ROMANCE AND MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 82, 28 June 1927, Page 1

ROMANCE AND MUSIC

PADEREWSKI ARRIVES MADAME AND HER VIOLETS “Jazz—it is a perversion—bah.” Standing in the Royal car at the Auckland Railway Station this morning Ignace Jan Paderewski expressed this, his opinion of syncopated music. A ND that is all he would say about x it. While the famous Polish pianist and his wife posed for the cameramen

outside the carriage, an unassuming little woman pressed through the throng and thrust a bunch of sweetsmelling violets into Madame Paderewski’s hand. Madame is a baroness. It was a humble tribute from a fel-low-countrywoman. “Ah ye 3, I knew them in my own country—in Podolia,” murmured the little Polish woman. “Ah, it is good to see them,” and she pressed forward to chat in her native tongue with M. Paderewski and madame, who seemed delighted to meet her. Musician, composer, patriot, statesman—Paderewski is one of this world’s most remarkable figures. He carries his 6S years with dignity. There is a youthful sparkle in his eye which quite belies his flowing grey hair. A COMMANDING FIGURE He Is a commanding figure—he appeals to the imagination. Though he is greatest as a pianist he has played his part in the politics of his country. “Will you ever go back to politics?” a SUN man asked him this morning. “Ah, how can I say,” answered the great man. “I do not know. There are certain things demanded of me and I have certain obligations to my country.” “You see they are so entirely different —the political life and that of the musician,” he said in answer to another question. But one felt that if his country asked his aid Paderewski would give his life for it. WAR WORK During the Great War Paderewski threw himself into the work of raising funds by concerts for his suffering countrymen. Then, in 1917, he went to America and raised a regiment of Polish volunteers known as the “Polish Army in Prance.” He represented his country at Washington in 1917-18 and a year later he organised the Polish Republic. Paderewski was made Premier of Poland in 1919, but later resigned. He attended the Peace Conference in Paris and the League of Nations in 1920. And all this by a master musician who was well advanced in years. Still, he does not show it. Honours have been showered on Paderewski by almost every country in the world. The Grand Cross of the British Empire has been conferred on him and he was honoured by the Glasgow University. Unlike many famous men Paderewski does not smile condescendingly on the modern composers. "They are doing wonderful work,” he said this morning. “Spain, France, Italy, Poland—they are all producing men who are doing fine work.” Ravel he admired tremendously, and a young Polish composer he said was perhaps the most brilliant of them all. So he comes to Auckland for the second time —Paderewski, the most familiar name to every student of the piano. “I like New Zealand even better this time than I did before,” he said, as he made for his motor-cdr between the crowds of admirers who waited his arrival on the platform this morning. It seemed fitting that this romantic figure and his suite should travel from Wellington in the car used by the Duke and Duchess of York. While in Auckland Paderewski will receive the highest honour that can be conferred on him by the Returned Soldiers. He will be elected a life member of the association and presented with the gold badge of membership by Major-General Sir Andrew Russ eIL