmiths (the only term that accurately describes such thumping) I cannot imagine.Hundreds of singers have failed simply because their accompanists had no idea of interpretation, nor desired to get it.With perhaps two exceptions we have had no one to equal the late Henry Bird, yet personally I never saw anything in his playing that could not be acquired by any pianist of average intelligence ; the difficulty is that unless a pianist has the gift it is useless to try and explain what one wants.Is accompanying a branch of study at our music colleges?If so, the results are poor in the extreme.-Yours,&c., A. M. GIFFORD.Hunstanton. AN INTERESTING SPECIFICATIONSIR,-At p. 39 of your January issue you quote from Le Monde Musical a specification of a unique organ, of six stops divided into two sections.This reminds me of a specification I have had for many years, but cannot say whence it came.The full tone is stated to be quite satisfactory

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