SHURA CHERKASSKY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 290, 7 September 1928, Page 7

SHURA CHERKASSKY

RUSSIAN PIANOFORTE PRODIGY

Shura Cherkassky, the most recent ol Russia's prodigies of the pianoforte, arrived here ou Wednesday from Sydney, via Auckland, in company with his impresario, Mr. E. J. Gravestock. Anyone who keeps apace with music and musicians knows of this wonder boy (now only sixteen years of age), who has been playing in publie since he was eleven. Shura was practising when a “Dornin ion” reporter called on him at the Mid land Hotel on Wednesday afternoon. He at once deserted the keyboard, and flopped boyishly down on the settee. Shura proved to be a gay-hearted lad without the slightest suspicion of affectation as the possible result of being spoilt. He just leaves one to ask questions, and replies freely, frankly, and without reser ration. So he related that he was born in the City of Odessa, in Southern Russia, more famous than any other city of its size in the world for the production of musical prodigies—as witness Miseha Elman, Jascha Levitski, the Cher niavskys, and de Paehman. “If you say that,” said Shura, “you will have everyone with musical children going to Odessa —until they won’t be able to accommodate them all.”

Shura studied the pianoforte from his earliest years, under that best of teachers, his mother, who was an artist of the pianoforte, known al) over Russia, and was a member of the faculty of the Conservatoire of Odessa, which has quite a good name in Europe for musical instruction. When only nine years of age the boy was considered sufficiently accomplished to give public 'performances, and in his kneikers and broad white collar created quite a sensation in a place not so easily moved to displays of enthusiasm. With Shura a success, Russia was no country in which to waste time. Next year the decision was made to go to America, where super music may be transmitted into dollar bills. The issue was never ii doubt. Shura Cherkassky has been au amazing success on bis tour of the United States (not west of Chicago) and Canada. In the interludes between tours he has tak-

en lessons from the famous Josef Hofmann, at the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, under the personal interest of such men and artists as Paderewski and Rachmaninoff. That is practically all there is to say about Shura’s short life. He loves travelling, and was thrilled at the prospect of crossing the Pacific to visit the distant Australia and New Zealand and is enjoying himself to the full. This boy is too much a prodigy to practise regularly, but every now and again he will be seized with a fever for it, and will stick to it for six or eight hours in the one day. One amazing thing is that Shura has seven programmes at command, and gave the assurance, without any sign of boastfulness, that with a week’s concentration he could probably J

have ten programmes—and that without a sheet of music to refer to. Prodigious! “I carry no music at all,” said Shura, laughing. “If yon do not believe me.” he said, seeing a look of incredulity, “search my boxes, and I will give you one pound for every sheet you find. If I had to refer to the music, even only occasionally, I could not play it as I do.” “And after New Zealand?’ “We go back to Australia —and then • to Europe. My mother is staying in Finland, a very nice place, and she was coni- ‘ ing over to America, but now we (Shura is travelling with his father) have written her to meet us in Paris, as we are going to live there. See, here is the map. She will come from Helsingfors to Stellin bv steamer, and then on to Berlin and Paris by train. It will take her three whole days. I have not played in Europe opt of Russia, but some day I will play in Paris, and then we will sec!” Seven-recitals were given in Sydney, six in Adelaide, and five in Perth within seven days. That achievement in Perth breaks nil records in pianistic achievement. The Fuller theatre there is the largest in Australia, and it was packed at every recital. So far Shura Cherkas- ' I sky has not played in Melbourne.