"Concerts and socials for the promotion of good fellowship": Amateur Pianists Peform

Abstract

The words "piano performance" typically conjure up the image of a famed virtuoso playing to a packed concert hall and receiving tumultuous applause. In colonial New Zealand the instrument was certainly associated with professional musicianship. Touring virtuosi, each with the glamour of an international reputation and training, regularly attracted crowds, applause and a generous fee. As early as 1851 the visiting Mrs John Bell enchanted audiences at two piano concerts in Auckland, while Ralph Hood‘s two "Grand Pianoforte Recitals" were sold out in Wellington in 1885. The Polish pianist Jan Paderewski‘s performance of Beethoven "enthralled" Willie Tarling in Christchurch in 1904 and his rendition of Liszt‘s Rhapsodies in 1927 led Frederick Page to eulogize that there was a hint of gold in every note. However, for most colonial New Zealanders, the opportunities for hearing such performers were rare. The pianists who entertained audiences were more usually local amateurs whose defining characteristics were versatility and adaptability. They performed solo works; accompanied singers, violinists and flautists; tapped out the rhythms for dances; and alternated between the compositions of classical greats, popular favourites, and the occasional local composition.