TERESA CARRENO.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 162, 11 July 1910, Page 6

TERESA CARRENO.

P ■ SECOND CONCERT. I Despite the inclement evening there was a very good attendance at the Choral Hall last Saturday night to hear the gifted pianiste Madame Carreno The audience was a most enthusiastic one, and gave Madame a great reception when she appeared, while after every group of pieces she was heartily recalled and had to play again. At the conclusion of the concert, though Carreno had entertained those present for nearly two hours, entirely by her own efforts, she received a great ovation, and the audience would not disperse until she contributed another solo. The programme presented was a feast of good things, and the performance given of the solos will long be cherished by those who were privileged to hear it. All lovers of music, not only enthusiasts of the pianoforte, should not miss this opportunity of hearing one of the greatest artists tho world has known. Every bar of music as Carreno interpreted it is a luxury, all is carefully thought out; the hidden beauties of the piece are presented in such a way that the listener cannot fail to understand what the composer means. The performance of Bach's "Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue" was a rare treat, the technical difficulties of this famous masterpiece were easily overcome by Carreno's all-conquering fingers. It was given with breadth and a rich quality of tone, j Beautifully played were the. left hand quavers against a sixteenth figure by the right hand, and the arpeggios were executed with extraordinary clearness,! rapidity of finger action, and of pearly quality of tone. The Recitative was given in a speaking manner, while great musicianship was exhibited in the Andantino. The embellishments revealed no weak or sluggish finger and the various tempos were admirably given, while delightful to follow was the delicate handling of the final variante. The [ Fuga was very clearly and cleverly set out, tho entries of the various parts being well defined and most intelligible. Tn short it was a performance revealing the great artist and the great virtuoso. Beethoven's "Sonata, Op. 27, No. 1," was charmingly performed. Her beautiful tone production and ample technical equipment revealed most perfectly eveiy beauty of this charming work. The Andante was exquisitely phrased, and the nuances were executed with great discretion, while the Allegro was played with clearness, and with decided finger movement. The second portion was rendered with mtich humour, while the rhythm was carefully guarded and the tonal contrasts admirably displayed. The Adagio was interpreted with depth and warmth of feeling, and a "bright, lively, and agitated performance was secured of the closing movement, which proved quite irresistible, "Madame exhibiting a dash of fantasy, almost elfishnoss, in her reading of this spirited composition. At its conclusion the gifted pianiste was honoured with a triple recall. Chopin was represented . "by his "Prelude No. 15," and the Polonaises in E ilat minor and A flat, Op. 53, all of which were artistically delivered. Poldini, the Hungarian composer's "Fantasie"—a composition admirably written for the pianoforte—was played with dash and power, specially beautifully rendered were the scales and octaves, and the chords were of surprising fullness and of satisfying tone timbre. Schubert's "Impromptu, Op. 00, No. 2," the performance of which revealed a beautiful cantabile, and MacDowell's "Barcarolle" and "Hcxentanz" were skilfully treated, while the Schubert-Liszt "Soirees de Venice" received a vivacious and playful delivery. A memorable recital dosed with a brilliant interpretation of the TausigSchubert "Marche Militaire," after which the recitalist was vociferously called back several times, and finally played Moszkowski's "Serenata." To-night's programme contains Beethoven's "Waldstein Sonata, Op. 53." Weber's fine "Concertstuck" for two pianos, four Chopin numbers, and pieces by Rubinstein and Schubert. On Wednesday afternoon a matinee concert will be given in the Choral Hall, and Thursday and Friday evening next will be the last chance music lovers will have of hearing this gifted and accomplished pianiste. To pianoforte students these recitals are of special importance, and every opportunity should he taken of being present. It is a chance of a lifetime, and a splendid lesson in the way the great compositions ought to be interpreted.