MR. HELLER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 720, 13 September 1870, Page 2

MR. HELLER.

♦ We must regard it as a very decided proof of the estimation in which this gentleman's entertainment is held by the Christchurch public that so good an audience assembled at the Music Hall yesterday evening in spite of the bad weather. An entirely new programme had been issued by Mr Heller, in the first part of which he was as successful as usual — to say more in his praise a3 a magician would be equivalent to " painting the lily." The musical portion of the programme demands a more detailed notice, inasmuch as it was of a widely different character to any of Mr Heller's former performances. The charming little nocturne with which it commenced was played to perfection. The second of -the four items in this part introduced Mr Heller as a composer as well as an executant. His tarantelle is really clever, and original ; — it bears no resemblance, as do so many modern pieces of the kind, to the tarantelle of his famous namesake ; and we need scarcely say that it received full justice at its composer's hands. Mr Heller did not altogether please us in his rendering of Beethoven's Rondo. It was, in our opinion, , taken too fast, and, at the same time, with too much ad libitum. Even with these faults it was a rare treat to hoar a move-

ment of the grand old- master played' with such exquisite neatness of execution. We hope to hear a little more music of the same kind before this clever pianist leaves us. Thalberg's " Home sweet home," played as it was last night, is sure to please everybody. It pleased us, notwithstanding the fact that so many of our young lady friends make a stock piece of it— just as they used to do with the " Maiden's Prayer " — and rather wear it out in consequence. Mr Heller's tremolo is perfectly exquisite, and his chromatic passages are given with a precision and neatness which are very enjoyable. All his performances exhibit him as a brilliant executant, his own tarantelle presents him to us as a clever musician, and yet we rather incline to the opinion, we expressed on Saturday, that he is not, in fact that he does not pretend or wish to be, so much an exponent of the highest class of pianoforte music as of — let us say the Thalberg school. We suppose, however, that he has learned to feel tbe public pulse in matters musical. He doesn't know how advanced, and consequently critical, Canterbury is in such matters. The supernatural part of the entertainment was as bewildering as usual, and for the last part we were very glad to have a clever little optical delusion instead of the spiritual business of the last programme. We are sorry that this most enjoyable series of entertainments will close on Saturday next, and can only wish Mr Heller fine weather and crowded houses while he is with us. The same programme will be repeated to-night.