A FAMOUS TRIO

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 11960, 15 October 1924, Page 3

A FAMOUS TRIO

TALK ON MANY MATTERS THE CHHRNIAVSKYS ON MUSIC, PEOPLES, AND ANTIQUES. - DOMINION AND COMMONWEALTH. "Come in!" The reporter entered, and to this surprise saw a smiling face peeping over an eiderdown quilt. The foce was that of Mr Leo. Cherniavsky. the violinist, who in conjunction with his two brothers, Mr Jan Cherniavsky, a pianist, and Mr Mischel Cherniavsky, 'cellist, is giving a series of concerts in .Wellington. “Good afternoon," he continued,. “I am just resting for to-night's performance." As the sun streamed in through the windows he 6ighed contentedly and added, “What glorious weather, eo different from Auckland. There we had rain for three weeks/' Mr Cherniavsky said that it waa three and a half years since the trio had lest visited New Zealand, and since then had been on tours in America and Europe. Of all the countries he had visited he liked England the most —that was from the artist's point of view. There, there was peace, while it was the centre of activity. AUDIENCES. Discussing audiences, the violinist said •that the European audiences were more exacting than those of America and the colonies. They always demanded something of the highest class, and they "'ere harder to please. Of course opinions of audiences differed. An artist who was not successful in a place often blamed the audience, and praised his listeners when he did well. Some artists who had gone to America and failed, said that the Americans were only out to make money, but be evidently forgot that he was tut to make money also. In Australia the audiences ware appreciative, and he had also a high opinion of music. lovers in New Zealand. Here the artistio taste was growing rapidly. When they made their first visit in 1908 they often played to only a handful, but since then the development had been tremendous. IMMIGRATION QUESTION. He was amased at the population. of the cities in Australia as compared vrith that of the rural parts, and thought that something would have to he done

in the near future. There were parts of Australia where no white man could work, and Mr Cherniavsky considered that these could only be developed by Oriental labour. Amerioa let people from all countries settle in her States, and had put the restriction on immigration only when she had enough. If the colonies wanted to become .prosperous they would have to obtain immigrants who were strong and healthy, and who were capable and willing to develop the resources of the country instead of drifting to the towns. The authorities should also see that they were not all of' the same type, hut new blood should be infused into the peoples of the dominions so that they would develop characteristics instead of degenerating. • People had the breeding of sheep and cattle down to a fine art. but they did not pay any 'attention to the breeding of human beings. ANTIQUE COLLECTION. At this stage Mr Mischel Cherniavsky, who had been delving into the antique shops and bookstalls of Wellington, burst into the room. He had not found anything of a sensational nature so far in Wellington, but went into raptures over hie disooveriee in Auckland,, where he had picked up first editions of Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde, and a fourth folio of Shakespeare. , “Tasmania is the place," he said, * for antiques. Most of the early colonists who settled there-brought their valuables with them, and many of these can be bought cheaply to-dav. I picked up a Queen Anne table and a water-colour by Turner there for thirty shillings, while I also bought a wonderful panel with a painting of Christ and Mary standing before a well. It had evidently i.ome from some monastery in Italy, and is easily over 300 years old. The colouring is wonderful, and a connoisseur in Melbourne told me it was one of the finest works he had seen." VALUABLE 'CELLO. "Of course in Brisbane I bought a Joseph Guameriue 'cello,, dated 1719. I naid JSIOOO for it. but it would be worth three times that amount in Europe. The papers over there gave great publicity to the deal, and I had letters from people all over the country asking me to inspect their instruments and for them their value. It was leally funny/ "ADVERTISE MORE." Mr Misohel Cherniavsky was also enthusiastic about the appreciative sense of colonial audiences, and instaneed the phenomenal run of the Melba Opera Company as against the seasons of such a famous company as the Chicago Opera Company in America. Be thought that ■we wouid get many famous artists to these shores if they knew more about us. Fritz Kreisler. the violinist, and GailiCuroi, the coloratura soprano, had asked him what he was (Join* to perform to, but since he had told them of Australia and New Zealand both seemed; eager to make a trip. He thought that both would visit New Zealand. In conclusion he hoped that 'New Zealand would advertise itself more in the future, as he was sure many worldfamed artftts would, be only too glad to oome to the Dominion.