VISIT OF FRITZ KREISLER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19496, 3 June 1925, Page 14

VISIT OF FRITZ KREISLER.

JO Tills Sin, —In connection with the forthcoming visit of Kreisler, 1 would like to draw attention to tin; inimen.se importance in the development of art that such a visit represents, and also to tlie inevitable coti.sequenees that we shall suffer if the visit, is, iimuichdly,, a failure. We have a reputation as a music, art-loving, and educational centre. The one tiling that ensures progress in any art is a constant striving for the ideal —i.e., perfection. But we must have some tangible standard by winch to measure our shortcomings, and this standard can only be secured by the rare visits of artists who are recognised by cognoscenti, the world over, as having attained as near perfection as is possible in this imperfect world. Wo have, recently, been visited by Moisievitch. one oi the most perfect of pianists. The attendance at his concerts was limited to a mere handful. Two other renowned and justly famouS musicians, Levitski and Tleifeic, ignored Dunedin altogether in their New Zealand tour. There is, of course, another side to the question. Every artist who visits us, however humble ‘n's artistic status may be, is duly boomed by his advance agent ns the greatest pianist, violinist, singer, or anything else in tile world. In the last few years Dunedin has been inundated with the, world's leading opponents of all sorts of things, the majority of whom, alas, were mere disturbers of the atmosphere. And so, naturally, our people have become exceedingly suspicions of all visiting artists, good and bad alike, which accounts for the fate of poor Moisievitch Kreisler is so completely and without dispute the greatest violinist in the world to day, that it would be a thousand pities if he were fo suffer f or the artistic shortcomings and advertising superlatives of Bomo of our previous visitors. There is seldom unanimity of opinion as to the grading of artists, but (here seems in Great Britain, Europe, and America to be very little controversy as to the fact that Kreisler is undroibedlv the greatest violinist, and that Casals is the greatest ‘cellist. Kreisler unites a. (lawless technique to a mature, balanced, and deeply individual temperament. The consummate success of his recent tour through Great Britain, America, and Australia proves him to be at the height of his powers. To hear such a one is an opportunity that comes to ns but rarely, situated ns we are so far from artistic centres of the world. Let ns avail ourselves of it. -I arn. etc., V. G. Gai.wat, President of the Otago Society of Musicians.

THE OCTAGON EXCXOSVEES. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —We are indeed endnbted to. '‘Hands Off" tor liis description of a large number of our citizens, and it would take a fair number to do the trampling of the grass he complains of. His reference to the dog nuisance is quite incorrect, as for some considerable time it has been an offence to allo.v dogs to run lease in the main streets, including the Octagon. The suggestion of a kerhing instead of (ho unnecessary fence is not a new idea, but one that has been tried out in many places in New Zealand, without going further, and 1 have yet to hear of any retrogression where the alteration has been made. The Dunedin public is, according to police reports, particularly lawabiding and certainly the best behaved in New Zealand, but while we have the untruthful statements of such as "Hands 01!" it is quite possible that true lovers ol open spaces who try to think well of their fellow beings, must go on existing with iron bars to prevent them from lapsing. It is almost the story of the Pharisee over again, cr is it a case of self-judgment / I am not alone in my opinion, for casually mentioning the sub. ject to a prominent business man, he said, "You see we pass these things day after day and get so used to them that we do not notice them, but when they are brought to your notice you can see the necessity." His further remark was “That they would be removed now attention was drawn to them." I further urge the removal of the fence as an established modern procedure and not, as "Hands Off" describes it, "As a new idea." It is surprising the Dunedin public should take such importations without protest", hut perhaps their apathy is the reason the railings have remained so long.—l am, etc., Move Ojs,