A VISIT by the great pianist Paderewski was the talk of the town 100 years ago.

"Paderewski, the incomparable Paderewski, came and completely conquered Malvern on Saturday," swooned the Gazette.

"People surged around the Assembly Rooms long before the doors were open, and some time the before the famous pianist stepped on to the platform, all the available space in the hall was occupied, and many had perforce to be satisfied with the echoes that reached the corridors.

"Probably never on any previous occasion did the Assembly Rooms contain such a large and representative audience, and while Paderewski was playing, they were spell-bound - absolutely lost in wonder at his marvellous manipulation of the instrument.

"It is an experience of a lifetime to hear such a man play, and to adequately describe his performance would render bankrupt any ordinary stock of adjectives.

Rapturous

"One hears Paderewski and comes away convinced one has heard something absolutely perfect, and the rapturous delight of the audience on Saturday denoted the extraordinary fascination exercised by this famous musician."

Among the pieces played in the great man's programme were Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, Schumann's Toccata, three of Mendelssohn's Leider ohne Worte, Liszt's Polonaise and Brahms's Variations on a theme by Paganini.

"When the end came, the great audience were not wearied, they were left asking for more," said the Gazette.