The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-08

Thomas unison the most eminent musi- clans have testified, Rubinstein, Pade- rewski, Joseffy, among them This is the n ans typical work: if we can learn just how he achieves 1t we shall learn what he really is and why he has been an in- fuence so powerful during many years.
 Never Raps on Stand.
 One of MT. Thomas peculiarities as a leader is that he never raps on his stand to start, to stop, or for any other pur- pose, and for this he has his thoughtout reason. He desires that the men shall watch him constantly, keeping. as it were one eye on him and one on the score Therefore. when he wishes to stop he drops his hands by his side and the music ceases. This morning the hands drop all most at once and the leader gazed re- proahfully at the players
 "Ragged." he says In German for he usually addresses them in that language) Ragged Get together! Now then, eln- malr'
 So they start again. At the third bar the hands drop.
 Too much stress on the bases. Now don't play it tum-te- tum- -te-tum" hum ming the air but this way"-he shows them-"Einmal!" And they begin again and again until it is as he wishes. If they play the three bars twenty times, no matter 1t shall be just so. As they play Mir. Thomas talks to them. cautloning encouraging. Soft! soft!' he says. Not so much Now then, trumpets Softer with the bases!" And so on with kind of fierce persistence, going back and ex- plaining repeating and repeating, bring ing up the wood- winds. repressing the basses. turning back every two or three bars-a figure of portentous energy, full of enthusiasm, prodigal of labor.
 Presently you will become fascinated b. his left hand, always talking, far more eloquent and persuasive than his words. His right hand sways the baton marking the time with movements scarce ly more than from the wrist. The left is the eloquent member, the palm upward, never quite at rest, keeping up an inces- sant fire of little signals, which after a time, you see are a comprehensive and varied language. indicating every shade of emphasis and feeling. the fingers curling up and relaxing. the hand moving from side to side every motion a symbol in a vast and complicated code. It Is this marvellous left hand that does the business It does not swing about nor saw the woundless air with frantic thrust; 1t remains unobtrusively uplifted but con stantly outpouring intelligence.
 Many conductors habitually rehearse the different instruments separately to judge the defect and to secure improve ment. With Mir Thomas this is unneces- sarv for significant reason. These years and years of conducting have so devel- oped his powers of hearing that he can at will listen to any class of instruments and shut out the rest. He can do more marvellous things than that With every thing in the band playing forte and the great organ turned on he can detect false note and the man that made 1t. He knows the individual of every instrument in his orchestra. and the slightest idiosyn- crasises of his players. One of the lead ing 'cello-players recently had his instru ment repaired between rehearsals and the repairer changed the position of the sound post. At the rehearsal MT Thomas, who knew nothing of this, regarded the player with some attention, and after the first number. said:
 ''Is that a new instrument you have there, MT. Unger?"
 His infallible ear had detected the slight change in the familiar sound.
 Had Sensitive Ear.
 Hearing steam whistle blow. friend suddenly asked, to test him, Do you recognize the note of that?'
 ''It has two notes" said MT Thomas. "The real tone is c; the overtone Is F sharp-or, rather. c fiat" On the piano F sharp and G flat are the same; on the violin there is a shade of difference,
 Vol, aaa as the rehearsal goes on. that