Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-15
News Of Music

art OF Wladzlu valentino LID
Grace, noted with delight
this week the appearance on
the aewsstands of a new mag
azine tiled Il presume without,
benefit of q name-suggestlng
contest) "Liberace." Like the
Readers Digest. the new pub
LEGATION Is short on ads, con-
filming its promotion strictly to
the various enterprises Of the
great pianist, but no one
could wish for a more thorough
and entertaining coverage Of
its single subject. The reader
approaches Liberace with Curl
osity; he leaves him having
been in brief contact with the
inspiration of all young Amer
leans who's aspire to become re-
nowned pianists but who are
having difficulty in learning to
play the piano.
The handsome new magazine
Is carefully and Systematically
made up. It's table of con-
tents lists 10 stories with 100
scoop pictures" After a "Sa-
lutte to Liberace." the titles are
Magic in the Making Glib
erace's Early Life).", "A Star
Is Born Gle Starts His Ca
reer)," His Home Is His
Castle Chow He Lives Today ;"
Wardrobe for a King" MY
Son. Liberace," by Frances
Nom" Liberace: 1.-THE Girl
He'll Marry" His Family Fills
His Heart" From Chopin to
Spaghetti (His Favorite Reel
pes)," and many others.
Backward Boy
Lee young Wladziu's nick
name) did not start seriously
on his fabulous career until
after the age Of 8, at which
time. we learn. he was much
more interested in teddy bears
than in pianos, even Baldwins.
Sometimes wondered If he
was a backward child" write
Frances Nom" Liberace. "He
didn't learn to swim before he
was Q years old. And he was 4
before he began playing a
piano!"
The die was not irrevocably
cast, apparently, until 3
years later when the 7-year-
old Lee came in contact
with Paderewski. The inter-
view was memorabilia may
have caused the old Vanity
Fair to shamefacedly drop sew
eral of its Impossible Inter-
views in the wastebasket, and
quietly cease publication.
When Lee was Z, Paderew-
ski, relates Frances "Mom,"
Sought us out"
"As he sat in our best horse
hair-stuffed chair in the front
parlor, drinking coffee in the
yellow glow of light from a
bead-strung lamp, Lee ap-
preached him and asked:
Mr.. Paderewski, may
play the piano for you?'"
Paderewski Amazed
After an indulgent acquies-
cence, Lee struggled to the top
Of the stool, sat down and
stretched his hands toward the
keys. He launched into some
thing of Chopin,s. AS his small
fingers rippled over the keys,
Paderewski watched. his head
shaking from side to side in
disbelief. :. Some day. when
I have gone, this boy will take
my place."
1t was certainly only his
unerring sixth sense warning
him that even greater things
were in store for him that kept
Lee from accepting on the spot
a dazzling job that was to be
created solely for him. When
he was Is, he slipped into a
rehearsal of the Chicago Sym
phony Orchestra. When he
asked the famous Frederick
Stock to hear him play, the
modest boy was amazed that
his request was granted. Eek
cellent playing. Can offer no
criticism" said Stock. The dis
belief he evidently shared with
Paderewski had the effect of
making him talk as though he
were composing a cable to
Gabriel. At the same time, he
offered Lee a job as "soloist"
with the Chicago Symphony.
Unless the orchestra was
unique among symphonies, it
had no job as piano soloist at
the time, but like other or
chestras engaged it's soloists
one at time for specific con-
certs. Lee discussed the matter
with Paderewski, who advised
him against taking the job:
MY son, I agree, you are only
reaching a limited audience
by combining your music to
the old masters. You should
share your talents with the
world :"
AS everybody knows, Wlad-
ziu did leave the Chicago Sym
phony cold. and in other fields
is now crossing $450. 900 a year,
the 1853 figure cited by John
r. Jacobs, jr., his attorney and
business manager. with an es-
timated $4,000 for 1854.
Whether his success can be
credited to his def and UNI
ceasing technique Of NOM
ISM" as is widely believed,
or whether there are other in
gradients in his appeal. is q
A.