MR HELLER

Star (Christchurch), Issue 727, 21 September 1870, Page 2

MR HELLER

— • — . ♦ - — ■ " In passing under review another programme we are inclined to congratulate the public on having amongst them for an additional week the entertainments which have given them so much genuine pleasure. We arealsoinclined to congratulate Mr Heller — if such congratulation has not long since become stale to him — on the power which he possesses of drawing, night after night, such crowds of auditors from our somewhat capricious community. A well-known English prelate once made the remark — and in doing so he showed his knowledge of the British nnture — tbat in any kind of meeting a crowd is the chief element of success. If this be so (and we think it is), Mr Heller has indeed been successful in his sojourn in Christchurch. And he has deserved to be, right well. Our great surprise now is to meet occasionally an unfortunate person (we cannot help so regarding any to whom this remark applies) who has not been to the Music Hall during the past fortnight. We regard such with a kind of pitying wonder. Well, and what of the fifth programme ? As we said yesterday, it was all novelty — indeed two of the tricks in the first part, and the principal piece in the musical portion, were performed for the first time in public on Monday last. It is useless for us to criticise Mr Heller's magic. His illusions are so complete, and in their way so artistic, that we can only sit in wondering admiration. In the musical portion |we feel on safer ground, and can give our opinions freely, though we have always done so with very great care. Honestly speaking, we cannot say that the present musical programme is equal to the last. Perhaps it were almost too much to expect that it would be. Mr Heller's arrangement of Faust is very ingenious : nothing in the style of modern arrangements of —Bhall we say the Brinley Richard's school ? These almost invariably consist of a melody thumped out in the middle of the piano, with a scamper up the key-board aud back between each note of the melody, this treatment being occasionally varied by crossing the hands, and a few other well-worn devices which we meet every day in the rubbish which is published in such quantities under the title of pianoforte music. Mr Heller's Faust is really a reminiscence of Gounod's charming opera, the principal subjects of which are worked together in a very original and masterly way. The effect of the whole is perhaps somewhat bewildering, but so is nearly all Gounod's music, even in its original form, until one gets accustomed to it. We need hardly say that its performance was superb. We have frequently heard the question during the last day or two, " What is an Orgue-Melodique ?" Well, it is a kind of diminutive harmonium with a reedy and expressive tone, but which (like the instrument wo just ment'oncd)

would be almost unbearable in [the" hands ofi any but an artistic performer. 'Tinder Mr Heller's manipulation, it gave us a very charm- 1 ing rendering of " Auldßobin Gray.?' Speaking critically, there was, perhaps; a little ;too much tremulant effect, in the performance; a little of that goes a long way with. Us. And so with the "Last Rose of Summer, the conclud-j ing pianoforte piece, which certaiuly shows us Mr Heller's extraordinary execution of vibrato passages, but does not give us any very solid satisfaction. However, it pleased many of the audience mightily, and we are not disposed to grumble : even though music is followed now by "Punch and Judy." What with this and Mr Heller's inimitable magic, and his pleasant chat (he may well call himself a " talkist "), and his masterly handling of the pianoforte, and his mimicry, and his " supernatural vision," it is indeed a wonder if everyone cannot find something to enjoy in his very comprehensive entertainment.