. For the first
time I found musical notation interesting, for then I realized that it
was not necessary for me to wait until some one else played a piece
before I could begin to explore its beauties. Ah! it was wonderful,
those first days with the pieces. I was in a new country and could
hardly wait to master one at a time, so eager was I to reach the next
one and see just what it was like.

Herr Dreckendorf gave me some studies by Dussek, Cramer, the
_Inventions_ of Bach, etc., but before long the fascination of playing
beautiful pieces was so great that he found it hard to keep me away from
them.

EARLY REPERTORY

So hungry was I to find new musical works that when I was eight and a
half years old I could play from memory such pieces as the B flat minor
Scherzo, the A flat major Polonaise, and most of the Valses and Etudes
of Chopin. I also played the Sixth Rhapsody of Liszt and the C minor
Concerto of Beethoven.

In the mean time we moved to Berlin and this has been our home ever
since, so you see I have seen far more of Germany than of my native
country, Spain. In fact, it seems more natural for me to speak German
than Spanish. At the age of seven it was my good fortune to come under
the instruction of Alberto Jonas, the Spanish virtuoso, who for many
years was at the head of a large music school in America. I can never be
grateful enough to him, for he has taught me without remuneration and
not even a father could be kinder to me. When I left Berlin for my
present tour, tears came to our eyes, because I knew I was leaving my
best friend. Most of my present repertory has been acquired under Jonas
and he has been so, so exacting.

He also saw to it that my training was broad, and not confined to those
composers whose works appealed most to me. The result is that I now
appreciate the works of all the composers for the piano. Beethoven I
found very absorbing. I learned the _Appassionata Sonata_ in one week's
time, and longed for more. My teacher, however, insisted upon my going
slowly, and mastering all the little details.

I have also developed a great fondness for Bach, because I like to find
how he winds his melodies in and out, and makes such beautiful things of
them. I play a great deal of Bach, including the G minor organ Fugue,
which Liszt played the devil with in arranging it for the piano.
Goodness knows, it was difficult enough for the organ in its original
form! I don't see why Liszt wanted to mak