FAMOUS MUSICIAN

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 121, 24 May 1928, Page 8

FAMOUS MUSICIAN

WELCOME TO WELLINGTON TRIBUTES TO -L MOISEIWITSCH ''* ■' ' A reception was tendered by the Wellington Society of Musicians yesterday to I>__. Benuo Moiseiwitsch, the visiting world-famous pianist. In welcoming the guest, the chairman, Mr, Robert Parker, who is president of the Federated Musical Societies of New Zealand, referred to the great value to the people of the Dominion'o£ visits trom such eminent artists as M. Moiseiwitsch. Mr. Parker said he could look back 50 years —when the visit of such an artist was an event that was looked forward to for some months. At that time New Zealand had a visit from Wilhelmyi, a friend of Wagner; of that great pianist Mr. Max Vogrich; and also of Ramenyi, who travelled with and was a great friend of Brahms. Since then the roll of artists who had visited New Zealand was a distingufshed one. Speaking generally on visits of great. artists, Mr. Parker said there was no doubt as to the influence they had on the work of the young • musicians in the city. They were told by people who visited Wellington for a day or two or wrote to the papers that they knew nothing else but jazz. Those who watched musical interest grow in recent years knew there was a large body of appreciative musicians in Wellington who were prepared to listen to the finest music, especially when interpreted by such artists as their distinguished visitor. It meant a great deal to the young players and teachers, for as a body teachers were apt to get more or less into a rut, and visits such as this were a tonic, and brouglit a breath of fresh air into the musical world in the Dominion. Mr. Parker referred to the visits of other great artists, including Backhaus-, Paderewski, Fnedmann. Miss Esther Fisher, who had all been warmly welcomed here, and then, speaking for the teachers, said how greatly they appreciated the privilege of meeting their guest that day. SPIRITUAL REFRESHMENT. The president of the Wellington Society of Musicians, Mr. E. D. Tayler, remarked that great executive artists had always been a benefit to mankind, especially as the mechanical element had entered so largely into what had been a purely human occupation. They therefore depended all the more strongly upon their great brethren of the-musical profession to bring into their lives the beauty they all needed and for which they hungered. Not only did they owe that debt to the executive artists, but they had to remember the great riches stored up from the musical post, beauties of thought and work, but for the understanding of which they always needed a great interpreter. They required the great artist to interpret their emotions, and they welcome M. Moiseiwitsch as the bringer of beautiful things into their lives, interpreting to them their own feelings and thereby refreshing tnem spiritually. / , , • Referring to the tendency amongst visiting artists to play the same programme numbers, Mr. Tayler asked M. Moiseiwitsch if he would give them the opportunity of hearing some of the bestknown great works, or the public would think that the great treasure-house of music was somewhat limited. He suggested that the programmes might include such works as Beethoven's Opus 110 or. Ill; the works of Cesar Franck, and the Rhapsody in E flat of Brahms. The Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup), speaking on behalf of the city, extended a welcome to the great pianist to the capital city. He said he was a lover "of music, which appealed to all—a touch*of music made the whole world kin. Even uncivilised races had their musical appreciation, although the people of New Zealand were a little more advanced than that. They knew that what they would get from M. Moiseiwitsch would be the best. "ANOTHER VISIT." M. Moiseiwitsch replied that he was honoured by the welcome, to which he did feel able to reply adequately. This was not his first visit to these shores, and although some of his colleagues felt a reluctance to visiting r lew countries, he had always been struck by the generous and sincere welcomes-lf had received in New Zealand and .Au.tfl a, arid their desire to' make strangers lik< himself feel at home. He hoped_ one d*J to pay yet -mother visit to New Zoa^ .d. At the close of '.he function afternoon tea was served. ,