“First” By Till

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 12

“First” By Till

The Auckland Festival will celebrate its twentyfirst birthday next month with many “firsts,” including a festival cricket match, an opera with an all-New Zealand cast, and experiments in words and music; but the most important of them, as far as the South Island is concerned, will involve the Christchurch pianist, Maurice Till.

Mr Till, who has achieved an international reputation as an accompanist and is rapidly acquiring equal stature as a soloist, is to give the opening concert of the festival in the Auckland Town Hail on March 8.

It will be the first time the festival has been opened by an internationally-known New Zealand pianist.

For his recital, subtitled “An Evening with the Great Romantics,” Mr Till has prepared a programme of works by Chopin, Schumann and Liszt, selected to reflect the friendship of the three composers.

Liszt, a contemporary and admirer of Schumann and Chopin, transcribed many of their works to suit his pianistic virtuosity; and the recital will feature several of these transcriptions, including two lesserknown ones: “My Joys” (Chopin-Liszt) and “Spring Night” (Schumann-Liszt). Also on the programme will be Schumann's Arabesque and the complete Fantasy Pieces, several works by Chopin, and some of Liszt’s own compositions.