Alexander Saslavsky is probably best known as a solo artist, as the
concertmaster of a great symphonic orchestra, as the leader of the
admirable quartet which bears his name. Yet, at the same time, few
violinists can speak with more authority anent the instructive phases of
their Art. Not only has he been active for years in the teaching field;
but as a pedagog he rounds out the traditions of Ferdinand David,
Massard, Auer, and Grün (Vienna _Hochschule_), acquired during his
"study years," with the result of his own long and varied experience.
Beginning at the beginning, I asked Mr. Saslavsky to tell me something
about methods, his own in particular. "Method is a flexible term," he
answered. "What the word should mean is the cultivation of the pupil's
individuality along the lines best suited to it. Not that a guide which
may be employed to develop common-sense principles is not valuable. But
even here, the same guide (violin-method) will not answer for every
pupil. Personally I find De Bériot's 'Violin School' the most generally
useful, and for advanced students, Ferdinand David's second book. Then,
for scales--I insist on my pupils being able to play, a perfect scale
through three octaves--the Hrimaly book of scales. Many advanced
violinists cannot play a good scale simply because of a lack of
fundamental work.
"As soon as the pupil is able, he should take up Kreutzer and stick to
him as the devotee does to his Bible. Any one who can play the '42
Exercises' as they should be played may be called a well-balanced
violinist. There are too many purely mechanical exercises--and the
circumstance that we have Kreutzer, Rode, Fiorillo, Rovelli and Dont
emphasizes the fact. And there are too many elaborate and complicated
violin methods. Sevčik, for instance, has devised a purely mechanical
system of this kind, perfect from a purely mechanical standpoint, but
one whose consistent use, in my opinion, kills initiative and
individuality. I have had experience with Sevčik pupils in quartet
playing, and have found that they have no expression.