"I began to study violin at the age of six, with my uncle. From him I
went to Eldering in Amsterdam, now Willy Hess's successor at the head of
the Cologne Conservatory, and then spent a year with Sevčik in Prague.
Yet--without being his pupil--I have learned more from Ysaye than from
any of my teachers. It is rather the custom to decry Sevčik as a
teacher, to dwell on his absolutely mechanical character of
instruction--and not without justice. First of all Sevčik laid all the
stress on the left hand and not on the bow--an absolute inversion of a
fundamental principle. Eldering had taken great pains with my bow
technic, for he himself was a pupil of Hubay, who had studied with
Vieuxtemps and had his tradition. But Sevčik's teaching as regards the
use of the bow was very poor; his pupils--take Kubelik with all his
marvelous finger facility--could never develop a big bow technic. Their
playing lacks strength, richness of sound. Sevčik soon noticed that my
bowing did not conform to his theories; yet since he could not
legitimately complain of the results I secured, he did not attempt to
make me change it. Musical beauty, interpretation, in Sevčik's case were
all subordinated to mechanical perfection. With him the study of some
inspired masterpiece was purely a mathematical process, a problem in
technic and mental arithmetic, without a bit of spontaneity. Ysaye used
to roar with laughter when I would tell him how, when a boy of fifteen,
I played the Beethoven concerto for Sevčik--a work which I myself felt
and knew it was then out of the question for me to play with artistic
maturity--the latter's only criticisms on my performance were that one
or two notes were a little too high, and a certain passage not quite
clear.
"Sevčik did not like the Dvořák concerto and never gave it to his
pupils. But I lived next door to Dvořák at Prague, and meeting him in
the street one day, asked him some questions anent its interpretation,
with the result that I went to his home various times and he gave me his
own ideas as to how it should be played. Sevčik never pointed his
teachings by playing himself. I never saw him take up the fiddle while I
studied with him. While I was his pupil he paid me the compliment of
selecting me to play Sinigaglia's engaging violin concerto, at short
notice, for the first time in Prague. Sinigaglia had asked Sevčik to
play it, who said: 'I no longer play violin, but I have a pupil who can
play it for you,' and introduced me to him. Sinigaglia became a good
friend of mine, and I was the first to introduce his _Rapsodia
Piedmontese_ for violin and orchestra in London. To return to
Sevčik--with all the deficiencies of his teaching methods, he had one
great gift. He taught his pupils _how to practice_! And--aside from
bowing--he made all mechanical problems, especially finger problems,
absolutely clear and lucid.
A QUARTET OF GREAT TEACHERS WITH WHOM
ALL MAY STUDY
"Still, all said and done, it was after I had finished with all my
teachers that I really began to learn to play violin: above all from
Ysaye, whom I went to hear play wherever and whenever I could. I think
that the most valuable lessons I have ever had are those unconsciously
given me by four of the greatest violinists I know: Ysaye, Kreisler,
Elman and Thibaud. Each of these artists is so different that no one
seems altogether to replace the other. Ysaye with his unique
personality, the immense breadth and sweep of his interpretation, his
dramatic strength, stands alone. Kreisler has a certain sparkling
scintillance in his playing that is his only. Elman might be called the
Caruso among violinists, with the perfected sensuous beauty of his tone;
while Thibaud stands for supreme elegance and distinction. I have
learned much from each member of this great quartet. And if the artist
can profit from hearing and seeing them play, why not the student? Every
recital given by such masters offers the earnest violin student
priceless opportunities for study and comparison. My special leaning
toward Ysaye is due, aside from his wonderful personality, to the fact
that I feel music in the same way that he does.