THE ENCORE HABIT.

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 378, 20 September 1946, Page 5

THE ENCORE HABIT.

Sir-After recent concerts in Auckland by visiting pianists of renown the habit of demanding encores seemed to show up more than usual as the foreign growth it is. On our little islands do we not know what work up to capacity is, and are we not descendants of still harder working pioneers? Do we allow our employers by smiling pressure to extract an extra period of work from us for nothing? Or do we ask for more on the basis of an inadequate performance, and therefore enforce the encores as a compensation due? I believe that the majority of our lovers of serious music would salute that city which first offers servants of music "The Freedom" sfrom the encore habit. It takes the joy we intend to return away from the end applause, Our pure milk is soured. Why not let our applause become an art too, and be there for its own sake? The whole question is one in which we will have to take the initiative ourselves, The artist cannot be expected to do so, as the higher his differentiation the more delicately balanced becomes his collective relationship." We must realise that he finds himself under the Sternest of laws, viz., to return the last farthing to the common pool, and he ean therefore during a performance only be concerned with giving his all, even te the bitter end of the encores. So please, let us be sports and from our Own accord give release from the thoughtless practice under reference. There are things that we cannot as yet eyerywhere offer, such as soundproof halls, elegant stages, and first-class instruments, and in Auckland anyway we listeners haye to sit on hard kitchen chairs during a performance in our Town Hall, but we can offer courtesy indicated by simple human feelinc

PLEASE

(Auckland).