“In my own case, I was forced by necessity to make headway quickly.  I came to Paris years ago as a violinist, but there seemed no opening for me then in that direction.  There was opportunity, however, for ensemble work with a good violinist and ’cellist.  So I set to work to acquire facility on the piano as quickly as possible.  I consulted all the pianists I knew—­and I knew quite a number—­as to what to do.  They told me I must spend many months on technic alone before I could hope to play respectably, but I told them I had no time for that.  So I went to work to study out the effects I needed.  It didn’t matter to me how my hand looked on the keyboard; whether my fingers were curved, flat, or stood on end.  I was soon able to get my effects and to convince others that they were the effects I wanted.  Later on, when I had more leisure, I took more thought about the position of hand and fingers.  But I am convinced that much time is spent uselessly on externals, which do not reach the heart of the matter.

“For instance, players struggle for years to acquire a perfectly even scale.  Now I don’t believe in that at all.  I don’t believe a scale ever should be even, either in tone or in rhythm.  The beginner’s untrained efforts at a scale sound like this”—­the speaker illustrated at the piano with a scale in which all the tones were blurred and run into each other; then he continued, “After a year’s so-called ‘correct training,’ his scale sounds like this”—­again he illustrated, playing a succession of notes with one finger, each tone standing out by itself.  “To my thinking such teaching is not only erroneous, it is positively poisonous—­yes, poisonous!”

“Is it to be inferred that you do not approve of scale practise?”

“Oh, I advise scale playing surely, for facility in passing the thumb under and the hand over is very necessary.  I do not, however, desire the even, monotonous scale, but one that is full of variety and life.

“In regard to interpretation, it should be full of tonal and rhythmic modifications.  Briefly it may be said that expression may be exemplified in four ways:  loud, soft, fast, and slow.  But within these crude divisions what infinite shades and gradations may be made!  Then the personal equation also comes in.  Variety and differentiation are of supreme importance—­they are life!

“I go to America next season, and after that to Australia; this will keep me away from my Paris home for a long time to come.  I should like to give you a picture to illustrate this little talk.  Here is a new one which was taken right here in this room, as I sat at the piano, with the strong sunlight pouring in at the big window at my left.”

* * * * *

On a subsequent occasion, Mr. Bauer spoke further on some phases of his art.