alfred reisenauer
| 1. | What should be the first step in the musical education of the child? |
| 2. | Why was Köhler so successful as a teacher? |
| 3. | Did Liszt follow a method in teaching or was his work eclectic? |
| 4. | Give Liszt's conception of how Chopin developed one of his Valses. |
| 5. | Have the possibilities of the art of musical composition been exhausted? |
| 6. | Are other great schools of pianoforte playing likely to arise? |
| 7. | What was Reisenauer's opinion of the works of MacDowell? |
| 8. | What may be said of musical taste in America when Reisenauer was touring this country. |
| 9. | What may be said of the status of American musical education? |
| 10. | What great difficulties do the virtuosos visiting America encounter? |
EMIL SAUER
Biographical
Emil Sauer was born in Hamburg, Germany, October 8, 1862. His first teacher was his mother, who was a fine musician, and who took exceptional pains with her talented son. From 1879 to 1881 he studied with Nicholas Rubinstein, brother of the famous Anton Rubinstein. Nicholas Rubinstein was declared by many to be a far abler teacher than his brother, who eclipsed him upon the concert platform. From 1884 to 1885 Sauer studied with Franz Liszt. In his autobiographical work, "My Life," Sauer relates that Liszt at that time had reached an age when much of his reputed brilliance had disappeared, and the playing of the great Master of Weimar did not startle Sauer as it did some others. However, Liszt took a great personal interest in Sauer and prophesied a great future for him.
In 1882 Sauer made his first tour as a virtuoso, and met with such favor that numerous tours of the music-loving countries ensued. The critics praised his playing particularly for his great clarity, sanity, symmetrical appreciation of form, and unaffected fervor. For a time Sauer was at the head of the Meisterschule of Piano-playing, connected with the Imperial Conservatory in Vienna.
(The following conference was conducted in German and English.)