ANDRE SKALSKI.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 23 June 1923, Page 11

ANDRE SKALSKI.

A WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE

If one were asked what were the out-' stand ing impressions on one's mind : after hearing tile recital of tiie great ' artist SkaisKi, vyho last nigiat thnlied' and delighted his listeners by a truly [ wonderful performance, one would say i that they were the great and attractive personality of the man, his very cvi- i d«nt absorption in his art, for from tne mumeiic no comes on tiie stage lie ' appears to have nothing on his mind but the determination to give his best; then his complete mastery of technique : wliich enables him to- exoress his m-. terpretation of the ideas "of the great; masters m a way that is seldom equalled, and that was an absolute joy and delight to his listeners; and lastly, thefact that his personality is reflected in everything he does and' plays. H« has a reading of ail the great works lie played that was peculiarly and eminent- ■ ly his own, and this invested all those ; works with an ever-increasing freshness ( of interest as new beauties and (.-harms ! were unfolded as he developed the ideas and the themes. Then a striking feature was th© perfect ease with which he played the most intricate composition, but perhaps most of all was his ; wonderful and striking attention to de- ' tail in the midst of the most brilliant execution. This it was that enabled him to get gradations of expression and of tone which were remarkable in their effects. And he made the instrument sing in a way that justly entitled him to be called the poet of the piano. . ■ His programme was a heavy, one, and to anyone but a master of the instrument would have been a tremendous tax on his powers. But he played everything as though it were no trouble at ail. He covered iii his work a very., wide field', embracing the composition's" of the master music minds of from Scarlatti to Padeiewski and Rachmani-, noff. With, each composer the artist ap- j peared to have the genius to give to: nis hearers ideas and impressions which ' are but too rarely revealed, except by one who has the .ability to get behind; the technical expression and §cc the ! mind and thoughts of the composer. ! Perhaps nothing: was finer in the whole' programme than his reading of the beautiful Moonlight Sonata and i the Scherzo in A fiat Major. He j revealed 'the beauties of form and expression which invested a work one has often heard with ever fresh interest. The effect throughout vvas really wonderful, and the work will live long in the minds of all who heard him. The Scarlatti number, a beautiful, pastorale and capriecio, showed tne' beautiful simplicity of much of the music of the seventeenth century, the tim© of Handel. The two great it hap- ; sodies of Brahams, with their simple' majesty and dramatic fervour. The ior- [ mer develops a wonderful climax, which: is succeeded by a deep tranquihty and j the anon the great movement recommences to be followed by a beautiful i finale indicating firm . hope 'of the ' future. Th 9 second is of a'\different; character, and appeals by its striking: presentment of a great theme. The artist, by his etxraordinary technique, was able to express the minds of the : masters in a way that was strikingly convincing. * i Liszt was represented by two of those! marvellous transcriptions of the works J of Wagner. It was truly a great per-1 formance Mr Skaleki gave, and thrilled all by its deep intensity and expres- i sion. Three wonderful works of Liszt t formed the concluding number, and they were all most attractive. The weird beauty of the study, the deep intense feeling of the striking "Cream of Love, and the picture of the life of | the Hungarian peasants, deeply interesting from the dignified opening to its brilliant finale—all these were presented in a way that thrilled all listeners. The beauty and dignity, the brilliance and execution, jvhich mark the great E-igoletto Paraphrase, were brought out by the artist in a striking fashion, and made the selection one of the most interesting.. The Chopin numbers included the beautiful and delicate Berceuse, thegraceful and pretty valse in E minor, and the typical Butterfly Study. In each the consummate tenderness of expression which are . a marked feature of his work, were brought out to the full, and were a genuine delight to the listeners. Paderewski's beautiful minuet, the great Rachmaninoff Prelude in G Minor—instances of the work of great living pianists and composers— were both played in a way that charmed everyone. A£ the end of a long and exacting programme, Mr Skalski generously added in response to enthusiastic applause the other prelude by the second composer which has achieved such world-wide popularity. A selection from Brassin's Valkvrin, and the remarkably interesting; Prelude and Nocturne for left hand, by Scriabin, played in. strik;intfly .attractive style, completed a programme that was from first to last an inspiration to the listeners. It was altogether a great and wonderful artistic triumph.