TOWN HALL ORGAN RECITALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 180, 29 July 1912, Page 7

TOWN HALL ORGAN RECITALS.

In connection with the appointment of j a city organist, the series of recitals by j applicants for the position were resumed | last Saturday night. when there was a j good attendance in the Town Hall. Mr. ; Edgar Randal, of Oamaru. was the performer on this occasion, and he gave an enjoyable recital. Good judgment was I shown in the selection of the pieces, all of which were composed for the organ and were from the pens of old and new masters. Mr. -Randal gave musicianly readings Wf the. solos, and exhibited the "tonal and mechanical possibilities of the ■fine organ to good purpose. He displayed facility of finger on th« -manuals, while his pedalling was clear and accurate. He has mnsiea.l temperament and playe with taste and refinement, and made judicious and pleasing use of the solo stops, sparingly employing the reeds, which was j quite refreshing. Mr. Randal opened his recital wit.i an effective and brilliant performance of Pricker , "Convert Overture in C minor." The degree of tone best suited to the piece had been well considered, the registering.") were suitable, the-changing from the manuals was neatly achieved, good finger work was displayed and the pedals received the attention the part demanded. Bach's famous "Prelude and Fugue in A minor"— which is a. fine example of the master's matured methods of utilising the pedal board, and is next to the ever-popular "G minor," and perhaps one of the bestknown and most often played of the longer works of the great Cantor of the Thorasa— Leipsiereceived a well defined and clearly expressed performance. Though it was taken slower than one is accustomed to, fault can hardly be found with that, as the true Bach style of playinrr is not. hurried; much is left to the individual taste of the player, eouplerd with judgment, as the original I edition of Tiacli's works, with few execp--1 tions, present no information as to time, execution, fingering, etc. Mendelssohn's j famous "Organ Sonata in F minor," cont sisting of four movements, was on the whole capably played. There wae an inclination to hurry in the performance of the '"Allegro," which veiled a little, the part-playing. Much tenderness and feeling was displayed in the reading secured of the '"Adagio." The manual changes were well done in the "Andante. Recit" and an effective rendering was obtained of the '•.Allegro Assai Vivace." Edmund Chipp's "Fantasia on the Austrian National Anthrin" wrvrd well to exhibit the player"? command of the manuals and pedal-board. Specially noticeable, was tho successful Trar the pedal passages in double octaves, etc.. were executed, while the theme \vn? always mine to stand out prominently, and the intricate finger work was correctly achieved. After this brilliant performance Mr. Randal was warmly recalled, when he repeated the latter portion. Guilmant's first "Organ Sonata in l> minor." a work which stands pre-eminent among his compositions, was conceived for organ and orchestra, hut the chances for ito performance as such rjeing; rare at that time the work was published first a» a sonata for organ alone, and ■some years afterward as a symphony for organ end orchestra. Since then otbor sonatas bare been written by this composer, but none of the later ones compare with the first in originality, breadth of conception, nnd unity of construction. The rscitalist gave a nrueicianly rendering of this fine tone-poem. The. opening Largo c Maestoso was given with firmness, and by coupling and uncoupling the Solo and Great by means of pedal coupler, the detached chords of the solo were effectively realised. In the Allegro movement th» opening subject for pedals waft neatly piven, and the various modulations following and changing of manuals were neatly and brilliantly played. The "Pastorale" with its chorale strains and beautiful two-colour arrangement was tastefully performed and gracefully phrased, while the third movement, "Allegro Assai," was given with decision, and displayed the organ to advantage. The closing Andante Maestoso, with its brilliant chord passages for the manuals, and octaves and notes in contrary motion extending to the lowest and highest reaches of the pedal clavier, was rendered with majesty and grandeur, the diapasons and fine" r*ed« of the organ being exhibited to excellent effect. The programme also contained Lemare's "Elegy"' and ''Pastorale." Wheeldon's "Canzona." and Horsman's '•Curfew," pieces which were elegantly played, and displayed th« solo stops to fine effect. Next Saturday night. Mr. Harold Gregson will be the organist.