Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

130 MV MUSICAL EXPERIENCES
methods for getting the mastery over every possible
difficulty. Groping my way thus (if I may so phrase
it), I came on Ehrlich's edition of Tausig's 'Daily
Practice'; and in reading his observations on some
of the finger-studies I was much struck by his com-
menting on these as ' demanding great muscular
exertion.' Now, I was able apparently to play these
very studies without being conscious of making any such
exertion. I would have liked then and there to have
gone to Herr Ehrlich, and asked him to tell me what
was the cause of this apparent ease, which I then
naturally connecting it with what Paul Eckhoff had
said to me in Weimar—began to fear meant that I
was still getting no nearer to the object of my desire.
But I was with Scharwencka ;
he was giving him-
self great trouble with me, and I felt it but due to
him, before making another move, to try if he could
or would help me. I therefore brought the Ehrlich-
Tausig Studies to him, and said, ' Why does EhrHch
speak of muscular exertion, and I feel none what-
ever ? I wish you would sanction my going to Herr
Ehrlich and asking him to help me in the Tausig
alone, for I wish to continue my lessons with you.'
He replied that he would go through them with me
himself ; that such studies needed to be approached
with much thought and much care. But I never had
a single lesson from him in which these studies were
the subject-matter. Meanwhile, something strange
and unforeseen had occurred—something which was
—