AFTER 22 YEARS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 73, 23 September 1930, Page 11

AFTER 22 YEARS

ME. JAN KUBELIK

VIOLINIST IN WELLINGTON

By this morning's express from Auckland there 'arrived in Wellington tlie world-famous violinist, Mr. Jan Kubelik. It is 22 years since he visited New Zealand, and on this, occasion, as on the last, Australia has been visited, too.'

"My -15 concerts in Australia,"- lie ' remarked to a "Post" representative, to-day, "were a very pleasing experience. I found a deeper knowledge and fuller appreciation .of music amongst the masses than I. did previously.; I have formed a great admiration for the pioneerrnusic teachers in Australia., for they have much .to contend with; but they, and those in. New Zealand too, arc doing a great work. The influence of good music on the rising generation cannot.be over-estimated. It is the same with .books:- give a child good music or gpo.d books, 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. Kube'.ik remarked that he thought they wcu'd 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." 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 of my 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." Mr. Kubelik has composed six concertos for the violin, as -well as several smaller pieces. He remarked that ho was interested in native music, and thought that possibly something 'distinctive might some day be evolved -from Maori music. "Anyway, the1 grand scenery of your country and .the freshness of it ought to help in the production and inspiration of great musicians." Jan Kubelik, a Bohemian by birth, was born in 1880. He first appeared in public at the eight of eight, in Prague. He was subsequently trained at the Couservatorium there by the famous teacher, Ottakar Sevoik, and gained from him" extraordinary technique. His first appearance in London ■was in 1900, and the- United States was visited in 1001. Mr. Kubelik, since his marriage, has' becomo a naturalised Hungarian. During the last thirty years ho has played to -record audiences all tho world over, nis was not the ease of a juvenile prodigy blazing in the firmament as a new star only to fade away. As ho has matured physically, so has his playing, and he is generally recognised to-day as the world's greatest violinist.