MR. HELLER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 719, 12 September 1870, Page 2

MR. HELLER.

Tbis gentleman plays sad tricks with the imagination and vision of his audience. The laws of gravity are upset, empty vessels become suddenly full, and coins appear at his bidding from the most improbable places. We do not admire the costume of the wizard of the period. There is a fitness of things even in magic. The flowing beard, and robes inscribed with Oriental characters, and the indispensable wand of your ancient magician, were much more appropriate. Mr Heller's magic punch bowl was very well done. An empty silver bowl, — why silver ? — was placed before the audience, and in a few moments it became filled with a brew which proved that the wizard was an adept in the art of making punch. Hot and strong, with the blue flame playing on its surface, the fragrant compound was handed round in small glasses, and the audience sipped it without the slightest hesitation. Having tantalised the audience by stating his ability to continue supplies all night, the magician rather unnecessarily added that the glasses must be returned, for with such evidence of his power the man who could pocket a glass must be a bold colonist indeed. Marvellous as the tricks were, the music given by Mr Heller was equally so. His facility and rapidity of touch are astounding. Chromatic passages are rushed on the piano ; little snatches of melody break out to disappear in a cloud of ornamentation. Tricksy, with an exuberance of execution which runs away with him, the music ripples like water from his fingers, and he flits like a butterfly from passage to passage of his theme with unerring fidelity. What he will do with Beethoven's sonata we do not know, but we hope he will stick to the text.