n practise and in playing; on the
spiritualization of the tones, of getting behind the notes to find the
composer's meaning. He had, perhaps, a more poetic conception of piano
playing than any master I have known, and was able to impart these ideas
in clear and simple language.

The first composition considered was Schumann's Nachtstueck, the fourth
of the set. He had a peculiar way of turning the hand on the middle
finger, as on a pivot, for the extended chords, at the same time raising
the whole outer side of the hand, so that the fifth finger should be
able to play the upper melody notes round and full. In the middle
section he desired great tenderness and sweetness of tone. "There are
several dissonances in this part," he said, "and they ought to be
somewhat accented--suspensions I might call them. In Bach and Handel's
time, the rules of composition were very strict--no suspensions were
allowed; so they were indicated where it was not permitted to write
them."

Chopin's etude in sixths came up for analysis. "This study needs a very
easy, quiet, limpid touch--the motions all gliding and sliding rather
than pushing and forceful. I would advise playing it at first
_pianissimo_; the wrist held rather low, the knuckles somewhat high,
and the fingers straightened. In preparation for each pair of notes
raise the fingers and let them down--not with a hard brittle touch, if I
may use the word, but with a soft, velvety one. A composition like this
needs to be idealized, spiritualized, taken out of everyday life. Take,
for instance, the Impromptu Op. 36, Chopin; the first part of it is
something like this etude, soft, undulating--smooth as oil. There is
something very uncommon, spiritual, heavenly, about the first page of
that Impromptu--very little of the earth, earthy. The second page is in
sharp contrast to the first, it comes right down to the hard, everyday
business of life--it is full of harsh, sharp tones. Well, the idea of
that first page we get in this study in sixths. I don't want the bare
tones that stand there on the printed page; I want them
spiritualized--that is what reveals the artist. In the left hand the
first note should have a clear, brittle accent, with firm fifth finger,
and the double sixths played with the creeping, clinging movement I have
indicated. If I should practise this etude for half an hour, you might
be surprised at the effects I could produce. Perhaps it might take ten
hours, but in the end