BENNO MOISEIWITSCH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 142, 18 June 1932, Page 6 (Supplement)

BENNO MOISEIWITSCH

HE LIKES TRAVELLING. FOND OF CHOPIN’S WORKS. Growing vegetables or raising chickens while living a quiet retiring life in the country has no attraction for Benno Moiseiwitsch, the famous Rus3au pianist, who will be visiting Wanganui towards the end of the month. “I am ‘settled down’ travelling,” he said, in an interview. “1 like visiting new countries and revisting them, making new friends and renewing old acquaintances. ” This is Mr. Moiseiwitsch* s third tour of New Zealand; he has toured Australia four times. He was last there four years ago. Although, of course, the pianoforte is to him all-important, he is intensely interested in orchestral work and he rehearsed with one of the Wellington orchestras in preparation for playing a concerto with it before returning to Australia. In Melbourne he gave two concerts with orchestra, playing four concertos. He has found both in Australia and New Zealand increased interest in orchestral work and he considers that when the financial position improves there should bo room for the importation of recognised master conductors. “There are many sterling young English conductors who tour Europe,” he said. ‘‘and. though they meet with keen competition from the skilful Coninental conductors, they are doing rery well. Possibly you could form a New Zealand orchestra and import such a recognised conductor with success. But not at present. Even in America orchestras are hard hit; the oldest established one there, in Chicago, which has been playing continuallv for 41 years, has had to be disbanded. This ! regret intensely for I have enjoyed playing with it every time I visited America.” Discussing composers, Mr. MoiseiBitsch said that for a long time he worshipped Schumann. While retaining his affection for this composer he

had lately turned his attention to Chopin. Of the modern composers, while granting that some would live, he doubted whether much of their work would be recalled in 20 or 30 years. The . age of the machine was doubtless having a reaction on composers. One man had written a symphony depicting an express train. Interesting perhaps for a single hearing, but no one wanted that type of musical expression. “The music of the old composers is poetical, lyrical—it has soul,” was his summing up. “That of most of the moderns has no soul. Following the war revolutionary composers enjoyed popularity. Sensationalism in anything will attract for a time. But to-day most of their work is dead. Only’ that which was worthy of surrival has lived and of that a little -pill probably last for a long while.” Though a Russian, Mr. Moiseiwitsch tas never played for an entirely Rusfian audience. To do so is one of his imbitions. After leaving Australia on ais last visit he penetrated as far as Harbin in order to realise this ambiton, but he did not achieve it.

Ruth Chatterton, who is appearing n Paramount’s “To-morrow and Tonorrow,” lived on twenty cents when «he first tried to get a job in New I’ork.