Ripple in Honolulu

Germany's Walter Gieseking is one of the half-dozen top pianists in the world, but he is understandably chary about playing on U.S. soil. The last time he tried it, in Manhattan, he was met with picket lines and cries of "Nazi!" and the Justice Department asked him to postpone his concert till it investigated him (TIME, Feb. 7, 1949). Gieseking flew back to Europe in a huff. In Honolulu this week, 5,000 miles from Manhattan, Pianist Gieseking turned up again for a concert on U.S. territory. Almost the only ripple was the ripple of the applause.

The Immigration Service seemed to have no special questions to ask him (Gieseking was cleared by U.S. Military Government in Germany in 1947, has played for U.S. occupation troops). Four or five citizens wrote protesting letters to the Honolulu papers, but there was no picket line. Six hundred showed up for the concert in Dillingham Hall (capacity: 850), and Gieseking brought them to their feet for encores after a sparkling program of Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Debussy. He gave them four encores, accepted a lei of pink carnations.

Said Gieseking: "I am very happy about my reception."

Next on his schedule: concerts in Canada and Latin America.

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