Eugene Malinin Likes To Drive Fast Cars

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28661, 11 August 1958, Page 5

Eugene Malinin Likes To Drive Fast Cars

Eugene Malinin, the brilliant 28-year-old Russian pianist, who accompanied his mother at a recital at the age of four and stole the show, for whom the Moscow Central Music School waived its regulations to admit him as a pupil at the age of five instead of seven, and who made his European debut at 19, gives the impression of being an intelligent, cultured young man to whom such things come easily. In his hotel lounge yesterday, after flying from Wellington—where, in the capital and at Lower Hutt, he has had enthusiastic receptions—he lit a cigarette and sat back, quite at ease. He could not, he admitted, speak English, and had only a, smattering of French and Spanish, but he did speak German. Urged on by Mr Anatole Uglov, his 27-year-old secretary and interpreter, who could see a chance to sit quietly by this time, the reporter did engage in a German phrase-book brush with the artist, but retired, badly defeated, and Mr Uglov took the ball. A handsome young man, Mr

Malilin’s wife, Alla—he married when he was 21—lives in Moscow, with their four-year-old daughter. In Moscow—his eyes ‘lit up whenever he mentioned his home town —-he has two fast cars. He hopes, while he is in New Zealand to have the opportunity of driving himself. “That is,” he saidr through Mr Uglov, and weaving left hand in front of him, “if I can get used to driving on your side of the road.”

While he was on his way to Lower Hutt to practise for his concert there, Mr Malinin’s taxi was held up for some time while a traffic officer used its radio to call for assistance to a road accident. His comment, when the officer came alongside them, was: “It wasn’t me this time.”

The Russian Ministry of Culture arranges his tours, and Mr Malinin said he found this quite satisfactory. The ministry, he said, made all his arrangements and took the 10 per cent, cut which agents claim in Western countries. He has travelled widely in Europe and South America in the last five years. Mr Malinin will play m Christchurch this evening.