Chch gets a fine pianist

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 6

Chch gets a fine pianist

; By I

C. FOSTER BROWNE

A Scot, Heath Lees, arIrived in Christchurch recently to take up a post of senior lecturer in music at the University of Canterbury-, and gave the city and the university a pianist whose technical fluency and sensitive interpretation marks him as a very distinguished performer.

Mr Lees gave a recital in ■ the University School of I Music yesterday afternoon and inspite of the miserably ■ cold weather, attracted a big

audience. They forgot the dourness of the day in the charm and warmth of his unfolding of Beethovens Sonata in C major, Opus 2, N 0.3 and of Alban Berg’s Sonata, Opus 1.

He has a command of touch which produces elegant fluency and wide varieties of weight and of colours. There is nothing perfunctory, and he beguiles each listener into full acceptance. With Heath Lees and John Luxton — both of them Scots — on the staff,

the university is now splendidly endowed with pianists. Mr Lees showed convincing understanding of the fullness of Beethoven’s style, and had the technique to bring it all to life. In the Berg sonata he created music to command attention and to satisfy at the same time.

Heath Lees will play this programme again on Thursday at 1.10 p.m. in the St Albans Methodist Church. I, for one, intend to hear these fine interpretations again.