THE BOYD NEEL ORCHESTRA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25243, 23 July 1947, Page 3

THE BOYD NEEL ORCHESTRA

“MOST THRILLING OF ALL ”

Last night’s concert in the St. James’ Theatre was the most thrilling of all the magnificent concerts which the Boyd Neel Orchestra have given here. It was a personal triumph for Mr Boyd Neel, for Mr Grinke, the j excellent leader of the orchestra, for Miss Peggy Knibb, the Australian soprano who has come over specially to sing in Britten’s “Les Illuminations,” and for every individual player. The programme consisted of nly four works; yet Mr Boyd Neel’s astonishing discrimination in his choice of items for a programme left us all with the impression that we had listened, as indeed we had, to the whole broad sweep of music from the eighteenth century to the present time. A cursory glace at the programme could have caused a lifting of the eyebrows, especially if a particular type of narrow brow surmounted them, at the inclusion of Dvorak’s Serenade in E major along with Bach and Handel, and in proximity to Benjamin Britten. As a matter of fact, it would be hard to think of a happier choice as things turned out. Handel’s Concerto Grosso in G major is an intimately revealing work of a large-hearted man who was incapable of a mean thought or action. These Concert! bear to Handel something of that same relationship that the Chorale Preludes do to Bach. Bach lived close to the gate of Heaven; Handel, although also of a deeply spiritual nature, was more a man of the world. Throughout this Concerto, scored for two solo violins, solo ’cello, and string orchestra, one can perceive his close alliance with all the grace of the eighteenth century world of fashion in its best aspects; but there is also a personal and introspective, overflowing of the sheer joy of life. The introspective element is not always present with Handel, but it is a marked feature of these Concerti Grossi. Everything necessary to bring out the full meaning of the music was shown in the playing. The Ricercare by Bach is a movement from the Musical Offering. It is a gigantic six-part fugue based upon a theme given to Bach by Frederick the Great. Frederick caused much bloodshed and sorrow in his life, but this lovely theme must be counted to him for righteousness. In his best moments he might have preferred being able to write such a development as Bach was able to do to conquering the world. He has as little chance of doing the one as the other, buch a fugue could have come only from Bach. A warm richness of sound is obtained from the strings by the division of the violas and ’cellos. The quiet announcing of the subject by solo instruments, beginning with the viola (so beautifully played by Mr Gilbert), carried on through the second violin, the ’cello, and then another viola before the first violins are heard, makes this exposition one of the very loveliest parts of all fugal writing. The impeccable phrasing throughout made each part sound out with perfect clarity and although it is a highly scientific piece of writing, and six parts are hard to follow, the whole sounded completely natural and was in no way difficult to listen to. It is a superb work and was superbly played.

It is extremely difficult to write of such a work as Britten’s “Les Illuminations’’ after a first hearing. One would like to hear it a hundred times and to study the score for months. However, one’s impressions at a first hearing are that it is a work of the highest genius. It is an amazing and almost unbelievable thing that a young Englishman could enter so fully and so deeply into the rarefied atmosphere of French music with its age-long history, its natural evolution of characteristic idiom, its highly individual blending of emotion and logic, and those indefinable elegancies of the Gallic spirit, and not only to enter fully into them but seemingly to add something to them. Yet, apparently, this is what Britten has done. He has produced a work of shattering technical skill in scoring for strings, yet the technique is never forced on the attention; it all seems an eminently natural part of the music. He treats the voice part as though it were a violin but it stands out clearly as vocal music in spite of its terrific difficulty. Australia is fortunate in having such an outstanding singer as Miss Peggy Knibb. The highest praise we can offer her is to say that she can appear with distinction beside the Boyd Neel Orchestra. She overcame the almost insuperable difficulties of this work with the same apparent ease shown by the players. Her beautiful voice is as flexible as any violin, and she has the same command of all necessary technical devices. In the opening fanfare there was a surprising use of the violas, ’cellos, and double basses in their high positions. One could hear the familiar trumpet call, so often heard in. French barracks towns, given out with that thin and shrill tone of the French army bugle, so different from the fuller roast beef tone of the English trumpet. This effect is obtained by, the overtones w’hich these deeper instruments will produce when used in this way. It is but one example of the amazing technical skill shown by Benjamin Britten; a technique fully understood and used in a natural way to obtain the desired effect. The work abounds inmany such devices, but space will not allow more to be said on the subject. Several times in the course of the work the singer announces that she alone holds the key to the meaning. Using the • word key in a different context, one might say that, considering the harmonic progressions of the accompaniment and the difficult leaps required by her own part, it would not be surprising if she completely lost all sense of key, pitch, and everything else. However, such was not the case, and the work was flawless in presentation. The last movement is a melody of surpassing loveliness, and the final fade-put with a pianissimo note from the double basses ends the work with an eerie but satisfying effect. The whole composition made an immediate appeal to the audience, who seemed to follow it sitting on the edges of their seats with eager expectancy. Dvorak's Serenade for Strings in E Major was a happy final choice. It was easy to listen to. Had we been sent home with the Britten ringing in cur ears, sleep would have been difficult. The Serenade is full of Dvorak’s strong rhythmic figures, his pleasantly flowing counterpoint and his warm melodies. All these are so well contrasted that every bar holds the interest. The Moderate and Waltz are lovely and unpretentious, the Scherzo strong and fiery, the Larghetto is a friendly and enveloping melody, and the finale makes reference to much which has been heard before, and gives unity and cohesion. It is sad to think that we have heard the lovely sound® of this orchestra for f he last time on this tour. Mr Boyd Neel announced from the stage that a little bird had whispered to him that it might be possible for the orchestra to come back to New Zealand in the future. That bird must be cherished, and care taken to see that it does not lose its voice.

He deplored the fact that Christchurch is the only city in New Zealand where the orchestra had to play in unsatisfactory acoustic conditions. He hoped that when he returned we would have a concert hall in keeping with the dignity of the city It remains now to say gooa-bye and good luck. It is certain that all who have heard them will look forward eagerly to their return, and that any who are fortunate enough to go to London will regard it as one of their first pleasures to hear the Boyd Neel Orchestra again. C.F.B.