MADAME CARRENO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 853, 27 June 1910, Page 3

MADAME CARRENO.

THE GREATEST PIANIST. Her photographs do not do her justice—that is one's first thought when meeting the lady who comes to us with the reputation of being the world's greatest- living pianist, a master of music, who may play a tiling as you love it, or as you have never thought of it, but whose judgment and interpretation you accept unquestioningly, because so obviously and without cavil, she knows. Hoi , photographs begin to give you an idea of how she looks, the small head perfectlv poised, the beautiful hands, the air of quiet strength, but they cannot convoy the charm of her personality. You must see her to realise that. Madamo Carreno comes to us from a long tour in America, where she aroused the most extraordinary enthusiasm—stories of that have reached us— from Melbourne, where her audiences in the Town Hall went almost- mad They would not let the last item on tho programme conclude the concert. 'J 'hey demanded encore after encore until at eleven o'clock Mdme. Carreno finally left the stage, only to hold a levco in the green-room for another half hour. She has been already to the South Island. Herr Bemio Scherek, who is conducting her world tour tells of the intense enthusiasm aroused in the southern cities at each magnificent recital. Ji strikes one as marvellous that Jlr.damo Carreno who is a slightly-made woman, though she must have muscles ■of steel, should lie able to respond so generously to such enthusiasm, that after putting as much personality, vital force, and magnetism into her playing, after bringing herself so closely into touch with the minds of a multitude, she would be able to go on for anothci hour; one would think that even if she is physically capable of going on, sho would bo mentally too thoroughly exhausted. One has an idea that some mysterious "virtue" passes out through the very finger-tips of a musician who can so sway tho emotions of a huge audience. But no, Mdme. Carreno declares that such an enthusiastic experience loaves -her quite fresh and 1111fatigued, able to go on playing for hours. She loves it. "And it is not really mysterious at all," says Herr Scherek later on, "it simply means that Mdme. Carreno is a niaster of her art. Everything is in accord. She plays with perfect composure —there is none of that violent action that one has seen in other famous pianists that leaves them exhausted at the end of a recital, but perfect mastery and quiet power. It is marvellous the. volumo of sound that she brings from the keys, and marvellous, too, her insight into the minds of composers the most diverse—but there it is not marvellous at all—it is genius. But that is not in tho interview." Madame Carreno visits England every year, usually in March, and she speaks with enthusiasm of England's love for music. In Manchester for the last twelve, years has lived Herr Richtcr, the friend nf AVagner. the greatest living conductor, the man who conducts the AVngncr festival in London, and ho is happy in the atmosphere of his foreign home. For England has (luring the last fifteen or twenty years made wonderful strides in musical knowledge and appreciation, till it may rank as the must lnusicInviiig nation. It is certainly the most independent in its judgment. "ISO musician will succeed there merely on his reputation," says Mdme. Carreno. "The people will hear and judge for themselves, and if they ;ue not satisfied, no amount of talk will change their minds. Curiously enough, , this is not so where singers are nonnrnod. There they lire influenced eni tirely by the voice. If that is lieauti- : in] ever.vthiiiK else is overlooked. No! < it is not Hint the iiveract' level of in- ' s(i-un-,fiit.-il music to whieli (hey arc ac- '< eustemed is higher tli.-ti, they are belter eihu-atr! ami ihwrfnii , more critical ; -i-it;, re:r;ml t<, ii:st.-mi!e[ital music Oμ '-!v <W!tnii\v.' they have !i i>l :ill the '. fcrcticsl timers in their best years, i (Ji-i'i-. .Miilil.mt-oh, a hundred ye.w.s -of the (ccM ■.<,-, :i : rs in Hie -.■;-<:,•!-:!, but till th-so l:,.;l' lifte. 11 it twenty ye;,i-s ;!;....- 1i,.,...., ~,,1 u -.,! r ,,i,:id ii.Kiru-"T-.vonU vrai-s 'iivo' 'ymi'wuild hardly have i,;.,; :,u aiuiieiice' 1,, iill :\ simill h:ill for a j>ian;jfni-1.. m-il-il. N,,iv Ihe Albert Hall, wiiieh ImjMs Hlfill people, will he pneki-d for :i Sunday afternoon nm«Tl, and theiv is a w'iM rush for the cheapest seats, (hat prove.* how the poorer chi.-,*■! love nmsic. "h i:; not that the music presented is of a diliVrcMit order. The programme: are :>s they were hventv years :i'j;o, the audience has timsresscd.

".\"o other country in the world is so well served by sill' tho greatest musicians, m> country except America, and it is wonderful how :i iuvo of music sniit » critical knowledge has developed there of late, Anurica'does in a day what tln> older countries have laboured at ■for many yours, and suddem.v she has awake:) to this love and knowledge. Tile difference between now and previous years is n.osl striking." It was not in this connection, but incidentally, that Madame Cam-no told an oild sl-ury of a. visit paid her in America by a music-master, who had a string of little boys and girls in tow. "Can olio become, a musician without hard work?" he demanded. "Certainly not," C-urrono responded. "It require; constant practice. ,, "Then, .Madame, will you kindly tell those young ladies that they must practice if they wish to beoomo ]>ri;Siciont," iiii|uirpd tln> k-acher, who, witliout doubt, had been much hnr-ra-ssed liy vol-ililo young America, and it. is to bo hoped the great artiste's admonition was as effective as be had desperately dreamed. . Coming' to Australia, Madame Oirreno said tliat she fancied the Australians were really much more musical than the Americans, enthusiastic though ther were. It was on another note that the interview concluded, and it bad reference to the Women's Club. "I am most of all keenly interested in everything that affects women," said the woman of whose achievements her sex may well feel proud. "I like to hear of their progress and their successes, but, above all, that with it thev should retain their womanhood, which is their dearest possession."