DAWSON-CABALLERO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21981, 16 June 1933, Page 10

DAWSON-CABALLERO

CONCERTS NEXT WEEK. '“ If Peter Dawson’s return to his homeland after his unequivocal triumphs in the great world was looked forward to with keen anticipation,” says an Adelaide critic, “ how much more was his reappearance eagerly awaited in his native city, Adelaide. The vast audience in the Town Hall, which overflowed on to the organ gallery, including a large number of representative citizens and musicians, gave the singer an overwhelming, almost embarrassing, reception, and for some little time it was impossible to

proceed with the concert. . . . Australia has contributed, in proportion to the population, a disproportionate share among the great ones in the realm of music—Dame Nellie Melba, Horace Stevens, Percy Grainger, Florence Austral, and Peter Dawson, and the list might easily be extended. A pianist new to Australia in Senor Tapia Caballero shared the programme with Mr Dawson, and one must say with equal success. Senor Caballero, young and enthusiastic, with most artistic poise and personality, played Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Chopin and Debussy. He made beautiful music of these great works. He has some indefinable thing about him that must be called charm for want of a better word. It augments his massive and facile technique and makes it worth while. It puts soul into the printed note, makes the works live anew, conveys to the audience the same thrill that was felt by the composers when they put those notes on paper. It would be absurd to call this thing masterly. It is not masterly at_ all. It is the unlearned part of this pianist’s genius and is so marked that it places him on a par with the great pianists we have heard in Australia.” This colossal combination has been engaged by Messrs J. and N. Tait to give three concerts only, in each of the four centres of New Zealand, after which the artists will return to London. The Dunedin concerts will be given in the large Town Hall on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday of next week. The box plan is now open and is being heavily booked at the Bristol Piano Company.