YEHUDI MENUHIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22632, 25 July 1935, Page 7

YEHUDI MENUHIN

CONCERT NEXT SATURDAY Never before perhaps in the concert history of Diinedin has such enthusiasm been displayed in the approach of a great artist as in the coining visit of Menuhin. This is amply evidenced by the box plan, which is now rapidly tilling, and which indicates that a full house will greet the great violin virtuoso on Saturday evening next. It is claimed for this highly gifted musician that wherever ho appears he is able to attract record audiences, and the fact that all reservations are sold out for his next' concert in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in December next is testimony of his great popularity. It is years since New Zealand audiences have paid such homage to a visiting artist. At his last concert in jthc Auckland Town hall a huge audience thronged the main body of the hall, and every inch of available space on the stage was requisitioned for extra accommodation. Literally hundreds were unable to gain admission and owing to the congestion of the traffic there was a jam for over a quarter of an hour, during which time police officers strove to straighten things out. Lady Galway, with a vice-regal party, was again present at the final concert, which opened with the Mozart Concerto in major, itself the work of a youthful genius, since it was composed by Mozart at the age of 10 years. Its grace and clear melodic beauty, it was reported, were brilliantly interpreted, while the fiery and tempestuous themes of the Bruch Concerto in G minor provided opportunities for most striking musical tone and colouring. The second half of the programme included such popular violin numbers as "Sicilienne et Kigaudon" (Francoeur-Kreisler), Prayer from "Te Deum" (Handel), "Guitarre" (Moskowski), "Caprice No. 20 in D Major" (Paganini), "La Vida Breve" (De Falla) and "Turkish March " % (Beethoven). His encores included "Girl with the Flaxen Hair" (Debussy), "Tambourin Chinois" (Kreisler), "Zapateado" (Sarasate) and "Ave Maria" (Schubert) £ In the intellectual reading and interpretation of the two important concertos in the first part of the programme and his ability to give fresh meaning and beauty to the popular lighter numbers of the second, half, Menuhin's wizardy was equally apparent, and at the conclusion of the recital he was recalled time after time until he appeared smilingly in his overcoat, and a memorable recital was over. A large and enthusiastic crowd waited to cheer him as he stepped into his car at the stage door. This experience lias been repeated in Wellington and Christchurch. Menuhin will arrive by the express from Christchurch this afternoon. The box plans for Saturday night's con-' cert in the Town Hall are at the D.I.C.