THE ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22519, 29 September 1938, Page 4

THE ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

AN ENJOYABLE CONCERT The Christchurch Orchestral Society gave its second concert of the season in the Radiant Hall last night. The orchestra is reasonably well balanced, and presented a good programme, and the conductor, Mr Alfred Bunz, secured good interpretations considering he was working with an amateur orchestra. But the quality of work that he can achieve from them is of necessity limited, partly because many of the players have inadequate technical control of their instruments, and still more because their sense of accurate timing is so undeveloped. Generally this fault showed itself in their treatment of the subdivisions of a beat, but it even exists at times (as in the waltz accompaniment of the Sibelius “Valse Triste”) with sounds that occur on a beat, and this, in spite of perfectly clear indications from the conductor. Perhaps these players are not aware of their own faulty timing, for the inclination to race ahead suggests that they play with their fingers rather than with their minds alertly at work timing each and every note they play; but for the good of the orchestra they have chosen to join, they should certainly seek to rectify this by stern self-discipline in their own private practice rooms. It would be well for them to realise, too, that this defect occurs very noticeably in their slow music, where mere fluency technique is absent, and where they are compelled to rely on mental control, if the work is to be controlled at all. With these defects accepted, there was much that was very commendable in the work of the orchestra last.night They played the “Merry Wives” Overture of Nicolai solidly and safely even if not subtly. Their “Jupiter” Symphony (Mozart), except in the more involved development portions, and in the slow movement, had reasonably good rhythm, fair intonation and praiseworthy energy and clarity. “Scenes Pittoresques” (Massenet), too. was very enjoyable. In the opening march the orchestra responded to Massenet’s light scoring very much better than their previous playing would have led one to expect. The few ’cellos kept their melody well to the fore in the “Ajr de Ballet” and the flutes accompanied very effectively. The woodwind ensemble played excellently in “Angelus" and so did the strings in their marcato work. “Fete Boheme,” except in its vigorous main theme, was less good, the predominating skipping-rhythm proving too difficult a rhythm for those players whose timing-sense is insufficiently developed. Two concertos were played at this concert, the soloists being Mr Arthur Gordon and Miss Vera Yager. Mr Gordon in the Bach Concerto for Violin gave a good, strong, rhythmic performance of this refreshing, virile music; and Miss Yager in the Schumann pianoforte Concerto in A minor gave an interpretation which through its clarity of detail, its energy, and its shapeliness, made delightfully easy listening. Miss Ailsa Crompton, who was accompanied by Mrs J. H. Cocks, was the vocal soloist of the evening. In the first half of the programme she sang “Solveig’s Song” (Grieg) and later she was heard in Sullivan’s “Orpheus with his Lute.” She has a very refreshing, youthful voice, and she interpreted both her song:; with pleasing and appropriate simplicity of mood. The concert was enjoyably brought to a close with the rousing “Marche Hongroise” of Berlioz. CE.J.)