DOMINION PIANIST

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 100, 28 March 1939, Page 8

DOMINION PIANIST

EXPERIENCES ABROAD. TELEVISION BROADCASTS. ' “The Italians can’t lie bothered with a war; they like growing grapes,” was the opinion expressed bv Miss Dorothy I>nv ios, the brilliant New Zealand musician, who has recently returned to the Dominion, after spending a number of years in Europe, in an interview with the “Standard.” Miss Davies first left New Zealand eight years ago and spent four years at the Sydney Conservatorium studying the pianoforte under Frank Hutchins, and returning for a short period to Christchurch, where she was attached to the broadcasting station. She then went to England and studied at the Royal College of Music, gaining top place for the whole of England with over 90 per cent, marks in the A.R.C.M. examination. Miss Davies then spent an interesting period playing for the Ballet Club, accompanying Manic Roml>crt, who was formerly with Diaghiloff in Baris, followed by two yeais as accompanist to Artur Schnabel and his wife, Thereee Rehr. to whom all the most promising singing students of Europe go to sing their programmes for criticism. Mis* Davies had a delightful sojourn m Italy with the Schnabels and found the Italian people charming—voluble and lovable. Like the French, they utilised every bit of ground for cultivation, planting grape vines in a handful of soil among the rocks. Miss Davies encountered. no opposition to foreigners and, when she considered leaving Italy, was persuaded to stay. “\ou are quite .safe here. Italy won’t go to war and is she does she will wait six months first to see who will win among the others,” was the general opinion expressed by her Italian friends. The only effect of world affairs that she noticed was that, three weeks before the Munich crisis, an extra guard was placed on the Swiss frontier overlooking a pass. She lived at an Italian inn where the payment of 35s included the rent and service of an apartment, meals including wine, and the attendance of a maid. While in England Miss Davies took part in television broadcasts. The studio was in the Alexandra Palace, an old exhibition building with trains running into King’s Cross station beneath it. There were days of careful rehearsal, every position having to he marked exactly to bring it in locus. The broadcast took place under tremendous arc lights, which radiated intense heat, against a silver background which had been erected in order to absorb the glare. A dark yellow makeup with purple on the lips was worn, and it was found important to keep the lines of clothes very simple as detail might be lost. Colours, of course, could not bo televised, and so grey, black and white were generally worn, it had been found that the technique of television was very like that of the cinema and a technician had been sent to Hollywood to study picture production for television purposes. Television had developed amazingly in the last 12 months, and now pictures could be reproduced 50 miles away on a full-size cinema screen. At the Dominion Theatre, in London, she had seen the whole of “Midsummer Night’s Dream” televised, and it was very good indeed. IXiring her stay in _ Europe Miss Davies met many eminent musicians and travelled extensively. She particularly enjoyed touring in a van with the Pepler Mimes, with whom she did television broadcasts. She was also accompanist to Ethel Osborn, the Australian soprano, who was a protegic of Dame Clara Butt.

Miss Davies had an unusual voyage to Australia, as she came on an Italian cargo boat from Genoa. At Massawa, the chief port of Abyssinia she was interested to see large quantities of machinery, motor trucks and tractors, and concrete being landed. There were many refugees on board going to Sydney, and when they reached Australia they were instantly struck by the remarkable sense of freedom which was seen, particularly in the eyes of the people.

M iss Davies considers the Australians to be an even more definite type than tile Americans. They have a characteristic youthfulness and tend to be tall. New Zealanders, she believes, are also evolving a distinct type, but one stockier than the Australians. She considers New Zealand to be very goahead and is happy to he back here. She expected to experience a feeling of strangeness after her long absence, hut found she was perfectly at home. She intends to travel round the Pacific and has a particular desire to visit the Malay States, but she wants to see her own country first. S'ho believes that it is up to New Zealand musicians to come home and develop th ecultural life of the Dominion as they can understand its needs better than foreigners, but she is afraid they have very little scope a.nd encouragement in this country. She will give classes in pianoforte interpretation and lieder singing as well as performing, and she is looking forward to meeting the Schnabels in Sydney next month.