PERSONALITIES of the week

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 34, 1 March 1935, Page 10

PERSONALITIES

of the week

POLISH PIANIST AROL SZRETER, the brilliant Polish pianist, who died at an early age a few years ago, was borii in Lodz, on September 29, 1898. He took his first lessons at the age of seven, his first teacher being Wachtel. He made his debut in Warsaw at the age of eleven. From 1912 to 1914 he studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, under Professor Dubassoff, and from 1914 to 1918 under Professor Petrie. He made his Berlin debut in 1915, and he enjoyed considerable success in touring Germany, Holland, the Scandinavian countries, Italy, Poland, and COzecho-Slovakia. His brilliant technique and noble tone, is happily faithfully preserved to us in his all too few recordings, TOTI SPEAKING ‘TL DO not think," says Toti dal Monte, "itis necessary to study too deeply in regard to the mechanism of the voice, how the voice is made, what like is the throat, the lungs. Why trouble after all this? I sing quite naturally, and with facility, and want to forget how my voice comes. How else can I think of my part, and be a real artist-live my characters? No! Some singers are ‘troppo sapiere.’ My debut? My debut in Italia was in Milano, at La Scala Theatre. In a small role, ‘Francisca da Rimini’ It was a great success, and a greater success after in Genoa. In Genoa I met many English people, as there Was an Wngland military hospital there. This was in 1918. My favourite roles are ‘Tucia’ and ‘Rosina’ in "Che Barber of Seville.’ Toti dal Monte, born in Venice, is known throughout Burope as the "Venetian Nightingale." SWEETS FROM SPAIN Gon of a Swedish tather and an Inglish mother, both musicians, Vic: tor Olof has been playing the fiddle since he was seven. Making his debut in Vienna in 1921, he has gone

from strength to strength until now, as director of the Victor Olof Sextet, and also of the Salon Orchestra, he has little time for his hobbies of singing, gardening and cycling, not forgetting a devotion for Shaw, Casals and Epstein. He once had a letter of passionate admiration from two doctors at Saragossa, who listened to his London broadcasts in sunny Spain. With the letter came two boxes of sweets-for distribution among "your musicians and the announcer whose yoice we

lave come to know so well’; also the music of a popular Spanish air, the "Jota Aragonesa," with the request that it be played by the sextet. FRANKAU FRENZY [vs all very well ror operatic stars to get enthusiastic about the operatic heroine on gramophone records. They are just singing the same

things which they have done on the stage, and in the same way. But Ronald Frankau is one who can talk about of those artists women and lots of silly things on a gramophone record, and make it

interesting. Mind you, he says some naughty things now and then-he’ll admit it. And he finds some strange types of women to talk about-he’ll admit that he is an authority on those, too. For all we know, he might be a badly hen-pecked husband, but we like to think of him as an inconsequential philanderer, who'll tell us all about those women. He has become one of the best known recorded humorists of the last few years, and the Frankau frenzy in New Zealand lasted well. A gramophone library was scarcely complete without a Frankau record. But in some of his records he became too frenzied, and the censor stepped in to guard New Zealand’s chastity. It was good of the censor to let Ronald’s ten-inch appeal for purity in recordings reach the public. It’s a jolly good lesson for those fellows who say naughty things on records. A friend of ours is sending a copy to Ronald. COAXING THE ’CELLO AUTHOUGH he was one of the fortunate ones, born to music, Trevor de Clive Lowe put in a few years of hard study before he satisfied his family that he was a competent ’cello performer. By the time he started practising as a doctor, he was an accomplished musician, and since then it has appeared no effort for him to drag hig ’cello out of the corner and string off a tune to the taste of any company. His father, Dr. George de Clive Lowe, also of Auckland, has long been known as a gifted writer of plays and short stories, and a lover of good music. The two elder sons are practising doctors, and the younger, a last-year dental student, shows decided musical promise with his voice. Dr. Trevor has distinguished himself in Auckland, on the ’cello in concerts, chamber music and over the air, and it must be considerable consolation to his parents to know that music, ag well as professional skill has not died out in this generation of the family,

WHAT NAME, ?

HE names given below are those of men and women who are featured in the coming programmes from the New Zealand national stations or of radio performers who have been featured in the news during the week. On these pages are paragraphs relating to the activities of the persons mentioned in this colwimn, KAROL SZRETER, pianist, in records from 3YA, on Wednesday, March 6. TOTI DAL MONTE, soprano, in records from 3YA on Friday, March 8. MARCEL DUPRE, organist, records from 2YA on Thursday, March 7, CYRIL SCOTT, composerpianist, from 1YA on Monday, March 4. GLADYS MONCRIEFF, soprano, in records from 3YA Monday, March 4. TREVOR de CLIVE LOWE, ’cellist, from !YA¢n Wednesday, March 6. VICTOR OLOF, conductor, from 4YA, Saturday, March 9. MISCHA ELMAN'S QUARTET, in records from 2YA, Monday, March 4. PABLO CASALS, ’cellist, in records from 3Y. on Friday, March 8. WILLIS AIREY, M.A.,, in a talk from 1YA on Thursday, March 7, RONALD FRANKAU, humourist, in records from 1 YA on Saturday, March 9. UAURITZ MELCHIOR, tenor, from 3AR, Melbourne, on Monday, March 4. REV. D. GARDNER MILLER, in a broadcast of the service from the Trinity Congregational Church, Christchurch, at 11] a.m. on Sunday, March 3. MR. DAVID McLAREN, in a_ talk, "Talking About Gossip," from 2YA at 8.40 p.m. on Monday, March 4. MONA TRACY, in a talk from 3YA at 9.3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.

MARVELLOUS DUPRE jAkceL DUPRE has had an astonishing career. Belonging to a family distinguished in organ music, he was only ten when he attracted attention by playing some of Bach's "Preludes and Fugues" by heart on the organ. His most remarkable feat was u Series of ten recitals, in the course of which he played the whole of Bach’s’ organ music by heart, a feat which few indeed could emulate. Since then, Dupre has given recitals in many parts of the world, and is everywhere looked up to as one of the greatest living masters of the organ. Bis extempore playing is as famous as his mastery of the classics, being on the high level Which makes it difficult for the hearer to believe that it is really improvised ou the spur of the inoment on melodies given him there and then. NOSE FOR NEWS I ONA TRAOY has that rare journalistie gift of not only being able to put down a good story on paper, but of being able to scent an interesting tale out of the most unlikely corners. In the days when ‘"Anssie" was being published, Mrs. Tracy was a regular contributor-and her stories were eagerly looked for by readers, both here and in Australia. Mrs, Tracy's journalistic flair stands her in good steaél in broadcasting, too. Her talk on early New Zealand have been tol with a verve that makes the most jaded listener sit up and take notice, "I’m fairly old in the tooth as a writer," she once remarked to a "Radio Record" representative, "but at broadcasting I’m as a little child, My general idea, in putting over the talks on New Zealand, is to select some person or group of persons ‘and, through their experiences, bring the New Zealand of a century ago before the mind of the listener." MODERNIST APOSTLE (SOMPOSER, poet, and author of works on philosophy, Cyril Scott is one of our most versatile and distinguished modern English musicians. Yrom the stage, through which most of us pass, of playing the piano by ear at very early age, he has advanced to the premier position in the English musical world as the prophet and apostle of modernism, and as foremost recital pianist. Born in Cheshire in 1879, he studied at Frankfort, where more than one other young Englishman who has stepped into the front rank of composers, was with him. His music, songs, and smaller pieces, are heard all too seldom, and his orchestral, choral and chamber music is overdue On the gramophone records, where it should be. : AWKWARD PAUSE piscua ELMAN, violinist (born 1892 of Russian parentage), was the grandson of a public performer ia the South of Russia, and his father, a poor Jewish schoolmaster, was also 3 violinist. When only four years old his father gave him a tiny fiddle, ani upon playing it to a lady he received an offer of free education upon condition he became a Catholic, an offer his father declined. Mischa took to the violin like a duck takes to water, and when only five he played at a village concert. Somewhat later he played at a reception at a Russian prince’s recep tion. "For an urchin of seyen." he says, "I flatter myself I rattled off

Beethoven's ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ finely. This sonata, you know, has seyeral long and impressive rests. Well, during one of them a motherly old lady leaned forward, patted my shoulder. and said, ‘Play something you know, dear.’ ANGELL’S COUNTERPART [® there is a man in New Zealand who might be called the antipodean counterpart of Sir Norman Angell -by virtue of his principles-it must be Mr. Willis T. G, Airey, M.A. One remembers him ag a master at the Auckland Grammar School, fourteen years ago, in his B.A. days. Byven then

he was a pacifist at heart, compared With the best "‘swipers" in the school, fo the contentment of his pupils. But his pacifism is not the milk-sop or C.O. type encountered during recruiting for the last Great Scrap, He has the logic and conviction of the famous author of "The Great Illusion," and can argue the economic fallacies of international strife with an ability possessed by few in this Dominion. Consequently, he haus become one of the pillars of the Auckland Branch of the League of Nations Union. Whether or no you may approve of the League itself, there is no escaping the force of Mr. Airey’s urguments against war, which are de: livered with a frigid and undramatic logic, which must appeal to anybody who gives the question a second thought. Without being a seditionist he has taken the opportunity in. the last few years of training W.2E.A. students along the lines of sane economics, and he has the art of bringing home his lessons without letting pre judices detract from the evident sound ness of his judgement. DANISH TENOR THE son of the owner of one of the finest schools in Copenhagen, Lauritz Melchior, was intended to follow his father’s profession, but his love of music wag so great that he insisted on being allowed to follow it in some form, and at seventeen he entered a music publishing house, studying in his spare time with a famous teacher of singing. At 21 he made his debut as a baritone, and at 25 he was principal baritone at the Royal Opera. Copenhagen. But as time passed, he found that his high baritone voice was rapidly changing to tenor quality, so, after seven years before the public, he retired for a further period of study-at the expense of the Danish. Government-and he made his tenor debut as Caris in "Pagiliacci." He is most popular in Mngland. BACK IN 1915 . T was ‘way back in 1915-during a season of Gilbert and Sullivanthat Gladys Moncrieff first appeared on a2 New Zealand stage. But in those days her name was a long way down the programme, and it was not until she came back in "The Maid of the Mountains" that the public really sat up and took notice of her. Since then she has. sung many songs and played

in many roles, her latest being in "Ihe Cedar Tree," which has had a good run in Melbourne. New Zealand hasn’t seen Gladys since 1929, when she played a triumphant season in "Rio Rita." The talkies obscured the sun for a lime, but Gladys is now back in a big way in the "flesh and blood" entertaininent world. A WARM CORNER! TRISTCHURCH knows the Rev. D. Gardner Miller for the earnest endeayour he puts behind any -schéme Which he takes up-and for the pithy notices which appear on the board outside his church in Worcester Street, not far from Cathedral Square. On one occasion the notice read: HELL. Preacher: Rey. D. Gardner Miller. One of the local papers commented, "And a very lucrative parish for Mr. Miller, too!" MASTER 'CELLIST ABLO CASSALS, the great Spanish ’cellist and conductor, was born in i small village near Barcelona, where his father was church organist. As a small boy he learned the flute, violin, and piano, and sang in’ his father’s choir, but not until he was 13 did he begin to study the ’cello under Jose Garcia. His progress was so rapid that within two years of his first lesson he won the first prize at the Barcelona Conservatoire. That remarkable achievement brought him to the notice of the Spanish statesman, Morphy, who presented him to Queen Christina, and, under her patronage, he spent two years at the Royal Conservatoire in Madrid; study in Brussels and Paris converted him into one of the greatest artists of our time. In Barcelona he has founded a musical society of 10,000, to which working people can belong for iu very small fee. These concerts attract students from all over Europe, "DAVE" McLAREN Me. DAVID McLAREN-""Dave" MeLaren as he is better known to thousands of Wellingtonians-was the first Labour mayor of the Capital. This little man still has an immense capacity for work, and his powers of reasoning might be envied by many a younger man, The writer remembers a winter afternoon when, over a big fire, Mr. McLaren and a young married woman iired their views on the age-old question of how to bring up children. From his remarks one gathered that "Dave's" life had not exactly been a bed of roses-but his kindly remarks on his mother, who struggled hard to bring up her family, stamped him as a man of sympathy and human understanding.