PADEREWSKI’S COMING VISIT

New Zealand Times, Volume LIV, Issue 12650, 10 January 1927, Page 8

PADEREWSKI’S COMING VISIT

The news that Paderewski is likely to come to New Zealand for a second tour this year, after the lapse of more than twenty years, recalls that he has planned this second visit much earlier—about 1915, in fact—but was obliged to abandon the proposal at the outbreak of the war. He then gave up liis concert work in order to devote his time entirely to the great task of organising relief measures for the multitudes of his suffering fellow-countrymen in the regions devastated by conflict. Then followed, after the armistice, his entrance into the field of politics, when ho became Premier of Poland.

All this time it was believed that his career as a conceit artist was over. His return to the platform aroused extraordinary enthusiasm. When, in 1922, his American tour was announced, the chief difficulty which beset Mr George Engles, his New York concert manager, was that of meeting the demands of the vast public which clamoured to hear the famous pianist. Mr Engles published the news of the proposed tour on the morning of July loth, and by noon that day he had received telegrams from 150 managers in all parts of the United States, asking that their cities, should be included in the route. In eight out of the ten cities along the road, from coast to coast, the houses were 6old out within from twelve to twenty-four hours after the sales opened. The gross receipts of the tour completely dwarfed those of Paderewski'S second American tour, which were regarded in their day ns wonderful. That was in 1892, when he gave sixty-seven recitals ia twentysix cities, and the receipts amounted to <£36,000. But on this 1922-23 tour this sum was actually surpassed in only seventeen recitals out of the seventy which made up the total programme. For his one San Francisco appearance, in the huge Auditorium, which is estimated to hold 11,000- persons, the takings were £4900, with seats at £1 and Bs.

There will be keen interest in Australia in hearing agaiii the marvellous pianist, who, after. the flight of long years, is playing with all the insight, the magnetism, the delicacy of earlier days. It is expected that, like other notables brought out under J. and N Tait direction, Paderewski will include New Zealand in his itinerary.