THE MACHINE AGE

Radio Record, 1 July 1938, Page 11

THE MACHINE AGE

For Opera W hile Camp In Germany Kipnis said:: Certainly. But how | is it possible? Will you let me out? The colonel said: It will be better. for him to come here and give you an audition. So, in the German’ concentration camp, Alexander Kipnis sang .an audition fory Wiesbaden and was immediately engaged ‘for a period of ‘five © years. This was’ his first appearance ‘on the stage. In that time he studied all day. In war-time there was little else to do.. He | studied Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven and Mozart. I*rom that time he built up his. repertoire of more than 150 operas, .sev-. eral of which he sings in. three languages. He learned thousands of songs, every one in its original language.

ALEXANDER KIPNIS broke off his narrative. -"T would like to tell you something about my songs, and the programmes that I. will sing in’New Zealand," he said. ‘ ' "The programme of a singer is not merely just a number of songs. The singer, in his programme, does not casually say to the public, ‘To-day I am going to sing this song, to-morrow another,’ "just ‘as one sees in a playhouse, ‘Today there will be this play, and to-morrow that.’ It is much more than: that. His Open Diary iw "The programme of a singer is..." he searched for a word... "is his Credo. They say you can tell a man by his friends. In just. that way you-can tell @ singer. by his programme. The programme can tell -you what an artist is. oO, "TINE artist chooses his own programme, and he chooses his songs to express himself-his love, his hope. his

devotion. His programme is-his epen diary, for

evervone to read. "'

We knew: said Alexander Kipnis. that it was

much easier to win ‘public. success by. singing

cheap little songs, but that was not his aim when he started to- sing.

mf NEVER .thought of making business out of my art. When I studied singing I never. thought of being a great artist who sings in all the big countries and theatres and meets, kings and dukes and makes money. "T never thought of that. I studied my songs because I loved singing them. IT used to dream them, and sometimes, as a young man, when walking in the streets I would become aware that people. were staring at me.

"I found I was singing out loud the — \ songs that I was dreaming." [= is his desire in music. to give. people the best: words set in the best songs -and

suug in the best style, -He seeks perfection.:

‘People are usually afraid of . classical

songs," -he says, "they are afraid of Wag-

nerian music.. They think it will be puzzling, or’ that-it will. have shouting in it. Yet nothing can be more enjoyable. than the perfect -classical :song,. properly sung."

This, then, is the creed of this great visiting artist. It will be curiously interesting to see what reception he will be given in New Zealand. _ It is the age of mass production, in music no less than motor-cars, and mass production automatically means the cheapening of the product. "There is nothing in the world,’ Maxim Gorki, famous fellow-countryman of Kipnis, once wrote, "so great and beautiful but that man can vulgarise and dishonour it. And even in the clouds, where formerly dreams and ideals dwelt, they now want to print adver-tisements-for improved toilets, I suppose." Simple and Profound : JK IPNIS is one of those. who have refused to lower their standards. His songs will be simple,. as only the

songs O1 composers Ilke schubert can de S1mpe; an0

at the same time have a profundity in. meaning

and in music that have given them their im- . mortality. .

Whether he will capture New Zealand audi-

ences as did the "Comedy Harmonists,"

who-brilliant artists though they were-

had frankly lowered their colours betore

the onslaneht of the mass mind-oar

whether he will merely delig ht a discern-

ing few, will not matter much to him.

He will have done his duty by. the art which he holds. very precious and

the gifts with which he has been endowed.

But it will mean much, I think, to

the people of New Zealand.

‘T SHALL not sing so much in Hng-

41Sh, he sa1d. "1 00 mot WISh CO

/bring the people songs that. others can

bring them better. n France 1 have seew

-an American come who sings bad songs with

& poor pronunciation in french, and ali the

' people sitting laughing."

Tis ‘songs will be mostly in German, Russian, ' Wrench and Italian. He believes that the

songs can best be sung in the language in which they were written. He will sing the songs of Schubert, Schumann, Brahms. and Strauss, as they were meant to be sung.