REPORTED NONSENSE

Grey River Argus, 7 September 1939, Page 10

REPORTED NONSENSE

Articles in the daily press which pretend to review books, to criticise art, music oi' anything else cultural, contain more nonsense per column than anything else I know. Here are extracts from recent reports of recitals given by a wellknown pianist at present touring the Dominion. “It seems impossible for him to play a bar of music without investing it with interest, the effect of his extraordinary vigour, dynamic strength, delicacy of perception, and sophistication, backed by rare intellectual qualities.... He played with dynamic rhythm that was positively devastating. “His treatment of theme and coun-ter-theme, his delivery or cyclonic phrases, and the full-blooded climax to the finale were dazzling in their, brilliancy.. ” _ I I have nothing but admiration for the pianist, but it is appalling to think that such unmitigated nonsense, I such meaningless jargon and empty t claptrap is the, best tribute we can ■ offer his genius. As ridicule is the only thing that can kill this survival from a florid I and verbiose age, we must place tins weapon in the hands of our pupils, and leave them to shape the future on saner and better lines. —A. H. McLintock in “National Education.”