MARK HAMBOURG.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 245, 13 October 1908, Page 7

MARK HAMBOURG.

fIRST RECITAL.

«*= much-travelled Hnssian pianist «„k HamtxmiS> gave his first recital i Choral Hall last night, before a wded and interested andienee. There ?°fcat little change in the appearance oi fhJ dWansnished virtuoso since he was Sfrd in Auckland, fire years ago, while has all the old force and Jr with an added refinement and deltouch gained by hard practice "fj'experieiice. He received a warm welZme after each set of pieces; so insistZt was the applause that Mr Hambourg §£ to give a further display of his mar—Eons powers. _ , splendid programme was submitted, and eadi'solo received a masterful inter- , rtßtation- Hambourg has extraordinary : Swers of endurance: he plays in his own £"l and possesses every requisite fori the" hest reading of his subject; he pre- I -nfc no stereotyped phrases after the flwner of this or that player. The ex-, readiness of his finger work | zZe iewflders the observer; he knows 1 or sluggish finger, so is able to se-1 are any effect he pleases, and obtain , mT degree of force desired: his sforzaniog and massive chords shine out with j «tr»ordmarv brilliancy. The most ex- | jitins feature about his playing is the manrler m which he turns on greaß i founts and jets oi sound colour, and inst as suddenly releases them. Ham-1 jLrr» is a most audacious virtuoso, and , unnkaaa of fiery temperament. He gets I • jarprisfflff volume of tone from his instrument: "his cantabile playing is of a nca quality, while he phrases with rare art and by the judicious use oi the' nasals obtains some charming effects. Tausig's transcription of Bach's ** Toe-1 tata" and Fugue in D minor, headed the programme, and a gigantic performance given of this intricate number; the octave passages and chords received stupendous treatment, some fine shadings in the fugue, and a splenjjd climax was made near the close with tne lightning-Eke octaves and rolling arpeggios. Great enthusiasm followed this excellent reading, and! the gifted soloist was honoured with a triple recall. The performance of Beethoven's popular Sontain. C sharp minor, op. 27, was listened to with marked interest, it being a eompoaiion widely known and admired. A leraaikably expressive interpretation was given of it. The " adiigio *■ was delightfully executed, every note of the triplet accompaniment was dearly expressed and a beautiful singing quality of tone was teeaxed of the melody notes, while the whole movement "was charmingly phased. The " Allegretto " was rendered ■with a refinement of style and purity of expression which brought out the full beauty of the music, while the player's flawlessly clear and splendidly developed technique enabled him to master the difficulties oi the last movement without any apparent effort, and showed how closely the executant was in sympathy with the mighty giant of Bonn. There nsea enthusiastic encore after the sonata was played, when Mr. Hambourg gave Chopin's Valse in A fiat. The famous poet of the pianoforte, Chopin, was represented by six of his important tonejoems. The "F sharp Major Nocturne " was given with deep fervour, and tenderness, and the fioritmre was made to flit about asTUghtly as gossamer threads; the bass-notes were evenly rendered, while the "enarrning melody was brought out wife, graat clearness, and the dloppio movement* were played with intelligence and in manner which displayed to" the i - advantage the quintuplet figure, file continual transpositions and strange "and glaring modulations. The •Blade Study* 3 was interpreted with vivacity and humour, and full of Polish elegance, the left-hand l woxfc was made itrbngiy prominent, and the right hand ' portia was given with extreme lightness ami facility of finger. The playing of it Bade a great impression on the audience. Arepetfldbn was demanded, arid) at its seeded pufonnanee the player created quite I different effect, treating it in a different maimer though the notes were the Mmc, the bass was made less prominent and the semiquavers of the right hand were rendered with more tone and, if anything, with more rapidity of finger. Of special beauty was the interpretation swnred of the "E Major Etude." This wundrously beautiful poetic composition was elegantly phrased, and the different qualities oi tone simultaneously by the nght hand were special features" and great bravura was exhibited in the passage or double- thirds, sixths, octaves and chords. "Etude No. 8" in F Major, though down in the programme as "B Hat Prelude," was played with the highest bravura velocity, which made one wonder how the performer could execute his series of sixteenth notes with such pearly purity and excessive speed. The Jfczuria in B Minor was delivered with -extreme gia.ee, and the difficult "A Flat Polonaise"' offered no obstacle to his well disciplined hand. Mr. Hambourg was aire heard in his own "Gavotte Moderne" and Leschetizky's "La Source," and concluded a wondrous performance with a remarkably fine interpretation of the Jfendelssohn-Liszt transcription of the orchestral music to "A Midsummer flight's Dream." Mr. Hambourg gives lis second recital next Thursday evennig, when a splendid programme will be including Chopin's great sonato in B Flat Minor."