A CHAT WITH HERR HEINICKE

[By our Special Reporter]

Saturday morning saw the second batch of the Himalaya’s passengers released from durance vile on our unlovely Torrens Island. Amongst them was Herr Heinicke, our premier violinist, and a few hours after his escape from his involuntary captivity a representative from The Register succeeded in gleaning a few particulars of his trip, musical and otherwise. The first question naturally had reference to affairs at the Quarantine Station and on this matter the musician grows very warm, and declares but for the attention and medicine of Dr von Lukovitz he would never have come out of that dreadful place alive. However, it must be confessed that Herr Heinicke looks exceedingly well after his trip notwithstanding his enforced captivity. After a short chat on the iniquities of each and everyone concerned in the quarantining of the Himalaya’s passengers, we fell to talking about matter musical and I gathered that the violinist’s first experience was gained in France. “At the Grand Opera House, Paris,” says Herr Heinicke, “I heard a magnificent performance of Verdi’s opera Aida, which you remember, was composed to the order of the Khedive of Egypt. The names of the cast were all strange to me, but they were all very fine artists supported by a chorus of such power and quality that, I think, would not be equalled anywhere, except, perhaps at some of the great festival performances in England. I should say there must have been quite 1,000 in the chorus and the orchestra numbered at least 100 players, including three harps. Then there was also a large stage military band of thirty-six performers. As you can image, I enjoyed the performance immensely. Paris, with its beautiful boulevards, grand cathedrals, and other magnificent structures, is perhaps the most beautiful and attractive city in the world, and the Grand Opera house is generally admitted to be the best in Europe. It is of immense size, the decorations are simply superb, and the stage fully equipped with all the latest scenic and mechanical accessories.”

“Where did I go from Paris?”

“Dresden, my home, where I was met on my arrival at the station by a whole host of relations and friends. At the home of my parents, I was serenaded by a Choral Society that I used to conduct in my student days, and afterwards greeted by them in the heartiest manner possible. Several presentations were made to me by musical colleagues and friends, and amongst them was a huge beer tankard from my oldest musical society. This present I value very highly as it was with this Society that I made my debut as a conductor when just sixteen years of age.”

“How long did you stay in Dresden?”

“Just Three weeks”

“And did you attend any concerts?”

“Yes, rather; why Dresden is one of the most musical cities on the Continent. There I heard Sarasate, Rappoldi (my master), and Petri, all great violinists; also Paderewski, the famous pianist. It is almost needless to say that these musical treats I enjoyed immensely.”

“Is Sarasate still the great performer he used to be?”

“I should not say so. Though as an executant he is perhaps still unrivalled, yet there are great objections to him on the score of his poverty of tone. Besides, he is getting an old man now, I dare say quite sixty, and a man of that age is rarely a virtuoso of the very front rank.”

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“Were you successful in obtaining much new music for your various societies?”

“Yes; I have brought with me a large number of selections for my pupils at the Adelaide College of Music, ad also for the Orchestra and the Liedertafel. Amongst these are a large number of orchestral works by the best modern composers such as Delibes, Bizet, Moszkowski, Rubenstein, Wagner, Lizst and Tschaikowsky which I believe are quite new to Adelaide.

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