BEETHOVEN’S NIGHT

Evening Star, Issue 26067, 3 April 1947, Page 8

BEETHOVEN’S NIGHT

LIU KRAUS RECITAL FOUR SONATAS PRESENTED To many pianists, amateur and professional, who cut their musical teeth in student days on the sonatas of Beethoven, the thought of hearing four of them in a row might suggest no great pleasure, but Madame Lili Kraus was able to prove to a large audience in the Town Hall last night that such programme could be a pure delight. When she first performed in Dunedin last year the impact of her strong personality, extraordinarily fine performances and fine programme building had an almost hypnotic effect on local music lovers. After many months, when it is possible to make a cooler appraisal of this artist, the effect is still overwhelming. There can be little doubt that in the interim she has gained something—she was not well when she arrived in New Zealand—and she is now at the highest peak she has yet reached, a mot<* mature artist than the one who made a number of outstanding recordings before the war and then disappeared into a Japanese prison camp in Java for some years. In the Beethoven sonata recital Madame Kraus achieved a unity and a progression that would have been impossible in a mixed programme. A “ one-man show ” in concerts may not normally be a great attraction to the public, but it can be highly satisfying artistically. Arthur Schnabel bas achieved remarkable successes when he has presented a series of recitals covering the whole 32 of Beethoven’s sonatas, and- Dunedin audience will recall a fine all-Chopin programme presented by Paul Schramm two years ago.

The selection of the sonatas left little to be desired. They established the majestic mind of Beethoven and proved that he could run the full gamut of human emotion within his piano music. From the ‘ Pathetique,’ with the young Beethoven being solemn, and perhaps a little pompous, with the high spirits of youth peeping through repeatedly, to the E Flat Major, which is the third of opus 31, when he is in his sunniest mood was a natural progression. It would have been upset if the advertised work had been presented—although, many may have regretted the dropping of the popular ‘ Funeral March ’ Sonata in A Flat Major. As, it was Madame Kraus proceeded to the E Major, opus 109, which is Beethoven in his full maturity, nearing the end of his writing for the piano. After these riches the ‘ Waldstein ’. is a tremendous achievement. -The feature of the <-e----cital was the sense of progress that the pianist achieved, with each sonata considered in its correct relationship to the others, a sort of architectural creation that was most impressive. Madame Kraus must be congratulated that she did not spoil the atmosphere by presenting encore trifles. This pernicious habit of 'demanding more and more from an artist is apparently more noticeable in . Dunedin than elsewhere. Late next month Madame Kraus will return to Dunedin with Robert Rikler, Hungarian violinist, to present three violin sonata recitals.