echnic 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.

"As you already know I do not believe in so-called 'piano technic,'
which must be practised laboriously outside