RICHARD CROOKS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21905, 5 October 1936, Page 5

RICHARD CROOKS

- 1 ~ BEAUTIFUL VOICE, IN NOBLE MUSIC A BRILLIANT FIRST CONCERT v A sense of satisfaction was one’s immediate experience at the commencement of Saturday night’s concert in the Theatre Royal, when the beautiful Bach melody, “If Thou Be Near,? poured forth smoothly, clearly, feelingly from the exquisite voice of Richard Crooks. It travelled as a river- travels, as does all great performance; of music; and even where its course was widest and it moved more slowly and seemingly gently, it nevertheless clearly revealed the strength of that rhythmic driving power which keeps it ever pressing onward. In this opening number were combined noble music, powerful flow, a beautiful voice, and exquisite artistry, hence the immediate satisfaction. Few artists are given such demonstrative applause as was Mr Crooks on Saturday night, and he gave most generously in response to encores. Following this came a well-known Haydn “Serenade” moving with appropriate simplicity across a delight-fully-played rippling accompaniment, and then a song of Beethoven’s, “I Love but Thee,” beautifully and tenderly sung with a wonderful grading of tonal strengths. This group arrived at its climax in the next song “Per Pieta,” by Stradella. Again one experienced satisfaction, for there was pathos expressed purely by quality of tone, with never a trace of that ugly emotional sob so loved by certain schools of singers. The encores fitted the group perfectly, extending it, and yet at the same time providing great contrast; they were: “Have You Seen but a White Lily Grow” (Anon), and “In the Country” (Haydn), the. first untouchably delicate, the second bright and florid. For his second group, Mr Crooks turned to opera, and made an excellent selection, avoiding both the commonplace and the hackneyed. He sang “Le Reve” from “Manon” (Massenet), “Amor ti vieta” from “Fedora” (Giordano), and for his first encore the aria from “Le Roi d’Ys” (Lalo). “Le Reve,” from “Manon.” as treated by Richard Crooks, was a thing of the greatest beauty, sung with lovely calm, and a marvellous sensing of the delicacy of French emotion. Of the greatest contrast was Giordano’s “Amor ti vieta,” sung in a manner much more acceptable to English ears thah it would have been had it been treated by an Italian celebrity. Frederick Schauwecker, who had since very early in the evening proved himself a fine accompanist to Mr Crooks, showed himself, too, to be a very sound musician by his solo selection and by his fine playing of his interestingly chosen items. It is music that matters to him. and not display. His first group consisted of “Intermezzo in B minor” (Op. 119. No. 1, Brahms), one of the Rachmaninoff “Preludes,” and “La Fileuse” by Sibelius; and for his second group he played a Romance of Brahms, a Nocturne by Dett, and “En Route” (Ornstein). There is depth, sonority, and clear ’ logic in his interpretations. Mr Crook’s third and last group was a selection from a printed list of well over 100 songs and ballads, and in running one’s eye through this list one dreads what might be selected from' it. Saturday night’s selection v as luckily qu.te a good one on the wh(se, consisting of three fine songs out of the four announced. They “were: “Beloved. It is Morn” (Aylward), “Sea Fever” - (John Ireland), “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal” (Quilter), and “I’ll Sail Upon the Dog Star” (Purcell). There was accent, strength, and fine colour in “Sea Fever,” a virile rhythm and excellent florid work in the Purcell song, and the last verse of “Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal” received a treatment that equalled that given to Massenet’s “La Reve,” already referred to. Even in songs that were musically insignificant. one was able to obtain pleasure from Mr Crook’s voice, his beautifully moulded vocal consonants, and his technique generally; but he is undoubtedly most thoroughly satisfying when he is using his gift on really worth-while music. His encores at the end of the evening were: Tosselli’s “Serehata, “Mother of Mine” (Tours), Schuberts “Serenade”—with delightful “pizzx-