"There are so many wonder children in these days, and many marvels are
accomplished by infant prodigies. Very often however, these wonder
children develop no further; they fail to fulfil their early promise, or
the expectations held of them.

"A youthful wonder in the field of composition is Eric Korngold, whose
piano sonata I played in my New York recital. I have played this work
eight times in all, during my present tour, often by request. To me it
is most interesting. I cannot say it is logical in the development of
its ideas; it often seems as though the boy threw in chords here and
there with no particular reason. Thus the effort of memorizing is
considerable, for I must always bear in mind that this C major chord has
a C sharp in it, or that such and such a chord is changed into a most
unusual one. One cannot predict whether the boy will develop further. As
you say, Mozart was an infant prodigy, but if we judge from the first
little compositions that have been preserved, he began very simply and
worked up, whereas Korngold begins at Richard Strauss. His compositions
are full of the influence of Strauss. The critics have much to say for
and against these early works. I do not know the young composer
personally, though he has written me. In a recent letter which I have
here, he expresses the thought that, though the critics have found many
things to disapprove of in the sonata, the fact that I have found it
worth studying and bringing out more than compensates him for all
adverse criticism. To make the work known in the great musical centers
of America is surely giving it wide publicity."

On a later occasion, Mr. Ganz said:

"I thoroughly believe in preserving one's enthusiasm for modern music,