BACKHAUS CONCERTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1004, 21 June 1930, Page 17

BACKHAUS CONCERTS

GREAT PIANIST COMING ~y j Wilhelm Backhaus, who, since his j first tour of New Zealand some four | years ago, has consolidated his posij tion as one of the greatest pianists of ] the present century and the foremost exponent of Beethoven, will open his second tour of the Dominion on Thursday, July 3, at the Auckland Town Hall. He will also give recitals on Saturday, July 5, and Monday, July 7. At the present time the great pianist is in Australia, where he is scorjmg a series of triumphs. His sensational Sydney success—when, despite j the period of great depression, he attracted over 25,000 persons to his | eight recitals—has been the subject of j several editorials in the Australian | daily papers, for it is regarded as the most convincing answer to the quesI tion: “Is good music wanted nowj adays?”

The “Telegraph Pictorial,” in its editorial, said: “In spite of the machine. individuality in music counts for as much as ever. If Sydney had any doubt of the fact, the success of the Backhaus recitals must have convinced it. It has been shown to be possible for one man by sheer artistry to fill the Sydney Town Hall night after night. There is no element of sensationalism or colour to draw people to these concerts; the performer is. in the phrase of the moment, ‘out on his own.’ That this can be so is a tribute to the public’s taste, while, on the lower plane,- it is an answer to critics who declare that in times like the present no one will spend money on luxuries or on anything but the cheaper class of amusement.”

Two delightfully varied and exceedingly beautiful programmes have been already drawn up for Auckland by Mr. Backhaus, and these programmes may be obtained on application at any of the leading music-shops in the City. The box-plans will open on Monday, June 30.