GOLD CHEER FOR ARTISTS

Evening Star, Issue 19902, 26 June 1928, Page 11

GOLD CHEER FOR ARTISTS

SOUTH ISLAND CONCERT HALLS [Special to tee ‘ Stab.’] CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 25. Strong criticism of the coldness of the concert halls of the South Island was made to-day in an interview T with a ‘ Star ’ reporter -by M. Laszlo Schwartz, the Hungarian violinistcomposer, who, with Miss Dawn Assheton, has just concluded a series of concerts in Christchurch. His experiences in the South Island have given him a poor opinion of the facilities provided for concert artists, and he made it clear that his criticism was not meant to be destructive, but was made with the intention of pointing out matters that could bo remedied Whilst on ibis world tour, M. Schwartz is writing a series of articles for ‘ Musical America ’ concerning musical conditions in each country that ho visits. It is his intention to criticise the conditions under _ which concert artists have to appear in New Zealand, but before doing so he desires to let the people of the dominion know what he is going to say. . Before playing in Christchurch Miss Assheton and M. Schwartz played in Dunedin, Gore, and Oamaru. In each town visited the cold was so intense that it was a. wonder that they could give a performance at all, he said. “ In Dunedin my hands were so cold that half the time I didn’t know wlicrc I was placing my fingers.” he said. “ That we did well was move a matter of good fortune than of ability. After every performance Miss Assheton had to receive attention lor ball an hour on account of the reaction ot the cold. At Gore it was so cold that T cannot understand how wo were able to enthuse the audience. There must be music lovers in this country, for if so many come under adverse conditions, bow many more would come were the conditions made comfortable?”