Table Of Content' .
.' 'Rubinstein said that there were only three pianists in the
world during the forties: himself, Kapell and Farrell."
For a decade New Zealander Richard Farrell enthralled the
concert world with his interpretations of both the Modern
and Romantic piano repertoire. Lauded and acclaimed by
the critics, he met rapturous applause wherever he played
- whether it was Carnegie Hall or Calcutta . . . . Yet if
success brought him fame and a measure of prosperity it
also robbed him of privacy and peace. His life became a
hurried succession of flights, taxi rides, rehearsals, concerts,
parties, more recitals .... It could not last. Within him a
self destructive impulse began to take hold, finding focus in
a strange premonition finally realised by his own untimely
death at the age of thirty-one.
"It is already more than a quarter of a century since
Richard Farrell was killed in a car accident, tragically
ending the career of the finest New Zealand pianist of his
generation . ... A book putting on record the life story and
achievements of Farrell had to be written if there were not
to be a serious gap in the archives of New Zealand music .
. . . David Jillett's perceptive study fills the gap, It faithfully
presents Richard Farrell as the virtuoso, yet unfailingly
modest pianist whose playing in several tours here between
1948 and 1956 won him acclaim throughout the country."
- L C. M. SAUNDERS (Music critic New Zealand Herald)
"How easily might we have honoured the work of Richard
Farrell in some practical way . .. perhaps by naming a
concert hall, a school of music or even a scholarship after
him. Regrettably we have failed to do this . .. . David
Jillett recognises the greatness of Richard Farrell in an
eloquent biography, detailing the personal qualities and
achievements of a very eminent New Zealander."
- PETER EMPEN
"A tense tale, full of surprises - with the pace of a thriller
and the impact of grand opera."- DAME SISTER MARY LEO
ISBN 0-908636-14-8
-
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVID JILLETT'S first interest was the Army. He was a member
of the Wellington Regiment, then the 35th Battalion Infantry, and
14th Brigade Intelligence, and was on active service during the
Second World War.
After the war David Jillett was a journalist for New Zealand
newspapers, and was on the staff of the Evening Post, Wellington.
He studied music at Victoria University. As a lad he had been
a chorister at St Paul's Pro-Cathedral in Wellington and studied
singing, pipe organ and piano under Sir Robert Parker.
David Jillett's music has been published in Europe, and in
Australia by Collins and Allans. The catalogue of Albert's
Publishing lists him as a prolific composer for voice and keyboard.
Melbourne Conservatorium commissioned Jillett to write the first
English mass to be sung in Australia (Inter-State Festival, 1968).
At the age of thirty-three, the author entered Holy Name
Seminary, Riccarton, and studied philosophy with the Jesuits, then
later theology with the Vincentians. He has specialised in social
and psychiatric work, and has been chaplain to psychiatric hospitals
for the last twenty-five years, working at Oakley and Carrington
Hospitals and formerly at Kingseat and Raventhorpe. His work
now extends to the new multiple sclerosis units, set up by the
Auckland Hospital Board.
He is also on the Inter-ChurCh Committee and interested in
ecumenical work. The author was the first Vicar ofTitirangi, New
Lynn, and is a chaplain to the R.S.A.
The author studied in Rome between 1977-1978. His German
and Italian songs were published there in 1980. In 1981 he was
commissioned to write the beatification music for the French Saint
Jeanne Juggan. The composer worked with the choir of the Sistine
Chapel and St Pancras, New York. His latest writing is for Cardinal
Pio for the Samoan liturgy.
FARRELL
A Biography
DAVID JILLETT
~
Benton Ross
Copyright © David Jillett 1985
First published in 1985
Published by Benton-Ross Limited,
PO Box 33-055, Takapuna, Auckland 9
Printed in New Zealand
by Communication Arts Limited, Auckland
from type set by Typocrafters Limited, Auckland
Design and production by Phillip Ridge/Paper Dart
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of
the copyright holder.
ISBN 0-908636-14-8
To the m£mory if Maud Trevor and Trevor
Symonds.
Maria proteggimi e benedici miei genitori,
Maria e Tommaso, e tutti miei amici,
e beneJattori.
Contents
page
Acknowledgements IX
The nightmare 1
2 New York, Carnegie Hall 3
3 New York, Vincent's Food Bar 7
4 Open spaces 12
5 Los Angeles to San Francisco 17
6 Madame Olga Samaroff 21
7 Rooftops 25
8 Florence Fitzgerald 29
9 Juilliard Graduate School 34
10 Maine, York Village 42
11 The Mersing Sonata 46
12 American tunes 53
13 Contracts and deals 62
14 Pott's Point, Sydney, Australia 70
15 Press releases 81
16 Death in the family 85
17 Pacific overtures 90
18 Wellington Town Hall 94
19 Mba, Fiji 98
