[Illustration:  GUSTAV SAENGER, with hand-written note]

“They have such fundamental value, that they allow of infinite variety of treatment and editorial presentation.  Every student who has reached a certain degree of technical proficiency takes them up.  Yet when studying them for the first time, as a rule it is all he can do to master them in a purely superficial way.  When he has passed beyond them, he can return to them with greater technical facility and, because of their infinite variety, find that they offer him any number of new study problems.  As with Kreutzer—­an essential to ’Violin Mastery’—­so it is with Rode, Fiorillo, and Gavinies.  Editorial care has prepared the studies in distinct editions, such as those of Hermann and Singer, specifically for the student, and that of Emil Kross, for the advanced player.  These editions give the work of the teacher a more direct proportion of result.  The difference between the two types is mainly in the fingering.  In the case of the student editions a simple, practical fingering of positive educational value is given; and the student should be careful to use editions of this kind, meant for him.  Kross provides many of the etudes with fingerings which only the virtuoso player is able to apply.  Aside from technical considerations the absolute musical beauty of many of these studies is great, and they are well suited for solo performance.  Rode’s Caprices, for instance, are particularly suited for such a purpose, and many of Paganini’s famous Caprices have found a lasting place in the concert repertory, with piano accompaniments by artists like Kreisler, Eddy Brown, Edward Behm and Max Vogrich—–­ the last-named composer’s three beautiful ‘Characteristic Pieces’ after Paganini are worth any violinist’s attention.

AMERICAN EDITORIAL IDEALS

“In this country those intrusted with editorial responsibility as regards violin music have upheld a truly American standard of independent judgment.  The time has long since passed when foreign editions were accepted on their face value, particularly older works.  In a word, the conscientious American editor of violin music reflects in his editions the actual state of progress of the art of violin playing as established by the best teachers and teaching methods, whether the works in question represent a higher or lower standard of artistic merit.

“And this is no easy task.  One must remember that the peculiar construction of the violin with regard to its technical possibilities makes the presentation of a violin piece difficult from an editorial standpoint.  A composition may be so written that a beginner can play it in the first position; and the same number may be played with beautiful effects in the higher positions by an artist.  This accounts for the fact that in many modern editions of solo music for violin, double fingerings, for student and advanced players respectively, are indicated—­an