BRILLIANT WOMAN PIANIST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22468, 11 July 1936, Page 14 (Supplement)

BRILLIANT WOMAN PIANIST

DEATH OF MATHILDE VERNE PRAISE FOR DOMINION PUPIL [from OUK OWN COIUtKSrONDENT] LONDON, Juno 10 M usicians all over tho world know of Miss Mathildo Verne, tho pianist, and of her sister, Miss Adela Vorno. The lattor travelled extensively whoroas the former eventually devoted herself very largely to teaching. Miss Mathildo Verne collapsed quite suddenly during n reception at the Savoy which was arranged in her honour by pupils and friends in celebration of tho recent publication of her volume of memoirs "Chords of Rememberance." A testimonial, in the form of a cheque, had been presented to her on behalf of those who were present by Lady Winchilsea, herself one of Miss Verne's old pupils. Speakers included Admiral Mark Kerr and Mr. Arthur Hirst, formerly of New Plymouth, a pupil of whom sho had tho highest regard. Only a few minutes before her death, Miss Verne, with her sister, had entertained her friends with Schumann's Variations for Two Pianos. Sho then asked for a glass of water, but before it could bo obtained she had fallen on tho stage, and friends near knew that sho had already passed away. For some time her health had been failing, hence her decision to retire. Miss Verne, who was 68, had studied under Mine. Schumann, and was considered one of tho world's best interpreters of Schumann's music. Born at Southampton on May 25, 18G8, the daughter of two professors of music, she was a cousin of Sir Hubert Herkomer, R .A. Sho first studied with Mr. Franklin Taylor and afterwards with Mine. Schumann, and appeared at tho Monday Popular Concerts, playing the Mendelssohn Trio with Lady Halle and Signor Piatti. She also played with great success in Germany and the United States, and for many .years organised and appeared at the Tuesday 12 o'clock concerts in London. But she was perhaps best known as the sole teacher of her gifted sister, Adela. Her school for the pianoforte, established iu Kensington in 1909, has produced a great many excellent artists.

Of the New Zealandcr, Arthur Hirst, Miss Verne wrote: —"I was immensely struck by the courage be had shown in giving up a business career for an art which might offer very little in the way of financial benefit. He has often told me, to my great amusement, that at his first lesson 1 'ordered' him to prepare two pieces of Scarlatti, two of the 'Forty-eight,' two songs without words (for a man with a beard), the 'Papillons' of Schumann and the Tschaikowsky Concerto. He returned, after a week of terrific effort, with the whole list prepared, more or less. Can one wonder that .1 dubbed him my 'enthusiastic pupil,' or couid one wonder if he secretly dubbed me a nigger-driver, devoid of human feeling? 1 have always followed his work with affectionate interest, and that work has been in a class by itself.

"Largely at the suggestion of his friends, Sir Frank Dickseo, and Mrs. Julian Marshall, Arthur Hirst developed the idea of giving lecture-recitals, briefly explaining the circumstances in which the compositions were conceived, and showing the connection between the composer's life and the music, wisely avoiding technical analysis, but giving the listener a general idea of what to listen for. His name is better known in the provinces than in London, and he has performed in more than a 100 different towns, returning to some annually for ten years in succession, accomplishing great things in true musical education." Among Miss Verne's favourite pupils was the Duchess of York, whom she described as patient and clever Lndv Rose Howes Lvon (Lady Rose Leve-son-Gower) became one of the best amateur pianists in her school.