A GREAT VIOLINIST.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18159, 25 October 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

A GREAT VIOLINIST.

KUBELIK IN NEW ZEALAND. TALKS OF MANY THING.S. " My 45 concerts in Australia,” said Jan Kubelik, the great violinist, “ were a very pleasing experience. I found a deeper knowledge and fuller appreciation of music amongst the masses than I did previous’y. I have formed a great admiration for the pioneer music teachers in Australia, for they, and those in New Zealand too, are doing a great work- The Tnfluence of good music on the rising generation cannot be over-estimated. It is the same with books; give a child good music or good hooks, and his character is influenced for good,- and he will not afterwards turn to what is vulgar in music or literature." The conversation having turned upon sound films, Mr Kubelik remarked that he thought they would have to Improve or go under. He had been approached to make a

sound film, but nothing as yet was finalised. “ I suppose I shall have to do it, for it seems to belong to our time," he said. “ A sound film of my playing I would prefer to the gramophone record, but both are far from the real thing.”

Something of Everything. Talking of his own playing, the violinist said that in his programmes he endeavoured to give something of everything, including all the classics for the violin. “ I will play, too, some ot my r own compositions, but the modern way of composing happens to be the violin’s greatest enemy, Just as the violin Is the enemy of modern composers. When modern composers produce something nice for the violin I will play It, but the violin cannot serve anything ugly.” Kubelik has composed six concertos for the violin, as well as several smaller pieces. He remarked that he was interested in native music, and thought that possibly something distinctive might some day be evolved from Maori music. “ Anyway, the grand scenery of your country and the freshness of it ought to help in the prorluction and inspiration of great musicians.” Alfred Hill’s Maori Music. Kubelik described with interest Alfred Hill’s Maori string quartette, which he heard played in Melbourne. “ I did not know, before hearing it played, that any attempt had been made to 'write Maori melodies for modern instruments, and the experiment greatly interested me,” he said. “ It is a neatly-constructed work and I was surprised to hear melodies which reminded me very forcibly of our own Slavonic folk songs. They have the peculiar ‘ lamento ’ touch that one hears in Slavonic music. “ I would like to hear more of that kind of music. Musicians will collect these Maori tunes later on, I dareasy, and use them as modern''’ musicians use the folk melodies of Europe and Asia. They might even,” he added with a twinkle of the eye, “ compose abush symphony.”