“I must, on reflection, admit that the gymnastics for the fingers which you suggest must, by proper application of the same, contribute greatly to strengthen and render pliant the finger-joints.”
From Professor Moscheles.
“Your very ingenious discovery that the necessary strength and flexibility of the fingers for pianoforte and violin-playing can be effected by means of cylinders placed between the fingers and other appliances, must prove to be of great use.”
From Dr H. H. Pierson, Professor of Music, Edinburgh. Many thanks for your staff, which is an excellent idea, and a very useful invention, as well as the cylinders. The advice contained in your ‘Finger und Handgelenk Gymnastik,’ together with the set of regulations there laid down, is of eminent value, if properly attended to, as a means of preparing the fingers and wrists for playing the piano, violin, &c., and for rendering them strong and flexible, the two indispensable requisites. I particularly admire the extreme simplicity of all your inventions, which really remind one of the ‘Egg of Columbus,’ and I should not be surprised if your ideas (so disinterestedly offered to the public) were to introduce a new era in the study of the pianoforte and stringed instruments. They must also be of signal service to organists, to whom I should specially recommend your apparatus.”
From Herrn Lauterbach, Violinist.
“Being always very much in favour of gymnastics of all kinds, I hasten to inform you that your discovery relating thereto has interested me very much, and I am satisfied that great good will arise from it.”