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New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 884, 13 July 1956, Page 18

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IR BERNARD HEINZE, the distinguished Australian musician, arrives in New Zealand this month to take over as guest conductor of the National Orchestra from July 21 until August 15. His first concert takes place in Christchurch on Saturday, July 21. Sir Bernard, who previously conducted the Orchestra in 1951, is a pioneer in Australian musical education. After a brilliant studentship overseas he declined offers of positions with European orchestras in order to return to Australia. There, his practical energies and gifts were devoted to restoring health and vigour to a musical situation that was largely moribund. Today there is no doubt of his success; for in Melbourne and Sydney three main series of concerts are due largely to his effortsthe schools’ concerts, the youth concerts, and the adult subscription series--each with unique features derived from Australian conditions. In the old days many stories were told about Australian orchestras-"concucting an Austra’ian orchestra affords all the fun and excitement of driving a third-rate flivver over rough country at 80 miles an hour." (Hamilton Harty after his 1934 tour.) Today the Melbourne and Sydney Symphonies are powerful and graceful instruments, Daimlers and Cadillacs of the musical world. Sir Bernard has chosen his own programmes and as details of them were not available when the subscription concert brochures were printed, listeners will be interested in their composition. — highlights are given below and more information will appear in our next issue, First New Zealand performances of rarely-heard classics: Mozart's Symphony No. 28, K.200 (Christchurch, July 21, Dunedin, July 23); Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 (Christchurch, July 26; Auckland, August 4); the Vivaldi-Siloti Concerto for organ and string orchestra, with Geoffrey Skerret as soloist (Auckland, | August 2). (continued on next p2ge)

First performances of modern works: Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9 (Christchurch, July 26; Wellington, Ausust 11); Stravinsky’s Suite No. 2 (Auckland, August 2); the Australian composer Margaret ~Sutherland’s Adagio for Two Violins (Auckland, August 4). Other highlights: ‘The visiting cellist Harold Beck, playing the Elgar and "Dvorak cello concertos (Auckland, August 2, and Wellington, August 11, respectively); members of the Robert Masters Quartet playing the Beethoven Triple Concerto (Wellington, August 15).