Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Veteran Australian-born concert pianist.
On the island
Eight records
Oh, because I've heard him play it and I like the way he played it so much. I love his playing. Beautiful piano playing.
I couldn't be lonely if I heard that on my Desert Island.
Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61
I've chosen it because it's a concerto I love very much, especially That coming from the slow movement, that lovely slow movement into the last movement. I think it's a wonderful piece of writing and it's such a lovely work.
Closing duet from Der Rosenkavalier
Elisabeth Schumann and Maria Olszewska
that lovely duet at the end of The Rose and Cavalier.
Oh yes, several times. I met he was out in Africa not very long ago. Sent me the biggest bouquet of flowers anybody's ever seen. She could hardly get into our city hall, it was so huge.
It makes a lovely piano solo too.
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, last movementFavourite
Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
That beautiful Horn passage in it.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:34How good would you be at enduring loneliness on a desert island?
I don't think I would find it very difficult if I had books to read and.
Presenter asks
3:23Whereabouts in Australia were you born?
I was born in Queensland, to a place called Toowa, up in the Darling Downs.
Presenter asks
3:37How old were you when you started to play the piano?
Well, I actually started trying the piano when I was a year and nine months old, but I really played when I was three. I played quite a lot.
Presenter asks
6:04While you were at the Hochschule, you met Brahms, I believe. What do you remember about that?
Yes, I did at one of the rehearsals, the orchestra rehearsals. Romes used sometimes to come and conduct the orchestra. They were all students, of course. And so Joachim called me over that day and introduced me to him, and I was very proud indeed.
The keepsakes
The book
Leo Tolstoy
Well, if I had to have one book, I'd have one piece, because I've never had time to read that properly.
The luxury
Yes, I think that must be a billiard table. You're fond of billiards. Oh, yes, really. I've never been able to play much because you don't get a chance a woman never gets a chance of playing billiards, but I love it.
Presenter asks
6:22Who else did you meet? I believe you met Clara Schumann.
I went down to Madame Schumann to play. I won the Mendelssohn sependium in Berlin at the end of my time. I must have been perhaps about seventeen. And then I went to Madame Schumann and played to her. She was really nice, but she did say to me, You haven't got the physique to be a concert pianist, you're much too delicate. It rather annoyed me. Feeling I wasn't at all delicate.
Presenter asks
12:13What did you do during the last war?
playing to the South African forces. Yes, I was sent up By the government to play to the troops. I went up just at the end of the war in 1944. I would have gone up earlier, but the um whoever was arranging it down in Cape Town, I forget now who he was, but one of the top men there wanted me to go up in uniform. I refused to go and play in uniform. I mean, you can't go and play to soldiers in that very unbecoming uniform dress. I said if I play to concerts, I want to have a nice evening frock on, let them have a A really proper concert. So he didn't want me to go up, but General Tyron, who was a great friend of mine and who was up there, you know, the head general there. He sent for me, he got me to go, so then I went, I went all over Egypt. Played at music for all and all those places there and went all the whole way down the coast to. Benghazi? to Bruce, all those places and then all over Italy.
“I didn't kiss it or curtsy, just shook it. Being an Australian, I didn't know any better, I suppose.”
“She was really nice, but she did say to me, You haven't got the physique to be a concert pianist, you're much too delicate. It rather annoyed me. Feeling I wasn't at all delicate.”
“I refused to go and play in uniform. I mean, you can't go and play to soldiers in that very unbecoming uniform dress. I said if I play to concerts, I want to have a nice evening frock on, let them have a really proper concert.”
“I played something in memory of all of them. I played the Schumann Fantasy, and I played a Bach Patita. And I played Submitna. And some bronze. And then I had to play an encore. Well, that was rather difficult, so I thought, oh, I'll play Old Lang Syne. And I thought they'd all sing, but they didn't. Many of them cried. They were very touched by Old Lang Syne.”
“I think that must be a billiard table. You're fond of billiards. Oh, yes, really. I've never been able to play much because you don't get a chance a woman never gets a chance of playing billiards, but I love it.”