TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY WAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 191, 15 August 1940, Page 6

TURNED UPSIDE DOWN BY WAR

MUSICAL WORLD IN LONDON [ Per Press Association. J AUCKLAND, Aug. 14. “The war has been absolutely catastrophic as far as music in London is concerned," said Mr. Max Pirani, Professor of Pianoforte at the Royal Academy of Music, London, on his arrival by the Mariposa to conduct examinations for the Royal Schools of Music. "The musical world has been turned upside down,’’ he said. Both the academic and the concert sides had suffered. Mr. Pirani said the Royal Academy and Royal College had been carrying on as normally as possible and the numbers of students had held up fairly well, but private teachers had lost many pupils. Many concerts had been cancelled. There had been a certain amount of activity in giving concerts for troops and in aid of destitute musicians, whose numbers had increased greatly since the war started. However, the war had so far produced no new developments in music. Mr. Pirani expects to begin examinations in Wellington on Friday and will be conducting tests in various centres of the Dominion. He is accompanied by his wife and children. Another examiner for the Royal Schools of Music, Dr. J. F. Staton, who has previously visited the Dominion, also arrived by the Mariposa. He had planned to proceed to Ceylon to conduct examinations immediately after acting as judge at the Wellington Competitions at the end of the week, but he had received cabled instructions to assist in the New Zeai land examinations. Consequently he expects to remain in the Dominion until about the end of September.