et un peu dUlusion est necessaire au bonheur. CHEEBITLEKZ EIGHTEENTH EDITION THE MACMILLAN COMPANY LONDON MACMILLAN CO., LTD. 1908 All riffhts reserved COPYRIGHT, MoOLTJJta COMPACTS 1880. COPYRIGHT, 1806, BY THE MACMILLAltf COMPANY. Printed August, 1896 reprinted June, 1897 September, 1900 February, 1 903 March, 1905 June, 1908. ISTorixraotr Berwick fe Smith, Norwood, M. u., r z -l-V– xt C- xt O t-t-C–.. 4.- r PKEFACE. IN preparing for the public letters which were written only for home, I have hoped that some readers would find in them the charm of style which the writers friends fancy them to possess that others would think the description of her masters amid their pupils, and especially Liszt, worth preserving while piano students would be grateful for the information that an analysis of the piano technique has been made, such as very greatly to diminish the difficulties of the instrument. How much of Herr Deppes piano method is original with himself, pianists must decide. That he has at least made an invaluable resume of all or most of their secrets, m sister believes no student of the instrument who fairly and conscientiously examines into the matter will deny. M. FAY PEIRCE. CHICAGO, Dec., 1880. KANSAS CITY, . aC PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. Miss FAYS little book has been so popular in her own country as to have gone through half a dozen editions, and even in German, into which it was translated soon after its first appearance, it has had much success. It is strange that it has not been already published in England, where music excites so much attention, and where works on musical sub jects are beginning to form a distinct branch of literature. This is the more remarkablebecause it is thoroughly read able and amusing, which books on music too rarely are. The freshness and truth of the letters is not to be denied. We may laugh at the writers enthusiasm, at the readiness with which she changes her methods and gives up all that she has already learnt at the call of each fresh teacher, at the certainty with which every new artist is announced as quite the best she ever heard, and at the glowing and con fident predictions not, alas, apparently always realised. But no one can laugh at her indomitable determination, and the artistic earnestness with which she makes the most of each of her opportunities, or the brightness and ease with which all is described in choice American, and each successive person placed before us in his habit as he lives. Such a gift is indeed a rare and precious one. Will Miss Fay never oblige us with an equally charming and faithful 3 PKEFACE. account of music and life in the States Hitherto musical America has been almost an unknown land to us, described by the few who have attempted it in the most opposite terms. Their singers we already know well, and in this respect America is perhaps destined to be the Italy of the future, if only the artists will consent to learn slowly enough. But on the subject of American players and American orchestras, and the taste of the American amateurs, a great deal of curiosity is felt, and we commend the subject to the serious attention of one so thoroughly able to do it justice. GEORGE GROVE. December, 1885. PEEFACB TO THE GERMAN EDITION. 2 te toorliegenben SBriefe einer 9tnterifonerin in bic eitnatlj, btc int Original bereits in gtteiter Slitflage erfdjienen futb, toerben, fo fyoffm fair, cmrf bentbeittfdjen Sefer nicfjt ntinberc 25crgniigen, ntc t gertngerc SSCnregtmg al bem amerifanifd en gettaren, ba ftc in unmtttetbarer grtf f c tnebergefdjrieBen, ein tebenbigcS SBUb won ben SBegic ungen ber SSerfafferin ju ben ertjorragcnbftcn muftlas u. f. to. Bieten…