Mr Fiedler Assesses The Beatles

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31595, 5 February 1968, Page 1

Mr Fiedler Assesses The Beatles

Although the American conductor, Arthur Fiedler, has chosen tunes by the Beatles for fuD symphonic treatment by the Boston Pops Orchestra—and made some bestselling records with them—he does not think the group has much to contribute to serious music. “They’re experimenting, and they have originality," he said in Christchurch yesterday, “but they're not trained musicians at all. It’s a bit like a non-architect building a house —he might produce some original ideas.” In spite of this, Mr Fiedler plans to record the Beatles’ tune "Yesterday” with the

Boston Pops this year. “It’s a beautiful tune,” he said. His orchestra has already recorded “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” “And I Love Her,” and “A Hard Day’s Night” He first became interested in Beatle music when he was in Liverpool conducting the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. At that time the Beatles were the rage in the United States, so the conductor decided to visit the Cavern, where the Beatles started, and hear the Mersey sound for himself.

“I thought I’d be severely criticised for recording “I Wanna Hold Your Hand’,” he

said, “and I suppose I was in some quarters, but it became a~ best-seller.”

Mr Fiedler sees no definite borderline between classical music and “pop” music. "Some of the classical composers have used jazz,” he

said, “and some of the jazz composers like Dave Brubeck and Stan Kenton have used classical modes.” He does not even despair of teen-age hit-tune addicts graduating to anything better. “They’re inquisitive,” he said, “and one day they’ll hear something by a guy called Mozart and decide its pretty cool stuff. It’s a passing phase.” At Canterbury Court, where Mr Fiedler will conduct the N.Z.B.C. Symphony Orchestra in promenade concerts from today to Thursday, the programme will Include a “little bit of eveiything.” Interspersed with classical music will be such popular tunes as “Lara’s Theme” from

"Dr Zhivago,” excerpts from the Gershwin musical “An American in Paris,” and an arrangement of the Tijuana Brass.