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9 Exile
- Indiana University Press
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199 9 Exile On Sunday, the morning after his Chopin recital in Sydney, Friedman awoke to find his left palm and fingers numb. Six weekly half-hour Chopin programs were set for September, covering mazurkas, five preludes, three impromptus, six waltzes, two ballades, three polonaises, five nocturnes, three scherzi, the Ecossaises, six etudes, and the Fantasia in F Minor. A few weeks later, still suffering, he sent a note to Billy James, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s concert director: I am so sorry to inform you I have to cancel all my broadcasts for the moment. I did the same today with the two Charity Concerts which I have to play in October and November. Since two weeks I have a very bad neuritis. I cannot practice and I would hate to play in a form where I am not used. . . . You and the Commission will kindly understand and forgive me.1 Doctors advised rest and medication. Friedman bemoaned his condition: “If you put two coins in my hand I can’t feel if they are different or the same kind of coin.”2 On 20 February 1944, Manya wrote to tell Lydia that Friedman was practicing. “He tried to play Waltzes but said, ‘but no Ballade .’” A few days later she added, “He struggled to play, repeating passages over and over, smoking more than ever. He had a very bad cold but went out to play bridge.”3 Friedman negotiated with the ABC, whose Federal Concert Department agreed to a reduced schedule: ITINERARY—1944 Leave Sydney for Adelaide by train, July 27. Adelaide: Two recitals: August 2 and 10. 199 200 · Ignaz Friedman Leave for Perth by air, August 12. Perth: Three recitals: August 17, 22, 26. Leave for Melbourne by air, August 28. Melbourne: Concerts on September 5, 12. Leave for Hobart, Tasmania on September 20. Concert the following evening. Flight to Melbourne, September 22, then train to Sydney the next day. Two Sydney concerts on September 26 and October 3. Train to Newcastle for October 10 performance. If dates can be obtained Mr. Friedman will give three Public Recitals in Brisbane at conclusion of tour.4 Keith Barry of the ABC was annoyed by Friedman’s stipulations. A memo reveals strain between Australia’s dominant cultural organ and the pianist: I don’t think it will do any harm to detail some of our contracts with Friedman: 1. We brought him out here. 2. We subsequently engaged him for studio work. 3. He has since consistently refused to help our orchestral seasons by appearing as a celebrity artist. 4. He embarked on concert tours under another management without giving us an opportunity to discuss the matter with him. 5. He entered into a contract with us for a studio session of engagements last year and at the last moment had to ask for it to be suspended on account of neuritis. 6. We agreed to the suspension conditionally that he should carry on the series when he recovered. 7. We have heard nothing of his recovery other than this sudden proposal that he now leave Mr. Greene’s management and return to ours. 8. During his absence from us he has attacked us in no uncertain terms. I detail the above in no sense of antagonism to Mr. Friedman whose offer (with a couple of minor amendments) I think we should accept. My object is to point out that Mr. Friedman has obviously offered to return to us because it suits his convenience and, presumably, pocket. For that reason I am not scared off by his grandiose gesture that he is quite unwilling to discuss any terms other than his own. My opinion of Mr. Friedman is that he is quite a shrewd businessman and will come to us if our counter offer appeals. The take-it-or-leave-it stand is all right if we let him get away with it.5 Friedman insisted that only one-third of each program be aired. The ABC was annoyed but reluctantly agreed, provided that the broadcast [3.81.97.37] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 19:10 GMT) Exile · 201 segment be no less than half an hour. For this reason, his programs were divided into three parts. The ABC also agreed to take only one-quarter of all ticket proceeds, with three-quarters going to Friedman, and to provide transportation. By March all were in agreement. But then Friedman wrote in June, “I am really very, very...