ORCHESTRAL UNION'S CONCERT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVII, Issue 179, 31 July 1896, Page 2

ORCHESTRAL UNION'S CONCERT.

The bhreateniner character of the weather laßt evening did nob interfere, to any great extent, with the attendance at the Choral Hall, whore the.Orchestral Union gave its second concert of the season. As is usual in all performances by this Society the programme presented was uniformly excellent. The choice of subjects was happy, and bhe execution left nothing to be desired. How well the Society had hit bhe taste of the audience was abundantly proved by the fiequont and loud applause, during the concort. and the exprossiona of satisfaction which were heard after it concluded. The Society very wisely combined a good deal that is old with tho new matter in the pro* gromme. The public can alwaya appreciate music better when they are to a certain oxtentfamiliar with it. and thechancesare that tho performers will boabletollo more justice to v composition that they have already given in public. .The truth of.both these, remarks was shown yostorday in the case of the " Ungarisohe Lustspiel " by Keler Be'a. The piece is known both to the Orchestral Union and to the public, and last night it w.as as well ployed by the one as it waa warmly appreciated by the other. Coming as the first item of the evening the brilliant- melodious, " Lustspiel " warmed tho tempor of the house and prepared it for the reception of tho items which followed. The rendering of Cowen's ■'Promise of Life" by Miss M. Day was undoubtedly pleasing although marred by the occasional nervousness of the singer. Perhaps, too, it would havo beon bettor had she solocted an oasior performance until she feels more at home on tho platform. We do notdoubt her ability under other circumstances to give the fullest satisfaction in the eong she selected, bub lass nighb in one passage she lost her self* possession, The Allegro number from Raff's '"Leonore" was a particularly brilliant performance on the part of the combined instrument;*. From beginning to ond the orchestra played with a spirit and fine discretion that waa delightful. The piece gives every opportunity for an orchestra to prove its powers, thero being ample scopo for every class of instrument to assert its individuality, On this occasion strings, brasses, and wood instruments wero all heard to great advantage, Schubert's familiar but never tedious " Serenade " as sung by Miss E. Farrell was a marked success. The lady has a cloar, pure voice of considerable flexibility and expressiveness, and has perfect, control of herself, She was loudly applauded ab the cioso of her song. The audience appreciated no item on tho programme more heartily than the selection from Rossini's " Moses in Egypt." Tho strong, rich melodies take captive the ear at once, especially when they aro aa effectively presented as they were laat night. Tho brass instruments distinguished themselves particularly in this number, Mr R. lieid's euphonium solo and the corneb solo by Mr Hunter being sterling performances. In the second part of tha concert Mendelssohn's •• Hoirakehr," thab singularly beautiful composition, kept the audience entranced. At its close, Miss M. Day sang " Guinevere " (Sullivan), and sang it so thai, she was recalled and had to conbribuba another song. M. De Willimoff's violin solo, Fantasia on ~~~Themes " Un Ballo " (Alard), evoked the warmeab enthusiasm among all. The exquisite music;-be draws from bhe four strings—so smooth, -clear, and sweet— was iv bib of a revelation to those who had nob listened to his masterly playing before. The same warm reception which, the Allegro movement of Raff's Symphony was accorded in the firsb part of bhe concert was gained in tbe second part by the Tempo di Marcia from the same work; The glorious march music brings up the pride, the pomp and circumstance of war before the mind's eye, and the feet insensibly beat time to the fine rhythm of the composition. Miss E. Farrell appeared a second time in Lord Henry Somerset's song •' Echo," and a second time gave genuine pleasure. She waß loudly encored and repeated the final verse. The concert concluded with Eileriberg's "Tho Mill in the Black Foreso," which is well known to moat concert-goers. The orchestra was as usual under the baton of Mr Towsey, while M. Willimoff led the band.