C.S.O. concert difficulties

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 19

C.S.O. concert difficulties

The Christchurch Symphony . Orchestra’s third subscription concert in the Town Hall next Saturday evening has presented more than usual difficulties.

The Russian pianist Irina Plotnikova was scheduled to be the feature attraction; but after the Soviet Ambassador to New Zealand was expelled one of the retaliatory measures was to cancel Plotnikova’s visit and tour of New Zealand.

A new programme was planned; but this also ran into difficulties and a change had to be made at the last moment.

' The programme now is Humperdinck’s ‘Hansel and Gretel Overture,” the Schumann piano concerto and Dvorak’s Svmphony No. 8.

Peter Zwartz is the conductor, and the soloist will be Diedre Irors, who has earned the gratitude of the orchestra by agreeing to perform at relatively short notice and only a short time after leaving hospital with a new baby.

Miss Irons. Canadianborn, had successes in Canada and the United States — she once accompanied Pablo Casals on a live network television show — before coming to New Zealand in 1977 with her husband, Dale Gold, principal double bass with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. She has performed with ail the New Zealand orchestras and toured with the Music Federation.

The Schumann piano concerto is one of the most popular. Written for Schumann’s wife, Clara, the greatest woman pia-

nist of her day, the work is not a vehicle to show off an artist's technique. It relies on interplay between soloist and orchestra.

Humperdinck’s work will open the programme. The composer was a friend and assistant of Wagner. He helped Wagner to prepare "Parsifal” and even wrote a few bars of music for it. His “Hansel and Gretel” opera is his most successful work.

Dvorak’s eighth Symphony is known to give players and listeners equal pleasure. Written in 1889, it is the most unorthodox of the composer’s syrm> phonies in the classical sense.