The Theatrical World

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 145, 20 June 1931, Page 26 (Supplement)

The Theatrical World

Levitzki and Orchestras. Mischa Levitzki, the eminent pianist who will appear in this city next week, considers that the piano is the finest musical instrument for a soloist, while the Symphony Orchestra is the greatest of all musical mediums. In the course of his concert tours in various parts of the world, Levitzki has played concertos with many of the worldfamous orchestras, and he regards Toscanini and Furtwangler as the greatest conductors of the present time. Asked in Wellington the other day to “place” the orchestras in order of merit, he expressed the opinion that the Philadelphia Symphony and the New York Symphony, under the conductorship of

Toscanini, were the two finest orche: tras in the world. Next in order c

merit he selected the Vienna State Orchestra, the Mengelberg Orchestra in Amsterdam, and the Berlin Philharmonic under Furtwangler. Among the orchestras in England he gave first place to the Halle Orchestra, under the conductorship of Hamilton Harty. New Zealand Actor. Lionel Ince, the New Zealand actor and singer, from Taranaki, who has many successes to his credit, recently had a short holiday'- in London from America. He recently had a test in New York for Fox talkies. Whilst in the United States he has worked hard to perfect his speech by means of phonetics, having the advantage of a fine voice to start with. The Americans, he says, are very keen on having the most perfect pronunciation of English from their British artists. American theatres, Mr Ince says, are much smaller than those of England and New Zealand, so that the artist gets more in touch with his audience, and the playing is more confidential. Good Production Coming.

A theatrical season of outstanding importance will commence with the presentation of St John Ervine’s brilliant London comed3 r , “ The First Mrs Fraser,” which is to be staged at the Theatre Royal by J. C. Williamson’s English Company on Saturday, July 11. The season will be doubly noteworthy for the fact that it will signalise the reappearance here of the brilliant New Zealand actress, Etliel Morrison, who has achieved outstanding triumphs in the title rols in “ The First Mrs Fraser.” As a young girl Miss Morrison appeared successfully with the Wellington Amateur Operatic Society and her excellent performances with that organisation were quickly appreciated by the Williamson management who engaged her for the Gilbert and Sullivan Operas, in which she created great successes as the Fairy Queen in “lolanthe,” as I-Catisha in “The Mikado” and as the

Hislop in Australia. Joseph Hislop and Isidor Goodman are at present giving concerts in Melbourne, where they' are being received with great enthusiasm. They have just concluded a record season in SydWonderful Success. It is reported from Melbourne that not even in the brightest days of prosperity has a Gilbert and Sullivan company' scored such success as the company now playing in Melbourne has achieved. Arrangements are at present being considered to tour the company' throughout the length and breadth of Australia and New Zealand. Interesting Fact. . The recent revival in New Zealand and Australia of the popular old musical comedy'. “The Belle of New York” coincided with a revival of the. »ame work in London, and an interesting fact concerning this has been disclosed in the London exchanges. In a private box at one of the earliest performances of the revival sat a dainty' little woman, unrecognised by the audience, absorbed in the entertainment and obviously under stress of some strong emotion. It was Edna May' who, as a girl of 10 in New York, had created the title role, jumping at a bound from obscurity to theatrical fame. She had only' just finished her course at a musical college when it was borne in upon the producer of “The Belle” that here was the ideally' demure maiden for his heroine, and into the part she was pushed and what a hit she made ! London clamoured for her and after a long run in An*erica she was' shipped to London with the whole show, there to repeat the phenomenal success achieved in her home land. As she was leaving America’s shores a theatrical friend assured her that she would be back inside a month. He was a poor prophet, lor it was two years before England tired of this fascinating singer in the Salvation. Army poke bonnet. Wonderful Old Character. What a wonderful old character is Eugene Ysaye, once the world’s greatest violinist and now a physical wreck, possessing but one leg, the other having been amputated som« ago!

He is a national character with the Belgians, and his birthday is almost as big an event to the people of the little kingdom as that of the King. Ysave has, however, bowed neither to years nor to infirmity. lie has written a one-act opera called “ Peter the Miner,” and this was recently given its first performance at the Liege Opera House, the King and Queen making a special journey to Liege to be present. Ysave, who was not able to travel, listened in and spoke to the audience by radio from his home in Brussells. Interesting Ceremony. Just before Levitzki sailed from Australia a month ago to commence his New Zealand tour, he was the central figure in an interesting ceremony at His Master’s Voice factory at Erskineville, Sydney. Knowing that Levitzki was in Sydney, the head office of His Master’s Voice in England forwarded by air-mail to Australia the matrix of the Levitzki recording of the pianist’s

SI HE!®® IS SI Si US® ESI® ms]®® as own waltz (the first occasion on which the Australian Air Mail has been used for such a purpose). Immediately on receipt of the matrix the general manager in Australia invited Mr Levitzki to visit the factory and make the first '‘pressing” of his waltz—an invitation that was eagerly accepted. Levitzki will give his first concert in Christchurch next Thursday night.

Who will be seen with Ethel Morrison in “ The First Mrs Fraser ” which commences a season at the Theatre Royal on Saturday, July 11.