SOME MUSICAL PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH NEW ZEALAND

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 3, Issue 3, 1 September 1924, Page 39

SOME MUSICAL PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH NEW ZEALAND

Mr. and Mrs. Boris Hambourg r JptIE photos, of Mr. and Mrs. Boris Hambourg should be interesting to New Zealanders, for Mrs. Hambourg has many friends in this country. Before her marriage Mrs. Hambourg was Miss Maria Bauchop, and she was well known in Wellington. She sends us news of her wedding last December and of a reception which her brother-in-law, Mr. Mark Hambourg, came to Toronto to give to her and her husband a few days afterwards. The Hambourgs are a remarkable family. Mr. Mark Hambourg, to whose name one does not need to add ‘The celebrated pianist,” his name is so well known, is the eldest son of a Russian pianist, Michael Hambourg, who taught in London for twenty years, and in 1911, with

his sons Jan, an eminent violinist, and Doris, a famous ’cellist, went to Toronto to conduct a school of music there. Mr. Mark Hambourg and his brother Boris toured this country together in 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Boris Hambourg are now living in Toronto. Mr. Frederick Moore and Miss Vera Moore Not only Dunedin residents, but the whole of New Zealand should be proud of the family which has given to the world such a noted professor of the pianoforte as Mr. Frederick Moore, and such a pianiste as his youngest sister, Miss Vera Moore. The South Island knows a little of the work of other members of the family, several of whom are teachers of music, but few realise the heights to which these two have risen in musical circles in London, and indeed, all Britain. It is sad that we have not a large enough nor rich enough population to provide scope for our cleverest musicians, who leave us always for an older and musically wiser country. We have to be contented with occasional Press cuttings about, their musical activities elsewhere, and once in a while they return for a visit, often to find that a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country. Judging by the reception given to Miss

Rosina Buekman on her last tour, we have learnt to appreciate our worldfamous sweet-singer, but even she met with but poor enthusiasm on her first visit home after her early successes in Europe. I wonder how many people knew of, or were interested in, the short visit that Miss Vera Moore paid to her own country recently. Perhaps it was owing to the fact that her visit was more for her family’s sake than for professional purposes, that she gave no recitals in Wellington or Auckland, but those of us who know what an accomplished young lady she is are left disappointed, for we have heard no woman pianiste of her stamp for many years, and our piano

students have had little to inspire them except an occasional visit of a Russian virtuoso. Dunedin, of course, heard her, and congratulated themselves, for she is theirs; they have watched her career from her earliest successes in their competitions, and all her preparatory. work was done there. Now that Miss Moore has again returned to her brother’s house in London, Dunedin, Invercargill, Christchurch, and a few honoured towns in the South, are left with recollections of some wonderful concerts, when a quiet, fraillooking girl kept them enthralled for two hours at a time, never leaving the piano, amazing them with her masterly render-

ing of some of the most exacting pianoforte pieces ever written. Miss Moore's choice of programme would satisfy the

most exacting audience, and her appearance of ease, entire lack of mannerisms, and her unobtrusive personality, leave one free to enjoy her intelligent playing of majestic Bach works, brilliant Chopin Etudes, thoughtful slow movements, and delicately interpreted impressionistic music of the modern schoolall her playing, in all the moods the music demands, given with such facility that admiration of the pianist is lost for the time in love of the music, until one wakes and knows that human hands have made it possible for us to hear it so. Miss Moore has studied for several years with Leonard Berwick, who toured this country several years ago. She has given several recitals in London, one of them in conjunction with Miss Stella Murray, when many distinguished musicians and aristocratic patrons were present, and always her concerts meet with the approbation of the critics, aweinspiring ogres who have to be placated. We hope that they will treat her well at her next recital there in October. And next time, please, will she come to the North Island, and give our students the benefit of hearing some of her extensive repertoire ? Mr. Frederick Moore, who has lived in London for some years, is highly thought of as a lecturer and professor at the Royal Academy of Music, and at the Matthay School of Pianoforte Playing. He has visited his home several times since lie has settled in England, and occasionally is sent here as examiner to the Associated Board of the R.A.M. and R.C.M. Miss Etta Field Aucklanders, who were charmed with Miss Etta Field’s voice when she : returned from Sydney last year, will be pleased to hear of her progress in her musical studies in England, for which country she sailed last January. Mr. I. Schneideman sends us good news of her. She is studying under Professor Raphael, and is to receive her final preparation from Mullin, a great authority on voice production, after which she intends to give her first recital in London.