"DOTTY" ON MOZART

New Zealand Listener, Volume 3, Issue 69, 18 October 1940, Page 13

"DOTTY" ON MOZART

Frederick Page Makes A Contession

REDERICK PAGE, who will conduct an augmented string orchestra from 3YA _ on October 25, in a studio concert in conjunction with the Christchurch Liederkranzchen, has_ recently broadcast from 3YA and 4YA piano works including a group of Debussy solos, the Mozart Concerto in E Flat, and Beethoven’s Sonata in E Major, Opus 14 No. 1. Mr. Page was born in Lyttelton and was educated at Christchurch Boys’ High School and Canterbury University College. He obtained the degree of Bachelor of Music and was awarded a_ special scholarship to enable him to study at the Royal College of Music, London, for two years. He left Christchurch for England in 1935 and studied in London under Dr. Vaughan Williams and R. O. Morris, finding time during his two years in London for extra pianoforte lessons from Tobias Matthay as well as for the innumerable concerts that students at the Royal College of Music habitually attend. And then, for a short time, he had lessons with Marcel Maas in Brussels, Home at Governor's Bay At Governor’s Bay, in the old Dyer homestead, Mr. Page lives with his wife — formerly Evelyn Polson, painter — and his 18-months-old son, Sebastian. Here, in a cool green and white music room with a window overlooking a terrace and then the whole length of the harbour, Mr. Page has the Bechstein he brought from London. The sun,-all the year round, wakes the Page household by streaming, as it rises from the sea, directly into the windows of the old red house. And as the day advances the sun moves in the tops of native trees and falls on the slopes of flower and vegetable garden and on the hundreds of old fruit trees, planted so long ago that among them hazel nuts drop their triads in places difficult to find, a giant mulberry thrives, and a medlar shades the strawberry bed. The extremely tall bluegums, according to legend, were surprise results from seed believed to be onion seed; and in their tops tuis make their varying musical calls sometimes all day long.

When he was interviewed by a Listener representative, Mr. Page described concerts he had heard in London and on the Continent and at the various international music festivals he had attended. He heard in London various first performances — notably those of Walton’s Symphony (complete), Vaughan Williams’s 4th Symphony in F Minor, and Bax’s 6th Symphony. In London, said Mr. Page, the most impressive thing he heard was the Bach Cantata Club singing Bach’s Mass in B Minor at St. Mary’s, Westminster. Often, Mr. Page explained, the Mass was sung with 200 voices with a volume that swamped the orchestra; but the work was much more effective when it was sung by the 40 voices that Bach probably intended, with the right sized orchestra accompanying. "This experience," said Mr. Page, "was overwhelming." Mr. Page visited the Glyndebourne Mozart festival in England, and the international festivals at Munich and Salzburg in 1937. These were the last international festivals held in Europe before the Nazi invasion of Austria. In Salzburg he visited the famous Mozart museum, where, in exquisite miniature detail the settings, both for the original performances and later ones, for all of Mozart’s operas are set out on model stages with special lighting and some with revolving mechanism. Oysters in Brussels Did he meet any notable composers? "No. But I hob-nobbed with the Pro Arte String Quartet, had Christmas dinner with them- including Portuguese oysters at so many shillings each oyster -and much later in the evening we all walked arm in arm down Brussels’ streets. In Brussels I heard them play the complete cycle of Beethoven’s string quartets, and then travelled with them to Louvain and Antwerp to hear them give other concerts." Other interesting experiences Mr. Page had in the time he was overseas include visits to famous art galleries and to contemporary art shows in London. "I spent a most interesting afternoon and evening with John Nash," he said. "Nash is keen on Mozart and Bach, is practically selftaught at the piano, and played with me, Mozart concertos, impromptu, on two pianos at his cottage in Bucks." John Nash gave Mr. and Mrs. Page a recent print of his and an original oil for a wedding present. Regrets There are two chief regrets in Mr. Page’s memories of his two years abroad. One is that he did not hear more contemporary music in London. There was, he said, remarkably little done there. The other regret is that he was not able to buy a Frances Hodgkins picture at a show of hers he attended. Hopes "My ambition is to play all of Mozart’s pianoforte concertos; which means, if I played one a year I’d be about sixty when I finished. When the symphony orchestra does come into being I'd like to play William Walton’s Sinfonia Concertante and Vaughan Williams’s piano-

forte concerto. And I’d like to broadcast Bach’s 48 Preludes and Fugues in a quiet moment in a week, say two a week. This is how they do them from the BBC, not just once in a while, but annually." Before he went to England Mr. Page was already strongly supporting contemporary music. He gave first performances in Christchurch of works of Debussy, Ravel, Falla, Delius, and Bela Bartok, and caused to be played all the Delius chamber music with solo parts for violin, piano and ’cello. For his playing of the Delius Pianoforte Concerto in 1927, Mr. Page received a letter of thanks and appreciation from the composer. Mr. Page announces that his hobbies are "gardening and looking at pictures (not movies)." He also describes himself as "dotty on Mozart and Schubert songs." When asked if his son shows any signs of. being interested in the piano, Mr. Page said, "Yes, in his own way. He learnt to walk at it."