"EN TOUR."

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 332, 20 October 1908, Page 8

"EN TOUR."

MARK HAMBOURG IN WELLINGTON. When a visiting personage arrives in a community,, and steps off the gangway of a steamer -or the platform of a train, he usually, but not always, walks into the arms of a newspaper man. This has happened so often that great men—and women—are less difficult to- see than in former days. It is itheir fate, as it' is their profession, to live in the public eye, and to liavo their habits, tastes, idiosyncracies, and other concomitants of "individuality", writ large, that all men may know them. So it was that when Mr. Mark Hambourg, the eminent pianist, whoso Wellington concert season opens at the Town Hall this evening, arrived in'town last night, after a long and fatiguing train journey, preceded- by a "bumpy" sea trip, and was "held up" at the Grand Hotel by a representative of The Dominion, lie gracefully accepted the situation, lit a cigar, and, taking one end of a comfortable lounge, -motioned his visitor to the other.

■ Mark Hambourg is a most entertaining talker, a.nd would much prefer, to tell of his ,many amusing.oxperiences.than "talk shop." "Do you know," ho said, rumpling his long hair, in his characteristic way, "one of the funniest newspaper comments I ever read was in a concert notice of one of my recitals —it was a. gem. Said the writer: 'The great pianist went from forte to piano, piano to pianissimo, and —ha I ha!—pianissimo to nothing!' What do you think of that?" The pressman wiped his eyes, and said that, for the moment, he was quite unable to think. "Ah —those newspaper men," proceeded the genial raconteur, "and women! I was in the States once, and a lady journalist came to interview me. She .was a very pleasant and entertaining little woman, and she chatted away so delightfully, that I was quite sorry when I Jiad to bring the interview to a close. 'I am so sorry,' I said, ''but I have to dine with some beastly people this evening'—jokingly, you know. Judge of my horror next morning when I read the paper and saw, in cold print,' that reference to ' those beastly people,' It was awful."

Then the talk' drifted in among topics musical. ' "I find a very great improvement in the musical intellect and taste of colonial audiences," said the pianist; in reply to a question. But he was not prepared altogether to admit the influence of academics land music examinations in this improvement. " The greatest people—greatest in individuality, I mean—were never noted for their success in" the schools."

"Modern composers?" he said, in reply to another question, "well, there is'a great deal of really good • music being composed nowadays.' The modern school is distinctly original, as compared' with the more conventional classics of the great masters. Nowadays, a composer sets himself to catch in hiswork the ' atmosphere' of the idea he writes upon. All "good modern compositions have this distinguishing characteristic."

'! I. usually practice from two hours and a half to three hours every day—consistently," he answered in reply 1 to another question. "Have I ever injured my hands? No—now find then-1 crack the tips, in cold weather, but that is nothing." . " Your hands are insured,' of course?" " Oh, - yes. I live by them, you know." He held up one hand: " Eight thousand,", he said: " Some for the other—sixteen thousand all-together." • The pressman did some mental arithmetic. "That's £1600 per finger?" Tho-pianist nodded. . • • ■