ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16703, 11 December 1919, Page 11

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY.

LAST NIGHT'S CONCERT,

A very large audier.ee win present at the Choral Hall last night for tho final concert of the year to Ik> given by the Orchestral Society Mr Alfred Bnnz conducted and Mr Yore Buchanan acted as leader to tho benefit of tho orchestra] share. Tho orchestra opened the programme with a very good, effective, and well balanced performance of Nioolai's very charming- overture to the "Merry Wives of Windsor," wholly pleasurable to listen to and very creditable to conductor and band. A ropotition of two movement* from Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony showed that they had been subjected to a polishing process resulting in marked improvements. The Jegond-liko "Andante' may y*t (rain in dignity and sonority, but tho whirling, highlycolourod Sbltareilo was ployed with a fine swing and fpirit, and well worked up to it* climax points. Tho most formidable tiu>k imposed upon the Society consisted of the elaborate and complicated accompaniment* to tho Tscbaikowskv Concerto. Owing to the regrettable absence of the horn-player on account of indisposition, some eect-iorm dependent -upon tho lead of that instrument were left hopcloesly incomplete, in other ways it becsvtno evident that the art of orchestral accompaniment requires longer cultivation sud experience, But *much creditable work was also forthcoming, deserving warm praiso and encouragement. The Twhaikowßky pianoforte concerto ran'ta nr.doubtcdly among tho most TcmaTkable productions of in that a t-f :rat. With much that is wTd, bizarre, and banal, it bunts into b?auty irresistible in many part*. and i!.s power stands almost without parallel. Tho first movement rises to effects ni veritable niagnitieencc from the first bar; tho avalanches of octavcs and cut-triplet-rhymes are bewildering-; tho "Poco Meno Mosso" elaborate* ft lively haunting theme, which recurs in a change of key towards tho end of the lengthy part with addod charm. In tho second movement all u poetry, tho fairies danoe, it suggests in fret a no* "ilideummcT Night's Dream." '/he last asrails you -with a the mo of savage force and rythm, yet towards the end it embodies delightful piano-passages and tho finale is again a thing of great splendour. A while ago w© would l.ave doubted the physical equipment of a lady to wrestle with * work requiring- such powers of execution. But wo learn dailv that we hr- underrnl-d tho fair sex in every way. and fo in this. Miss Agn« Lawlor acquitted hers«lf in this crcat undertaking with remarkable success, lie;- {rrea.t t<jnc-production never although it has to bo maintained for nesriv iLioe-quartern of an hour. She nlsyd with ?:est composure and jircerncn of mind, vetv brilliantly, and leodin? n-> to the final outburst of the laet movement ir. splendid stylo ar.d ."-s fresh, to all sppearenee. an when she sounded the first chord. The theme of the •Too Mor.o Mos»o" mi-ht vet develon in it« poetical as'icct; the "Ar.dar.tir.o and "PresU«sinio" -if tho second part eortnod to picture imps rather than fairiw. But all ;r. all Mi«* Ijr.-lor i« en'itled to admiration. Mies Vera MitcbeU g»v« a --rr dignified, (Hateiv, and emotioml leadinr of Mnx BrucVs .Tcxivh "Kol KiHrei," an .Vitog»tlwr artidtie r,erformanco. well nccompinie''. by Mi-i Kthel Mitr.heli who, however, mirht well assert herself a little more in the solo part-? fcr th* l piano. Mr -V J" Crr-pp put thourhtfiil work into (h« "Mir.r.i" nr.'* n fir.o ststolinesA into "TTp the Saddle." He *anp rerv fervntiv P.irrT - !* "Vt I Will ITer. : r all hi - * ron 7* smarter accompanied by Mi*s Xtlhc- Hi<"h,irdfon. The -T>;oie msy V*» rlaAfd .i« r,i the interesting concert* of the w:a*"n.