Tessa Birnie Is Schubert Authority

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 12

Tessa Birnie Is Schubert Authority

Concertgoers who complain of the stereotyped nature of the programmes of visiting concert artists—how many violinists have played the Cesar Franck Sonata, for instance—should rejoice at the works the New Zealand pianist, Tessa Birnie. will play in her recitals in Christchurch on May 18 and 27. At her first recital on Thursday, ' Miss Birnie will play an all-Schubert programme consisting of the following works) Allegretto in C minor, D. 915; Sonata No. 8 in B major, ©.515; Sonata No W in A minor. D. 784: and Sonata No. 21 to B-flat major. Dm Miss Birnie has achieved a great reputation as an interpreter of Schubert and her last, engagements before touring New Zealand were a predominantly Schubert recital in Washington and the presentation of all the Schubert Sonatas in a Schubert festival at San Francisco. Her prodigous repertoire includes all Schubert's piano music, as well as all 21 Mozart concert!, rare and great music of the period before Haydn which she has collected, and standard major works, both solo and concerto, of all periods, “Schubert is her own territory.” wrote the critic of the Amsterdam paper. “Algmeen Handelsblad.” last year. “Out of her interpretations snoke a poetic sensitivity seldom encountered amongst the pianists of today. Her reverence for construction deserves special mention. Schubert’s great B-flat Sonata •s frequently played on the concert platform, but it is only one pianist in a thousand who accurately follows the instructions of the composer in -egard to the first movement Tess’ Birnie does so.

“She is an instrumentalist whose achievements rest on a deep spiritual insight into her music. Her plaving never sounds hollow, and she does not try to dazzle with her technical ability. Her considered and strongly controlled playing is hyper-sensitive and absolutely genuine.” “Tessa Birnie revealed herself as an artist far superior to the usual pattern.” wrote Geza Frid, the music critic of another Amsterdam paner. “Het Vrije Volk.” “Her powers of conviction and inner intensity made of Schubert’s piano music, usually so difficult to Interpret with justice, a remarkable musical experience for the audience—raptly imaginative,

tender and, especially, honest.” Of a recital in Vienna in November last year, the critic of “Arbeiter-Zeitung” wrote: “Tessa Birnie found stirring recognition. Her flawless technique and finely-felt musicality delighted the audience. The New Zealand pianist proved to have extraordinary power of inner feeling, above all else in her poetic, surprisingly Viennese, and luminous Schubert playing. This playing could even restore to the Land!er tbeir easy, cheerful rhythmic lilt. Real womanly sensitivity informed her flnely-nuanced. vivid interpretations of Schumann's “Kinderszenen," which she recreated with remarkable unvarnished simplicity."

Miss Birnie will play "Kindemenen” at her second recital on May 27. This programme also includes Schubert’s Sonata No. 19 in C minor, D 958: a Sonata in E-flat major by Haydn; and two works by New Zealand composers—a Sonatina by Douglas Lilburn and a Sonata by Edwin Carr.

For a New Zealand-born pianist with an nternational reputation to re urn to her homeland for a concert tour and offer works I y New Zealand composers in her programmes is a unique event. Its rarity is even more notable when, as is the case with TessS Birnie. the pianist went overseas to study without the benefit of Government bursary or public subscription and is repaying no debt by returning and playing the work of her compatriots. It would be tempting to hail such an event as a sign that New Zealand is beginning to enter some sort of artistic maturity after a long and Awkward adolescence, but any such verdict must await the response of New Zealand audiences to a unique opportunity. Left N.Z. In 1948

Miss Birnie began her concert career in Auckland at the age of 15. A pupil of Owen Jensen and Paul Schramm, she organised her own public concerts in various centres and left flew Zealand in 1948. She made her European debut early in 1949. in Paris, and thereupon was invited to fulfil engagements in several countries. In addition to these tours she took special courses of intensive study with Karl Ulrich Schnabel in Italy and Yvonne Lefebure in Paris. Schnabel gave her this

recommendation: "Audiences will always be pleased and impressed by her playing because it is passionate, intense and sensitive, as well as brilliant and powerful Her good instinct and taste ensure reliability of style and the great depth of her feelings makes certain that the spirit and essence of the composition will always be present in her performance. I wish to recommend her unconditionally.” In 1952, Miss Birnie returned to New Zealand to appear at the Auckland Festival. Then she went to Sydney, which became her permanent headquarters, and for two years refused all engagements in order to develop her art and build her repertoire. In January last year she left Australia to begin a 16-month concert tour, which is now ending, and to pursue research on Mozart, Haydn and Schubert with the assistance of world authorises on these composers.