MUSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1014, 3 July 1930, Page 16

MUSIC

(By

F.1.R.)

zticing Ahead — light.—Baokhaus. just 14.—Rciyal Auckland Choir, rust 16.—Music Week commences, just.—Florence Austral. BACKHAUS J.Z. Season Opens This Evening FAMOUS PIANIST hougjh the measure of support acid visiting artists recently has not suc(i as to provide concert mani with the encouragement to conto include New Zealand in their •ar'tes, one feels that on this ocn Mr. E. J. Gravestock will be rd ed for the faith he has con-

id to show in the Dominion. That uless the standard of musical apiation in New Zealand is considly less than that of Australia. It i be hoped that a packed Town will greet the opening of his Zealand season this evening. Australia Backhaus enjoyed a •d season and his personal popuy in New Zealand should also antee considerable success here, many who heard him play when he visited New Zealand will no t be present again and those who lot should certainly not miss this rtunlty. e programme for this evening Is and varied sufficiently for the st to quickly demonstrate his inctual depth and diversity of outlening with Bach’s “Italian Conhe will pass on to a Beetn bracket,- Sonata, Opus 31, of h, Australian critics state, he i a bright and vivacious interpren, and Sonata, opus 81, in E Major. ,e Chopin bracket contains four les from opus 10—No. 3, in E >r. No. 7, in C Major, No. 8, in ajor, and No. 11, in E Flat Major, intensively sad and expressive 3 was played in Melbourne with anting distinction. Other Chopin bers are Nocturne, opus 62, in B ir; Prelude, in E Flat Major; :z, opus 64, in D Flat Major, and rzo, in C Sharp Minor, her numbers will be Serenade “Don Juan’’ (Mozart-Backhaus), ;'s “Liebestraum,” and the “SecHungarian Rhapsody.” [r. Backhaus is so supremely at that one marvels at the restraint which the most colossal effects achieved,” stated a Melbourne “This confidence and security inspiring, controlled as they are uch imaginative power, perfection lythm and breadth of style. Then, ever the demands upon his techs, his tone is consistently beautin itself and delightful in its eon-dly-varying contrasts and gradai. One may instance the captiig lyric grace of Chopin’s Third y from opus 10, as a characterisjxample of this exquisite tonal ity in Saturday night’s recital.” na Thomas, who was a great fave with New Zealand audiences t she appeared here a few year 3 has been delighting New York her costume recitals of negro tuals and songs in the Louisiana ch patois. She gave a recital at 3ooth Theatre in April, with Miss r Hyams as accompanist. Miss nas’s many New Zealand friends be interested to hear of her sucslik’s Tour i Kubelik has sailed for Austra--3 tour under the management of ;rs. J. and N. Tait. Kubelik’s rb playing will live long in ory; it is crystalline pure, darin interpretation; ardent —yet >athetic: and wherever he plays extraordinary modesty, allied to ine musical genius, has captured earts and minds. From the age ght he has achieved remarkable lphs and now comes in his rity of years and genius to still er delight music-lovers. Let us that New Zealand will have an rtunity of hearing him play.

THE VIOLA GROWING POPULARITY IN ENGLAND The growing popularity of the viola in England is manifest in the number of viola concertos which are to be played during the series of viola recitals which Mr. Lionel Tertis has : undertaken, according to “Musical Opinion.” i No other player in the country has 1 striven so much as he has to make ; the instrument popular. Tertis is a | phenomenon on the viola, which is something more than a player of genius It is he who has urged and encouraged the younger members of the British school to give their attention to the possibilities of the viola, with the result that some of the finest I works by Bax, McEwen, Dale a.nd j Vaughan Williams have been written ; for the viola. Recently, Hindemith, i the viola player in the Amar String j Quartet, and also famous as a com- ; poser, played a new viola concerto by i William Walton. At a recent recital. Tertis played a i viola sonata by Delius, originally writ- \ ten for violin, and during the coming j season he will play the Elgar violin 1 concerto which the composer has ar- > ranged as a viola concerto —such re- ; arrangements are an eloquent tribute to the virtuosity of Tertis. Of his accomplishment he is very j modest, and when recently discussing his entry on the stage as a viola j player, he recalled how it all came | about. While studying the violin at j the Royal Academy, a quartet was I being formed, and a viola player could ! not be found, so Tertis undertook to | learn the instrument, which he did j in a few days, and he has played the j viola ever since. He is probably right j in his opinion that the reason why i none of the great composers wrote ; concertos for the viola was the lack | of great viola players.

BERLIN PHILHARMONIC

WITHDRAWAL OF SUBSIDY The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra has become an affair of high politics in Germany. Owing to the financial state of Prussia, every extra expense has been curtailed, and considerable offence has been caused in musical circles by a reference to the Berlin Philharmonic as “a purely local affair.” This is because Prussia can call upon the orchest*a of the State Opera to play on what are known in Germany as “representative occasions.” Last year the Philharmonic subsidy was put down in the budget estimate at £6,000. The actual running expenses annually are £29,000. It was understood that the city of Berlin would be able to put up three-quarters of the money, and the German Government a quarter, leaving the Federal State of Prussia out of the question altogether. However, not only is Berlin still In a bad way financially, but the Finance Minister in the Wilhelmstrasse has struck the Philharmonic subsidy out of the budget estimate. This is an unexpected blow. It is now suggested that the orchestra should enter into a compact with the City Fathers to play on a certain number of festive occasions, and that its various highly-paid conductors should arrange their foreign tours accordingly. When the Reichstag discusses the various items of the budget, it will be required by various music-lovers to give an opinion as to the relative national and international value to Germany of her first-class orchestras and her new small-type battleships.