ed in his
editions of Beethoven and Chopin! As Goethe said of himself, we can say
of Klindworth--he has carved his own monument in this work. We should
revere him for the great service he has done the pianistic world.

"I always love to play in America, and each time I come I discover how
much you have grown. The musical development here is wonderful. This
country is very far from being filled with a mercenary and commercial
spirit. If Europeans think so it is because they do not know the
American at home. Your progress in music is a marvel! There is a great
deal of idealism here, and idealism is the very heart and soul of music.

"I feel the artist has such a beautiful calling--a glorious message--to
educate a people to see the beauty and grandeur of his art--of the
ideal!"

XXII

WILHELM BACHAUS

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS DISCUSSED

"How do I produce the effects which I obtain from the piano?"

The young German artist, Willielm Bachaus, was comfortably seated in his
spacious apartments at the Ritz, New York, when this question was asked.
A grand piano stood close at hand, and the pianist ran his fingers
lightly over its keys from time to time, or illustrated some technical
point as he talked.

"In answer I would say I produce them by listening, criticizing,
judging--working over the point, until I get it as I want it. Then I can
reproduce it at will, if I want to make just the same effect; but
sometimes I want to change and try another.

[Illustration: WILHELM BACHAUS]

"I am particular about the seat I use at the piano, as I sit lower than
most amateurs, who in general are apt to sit too high. My piano stool
has just been taken out for a few repairs, or I could show you how low
it is. Then I am old-fashioned enough to still believe in scales and
arpeggios. Some of the players of the present day seem to have no use
for such things, but I find them of great importance. This does not
necessarily mean that I go through the whole set of keys when I practise
the scales; but I select a few at a time, and work at those. I start
with ridiculously simple forms--just the hand over the thumb, and the
thumb under the hand--a few movements each way, especially for
arpeggios. The principle I have referred to is the difficult point; a
few doses of this remedy, however, bring the hand up into order again."

The pianist turned to the keyboard and illustrated the point very
clearly.

"As you see, I slant the hand consi