I enjoy most, musically, is to play
together with another good artist. That is why I have had such great
artistic pleasure in the joint recitals I have given with Harold Bauer.
We could play things that were really worth while for each of us--for
the piano parts of the modern sonatas call for a virtuose technical and
musical equipment, and I have had more satisfaction from this _ensemble_
work than I would have had in playing a long list of solo pieces.

"The ideal violin program, to play in public, as I conceive it, is one
that consists of absolute music, or should it contain virtuose pieces,
then these should have some definite musical quality of soul, character,
elegance or charm to recommend them. I think one of the best programs I
have ever played in America is that which I gave with Harold Bauer at
AEolian Hall, New York, during the season of 1917-1918:

Sonata in B flat . . . . . . _Mozart_
BAUER-THIBAUD

Scenes from Childhood . . . . _Schumann_
H. BAUER

Poeme . . . . . . . . . _E. Chausson_
J. THIBAUD

Sonata . . . . . . . . . _Cesar Franck_
BAUER-THIBAUD

Or perhaps this other, which Bauer and I played in Boston, during
November, 1913:

Kreutzer Sonata . . . . . . _Beethoven_
BAUER-THIBAUD

Sarabanda }
Giga } . . . . . . . _J.S. Bach_
Chaconne }
J. THIBAUD

Kreisleriana . . . . . . . _Schumann_
H. BAUER

Sonata . . . . . . . . . _Cesar Franck_
BAUER-THIBAUD

Either of these programs is artistic from the standpoint of the
compositions represented. And even these programs are not too
short--they take almost two hours to play; while for my ideal program an
hour-and-a-half of beautiful music would suffice. You will notice that I
believe in playing the big, fine things in music; in serving roasts
rather than too many _hors d'oeuvres_ and pastry.

"On a solo program, of course, one must make some concessions. When I
play a violin concerto it seems fair enough to give the public three or
four nice little things, but--always pieces which are truly musical, not
such as are