RADIO ARTISTS INTERVIEWED

Evening Star, Issue 22030, 16 May 1935, Page 12

RADIO ARTISTS INTERVIEWED

HIGH MUSICAL STANDARD IN ■ HEW ZEALAND Four distinguished performers who have had considerable experience abroad—Mr Lionello Cecil, Mr Walter Kingsley, M. Paul Vi nograd off, and Mr John Robertson—reached .Dunedin yesterday to fulfil engagements-with the New, Zealand Broadcasting- Board. These artists spared a few minutes this morning to talk with a ‘ Star ’• reporter. “ The musical standard in New Zealand is quite good,” said Mr Lionello Cecil, the Australian tenor,'who added that the' public as a whole were very musical, - Dunedin, however,' possessed the greatest appreciation of the value of music. Mr Cecil, who was abroad for 20 years taking prominent parts in grand! operas, spent a good deaf of this time in Italy, where he, sang at the La Scala Opera House, Milan. At that time the musical director was Arturo Toscanini, who, in Mr Cecil’s opinion, is the world’s greatest conductor. He is almost blind, and is compelled to conduct everything from memory—-a truly wonderful feat. Mr Cecil has also suhg at Rome, Naples, i Buenos Aires,/ Rio, Berlin, a Vienna, .and . Marseilles, and 'at the -last-mentioned place, he' had the -pleasure of. appearing. with the Tfamdus baritone. Tita Ruffe. . In England he appeared; at the RpyaT Albert Hall urider Sir Hamilton Harty. On his present tour, - under engagement ’ with the Broadcasting Board, he has been three montjis in New Zealand, and has been impressed by; the beauty of the' scenery here. He. mentioned that it was a pleasure to perform in the new IjA, studios, which were numbered amongst'the. finest in the world,- Speak- : mg of the. influence of the Broadcasting Board, he said he considered it was .doing-everything possible to gain- a very high standard of, musical appreciation m New Zealand. ’ ‘ ' ■ Agreeing with Mr Cecil that New Zealand• was a'very appreciative country so far as music was concerned, M. Paul Vmagradoff,- the" pianist who >is ? OW i. /esidciice' at Wellington, aiid , A a r, - 9 un 4 fhe ’ peojple were - fond of classical music, while there was a:distmct leaning toward tho class bf.inufeic produced by the modem English coinposers. . The English school of, modern music had .reached a particularly high standard, not only from the educational point of view, but. from the. pleasure aspect. ‘ Some ■of the modern ■ - light music, as featured by famous : danoe Bands, was very clever, .but it' was only intended to-please the ear. ahd not to educate. Actually, it was only, a part of music, but'nevertheless it assisted in the,‘development, of- harmony. - -A • brother ;of Mr. Humphrey Bishop, enterprising theatrical manager,Mr Walter: Kingsley; English baritone, mentioned that this was his fourth visit to New-Zealand. While in New Zealand lie had heard some very, good of the choirs. He was also of the opinion that thia .-was a' musical - country, and he joined with Mr Cecil in stating that the Auckland studios were amongst the best in the world, hot excluding those of , the 8.8. C. Any visitor to the northern pity should certainly tnake.a point <?f visiting them.; Mr Kingsley, 'whom the London ‘.Times ’ described as ‘‘ one of the finest baritones in England, ’ has ~ had a particularly interesting career. When a. boy* he sang, as the principal soloist both.-aAßrompton Oratory ; anq at the Royal Military Chapel adjoining Palace, and, later, after-/studying -under, the lafe Maengwyni Davies, ho appeared in the Chappell ballad , concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, at the choral festivals, and with, massed* bands at the Crystal Palace, with the principal London arid provincial - choral societies, under engagement to the 8.8. Ci, and later to the Australian Broadcasting Commission, In Australia he .was soloist- at the ..Brahms-Wagner. festival, which included'five German operas; and under the baton of Sir Hamilton Harty took the role of the-Prophet .in- ‘ Elijah during the Australian season. , Mr, John Robertson first gained prominence when,; as a lad Of 17 years, he' played the ' cornet in . the Greymouth Band at the contest in Dunedin at. the last'exhibition. On that occasion he won three medals, ahd>.the. band was placed first in the ,B grade championshin. He . then decided to go to Australia,' but returned- a year later , to play: at. : the .1927 . contest at Wellington, • where he won the New Zealand championship.- Mr Robertson went back to Melbourne, where for the next two years he played at the Capitol and State Theatres. When the talkies were commenced and picture orchestras went out,, he •-travelled' to London, being engaged to play at a theatre there, and later, he toured England as a member of. the St. Hilda /Professional * Band, which was afterwards engaged to play at the Toronto Exhibition. The band’s success, there . was sensational, and nine days after he returned to England, Mr - Robertson went .back to Canada, and was engaged for-radio, orchestral, and; solo performances. However, the climate did not agree with him; and in 1933 he crossed again to England and joined Jack Payne’s Dance Band. Questioned regarding the capabilities of some of England’s dance band leaders, he said that undoubtedly Ray Nobje was the best of the lot. .‘This conductor: was liow .in America,' was doing well, and was regarded as the-cleverest musician, and lender .hi: the world today. For a short, time Mr Robertson played m an English band conducted by Teddy Joyce, “Hollywood’s dancing bacnelor, n -After -that Mr- Robertson decided: to /return to this part of the world, and. When.his contract with the Broadcasting Board Was completed he would probably tour- the Australian stations. At the beginning of the year he attended the band contest at Timaru, .{flaying with his. home town band from Westport. The general standard of band music in the dominion was fairly high, and if several of the A erqde bands were coached on the right lines (he said) they would by no meandisgrace themselves at an English con test. The St, Kilda Band impressed him as having the best English stvle c nlaying, and it deserved its win at the •?cent contest.