Morini’s Hair

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 670, 23 May 1929, Page 16

Morini’s Hair

Violinist Not An Ordinary Woman RAMPAGEOUS LOCKS **Tlie ordinary woman would say: ‘l've washed my hair and can do nothing with it.’ Erica Morini, extraordinary woman, would not have a confession so ordinary. Perhaps: *l’ve just played “Spring” Sonata in F major, Op. 24’ (Beethoven,” says a writer in the Sydney “Evening News.” In the matter of rampageous locks, she was reminiscent of Verbrugghen when, having swung himself into endless twistings, he turned finally, fol-

lowing a climatic crash o£ brass, hair dishevelled, tip round his ear, collar contorted —something like the original of the war-time story regarding the man assured by the lady that her ausband was in France. Erica Morini's hair isn't as bad as all that; but, as she works up to wonderful movements her shingled tresses toss as the mane of Strephon streaking down the straight. Marvel is that it does not get entangled, or across things, as the hair of our beloveds once used to get in our eyes—once, I said. “She has the pretty habit of the sex of blowing back the wisps and the art of making it momentarily stay put by touch. Surely, too, a tribute to her skill was that not once did she have to tear the violin from a tangle of fringe. It did seem that, on one occasion, she stripped a strand from the G string, but, contrary to the habit of these incriminating specimens, it did not settle on the shoulder of accompanist Jacob Gimpel. “As to the musical attractions of the lady—these may wisely be referred to personal judgment. My untutored ear was charmed more by tue lighter compositions—be-00-tiful— ■while Jacob Gimpel was none the less delightful In his role.” At the end of her New Zealand tour, which opens at Auckland on June 1. Erica M°rini, the Viennese woman violinist, will probably return to Europe to play with the Milan Orchestra under Toscanini. It Is also likely that she will play at a diplo matlc reception given ip Rome by Mussolini. In November Morini will begin another tour of Germany, where she will give 30 recitals, and subsequently may go 'to Russia. Several American offers have also been made, including one to play concertos with the San Francisco Orchestra under Bruno Walter. Maurice Ravel has been appointed by the French Government member of the Committee of Instruction of the Conservatory: He takes the place of Andre Messager. ♦ * • Ravel's "L’Enfant et les Sortileges” ■was performed on March 14 at the Vienna Opera, conducted by Robert Heger. The composer supervised the rehearsals during his stay in Vienna with the Rubinstein ballet. * * * The Association of German Music Critics took at its recent meeting a definite stand in favour of Dr. von Dander, the critic of the Munich “Neueste Nachrichten,” whose article last January is said to have caused Knappertsbusch to sever his connection with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Munich. Angel del Busto, announcing a bassoon recital at Steinway Hall, has cited that instrument’s "comic possibilities” in music. He quotes more seriously a statement that the bassoon was first used in Cambert’s “Pomone” in Paris in 1671. “Until Mozart’s time the bassoon was little else but an instrument for doubling the bass of the strings; but Mozart did great things with it, even going so far as to write a concerto for it. It is important in his Requiem, in his symphonies and in ‘Don Giovanni.’ ” Worthily Matched "She's nothing but a tottering old woman, who can’t sing well enough ‘o sell fish in the streets.” Such was the praise recently bestowed by ’ The Amarilo News - Ilobe” (Texas) on Mary Garden while she was appearing at Amarilo with ihe Chicago Opera Co. Through interviews, Miss Garden responded by calling the writer Gene Howe) “a svwue, a lunatic,” “an ignoramus.” and “a dirty rotter”—in each case, it is stated, prefacing the compliment with “a good, red-hot damn.”