OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15769, 9 December 1916, Page 5

OBITUARY.

A FAMOUS CONDUCTOR DEAD. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, December 7. The death is announced of Hans ltichter, conductor, at Bayrcuth, Dr. Hans ltichter, M.V.0., was conductor to the Hallo Concerts Society, London, J9OO-11. He began his famous orchestral concerts in London in 1875), and was created Dr. of Music (honours causa) bv Oxford University in 1886, and member of tho Victorian Order in 1904. lie was born at Raab, Hungary, on April 4th, 1843, and studied at Vienna, ivhcro ho assumed tho direction of the Court Opera Theatre in 1375 In 1870 ho first directed the Wagner Festival at Bayrcuth, and was responsible for the Wagner cult in England. Another of the remaining few early I settlers of Wellington has passed away j in the person of Mr Fred G. Pothenck, I of 122 Oriental Bay, Wellington, in his eighty-fourth year. The late Mr ' Pethorick. who arrived in Wellington I in 1840, by the 6hip Aurora, with his parents, brothers and sisters, landed on 1 the Petone beach at the age of eight ' years wKh other of tho early settlers who caino in tho vessel sent from England to New Zealand by the New Zealand Company, which was mainly responsible for tho early colonisation of Wellington. After an adventurous youthful career, IMr Pethorick wts attracted by the Australia gold rushes svt Bendigo and Ballarat during the early fifties. Later he took part in tho West Coast gold digging operations, and then rej turned to Wellington, where ho settled. He leaves a wife and five children—two daughters (Mrs B. W. Avery and Mrs A. J. Gcjvry) and three eons (Messrs F. W. Pethorick, A. James Pethorick, and Thomas A. Pethorick).