e the ideas he endeavored to convey, would annoy the sensitive and
nervous little Doctor; he would become impatient, sarcastic and begin to
pace the floor with hasty strides. When in this state he could see
little that was worthy in the student's performance, for a small error
would be so magnified as to dwarf everything that was excellent. When
the lion began to roar, it behooved the players to be circumspect and
meek. At other times, when the weather was fair in the class-room,
things went with tolerable smoothness. He did not trouble himself much
about technic, as of course a pupil coming to him was expected to be
well equipped on the technical side; his chief concern was to make clear
the content and interpretation of the composition. In the lessons he
often played detached phrases and passages for and with the student,
but never played an entire composition.

One of the most remarkable things about this eccentric man was his
prodigious memory. Nearly every work for piano which could be mentioned
he knew and could play from memory. He often expressed the opinion that
no pianist could be considered an artist unless he or she could play at
least two hundred pieces by heart. He, of course, more than fulfilled
this requirement, not only for piano but for orchestral music. As
conductor of the famous Meiningen orchestra, he directed every work
given without a note of score before him--considered a great feat in
those days. He was a ceaseless worker, and his eminence in the world of
music was more largely due to unremitting labor than to genius.

From the many suggestions to the Berlin class, the following have been
culled.

"To play correctly is of the first importance; to play beautifully is
the second requirement. A healthy touch is the main thing. Some people
play the piano as if their fingers had _migrane_ and their wrists were
rheumatic. Do not play on the sides of the finger nor with a sideways
stroke, for then the touch will be weak and uncertain.

"Clearness we must first have; every line and measure, every note must
be analyzed for touch, tone, content and expression.

"You are always your first hearer; to be one's own critic is the most
difficult of all.

"When a new theme enters you must make it plain to the listener; all the
features of the new theme, the new figure, must be plastically brought
out.

"Brilliancy does not depend on velocity but on clarity. What is not
clear cannot scintillate nor sparkl