LATE LOCALS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1, 6 May 1913, Page 6

LATE LOCALS.

Mr Frank Hutchens, tiie brilliant young New Zealand pianist, who is appearing with .Madame Florence \\ iide, an English mezzo-soprano, in a Kong and pianoforte recital, at the Sydney V.M.C.A. Hall (.states the Daily Telegraph), possesses a most entertaining personality. His musical talents were developed at a remarkably early age. He was a prize-win-ner in Loudon at I I years. Mr Hutchens is still quite a youth, and not above a little mischief, continues the writer. He related, probably not foV publication, a prank he played upon a professor at Portsmouth, who had been engaged to coach a cousin of his at the piano. The youths on their visit to the master, agreed to change places, and the A.R.A.M. became the pupil. The professor went over a number of compositions, pointed to various stops and expressions, carefully explained their meaning, and then suggested that the student should try a few bars. Young Hutchens, who was a gold medallist of the Royal Academy, put on full steam, and played the “Hallelujah Chorus” in such a way that the professor left the room for refreshments. The new pianist lias a hobby for Chopin. He says that the romantic colouring and deep pathos of his compositions simply haunt him. In the composition of the Fantasy in F Minor, he believes that the Polish composer had in his thoughts Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow, an incident in history very vitally associated with the welfare of his unfortunate country. Mr Hutchens, in his conversation and in Ids appearance, is decidedly an artist, and should fare well at the hands of the musical people of Sydney. '*