PIANO AND STRINGS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 29, Issue 735, 14 August 1953, Page 16

PIANO AND STRINGS

"HE performances together in New Zealand of the Griller Quartet and the pianist Hephzibah Menuhin have been something of an event in the musical world. It is the first time they have played together, and as they will not be continuing their collaboration in Australia, or in any other country for that matter, New Zealanders have had an experience that audiences in Europe or America are not likely to enjoy, at least for some time to come. ~ Miss Menuhin flew over from Sydhey on July 29, and the five players started immediately to rehearse for their concert on the following Saturday night -that now celebrated concert at which they played Beethoven, Haydn and Bloch in a manner unequalled in the -_-

memory of most listeners in this country. It was the more remarkable because they had rehearsed for only three days together. The Bloch quintet in particu-" lar was a work which audiences were expected to be critical of, as the Grillers have played it in England under the supervision of the composer himself, with such pianists as Loyis Kentner and Colin Horsley; and it was also played out here a year or two ago by the Musica Viva Players. When The Listener met the five players, and the photograph which appears on this page was taken, they had only known each other for a few hours, but there was evidence in the spirit with which they were rehearsing a sec(continued on next page)

(continued trom’ previous page) tion from the Haydn quartet that a strong musical intimacy had been estahblished immediately. The last broadcast concert of the five players was that given on Wednesday, August 12, from Dunedin, but this Saturday, August 15, listeners will be able to hear at 8.0 p.m. Hephzibah Menuhin playing Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto with the National Orchestra from the Wellington Town Hall (a relay from 1YC, 2YC and 3YC.of the first half of a publiceconcert), and then at 9.15 p.m.

the second half. ofa contert in» the Christchurch Repertory: Theatre by the Griller Quartet. (see panel). At 10,0 p.m. on Wednesday,. Kutist 19, listeners to 2YC will be able to hear a repeat broadcast of the interview between Dorothea Turner and the Griller Quartet which was heard last month from 1YC. Its title is Quartet in Residence. The Quartet will also be heard from 2XA that same evening when the second half of a public concert will be relayed from the Wanganui Repertory Theatre. At 8.0 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, Station 2YC will relay from St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral in Wellington a. performance by the Griller Quartet of Haydn’s Seven Last Words from the Cross. During the week August 24-28 the Quartet will be in residence at the Cambridge Music School,

Griller Programme Change HE programme announced in last week’s "Listener" to be played by the Griller Quartet from the Christchurch Repertory Theatre this Saturday, August 15, has been changed since that issue went to press. The Quartet will now play Mozart’s Adagio and Fugue in C Minor, K.546, and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95, and not the work previously advertised.