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STRING WORKS

CONCERT BY NATIONAL ORCHESTRA PLAYERS

A large'audience assembled in the Hall of Canterbury University College on Saturday evening to hear the first public concert given by those members of the National Orchestra who are living in Christchurch. Both the programme and the playing of it were interesting and the concert was highly enjoyable. It is the policy of the Broadcasting Service to leave a group of string players in Auckland. Christchurch §nd Dunedin for those periods of the year when the orchestra is not practising as a whole and is not on tour. However awkward this may be from the point of view of development of the orchestra, it means that the cities concerned do not permanently lose the services of the members of the orchestra.

Saturday night’s concert showed clearly how this policy can result in furthering and widening the influence of the National Orchestra and greatly enriching musical life and development in these centres; for such a group of string players, rehearsing every day, can give us a wider variety of music and a higher standard of performance in its specialised field than has ever been possible before. It will be better for our appreciation of music to have plenty of opportunities of hearing them in concert performances. We have waited so long for something like. this; it will indeed be a pity if we do not take full advantage of it now that it has been given to us. The players comprising this group of the National Orchestra are Misses Lesley Anderson, Mascot Blake, Margaret Ciceley, and Mr Gordon English as violinists, Mr John Phillips, viola, Mrs Valmai Moffat, ’cello. Mr Keith Newson, double-bass, and Miss Althea Harley Slack, pianist. „ They are under the conductorship of Mr Harry Elwood, who has shown himself to be one who is excellently qualified for the important and exacting task which has been given to him, and both he and the players are to be congratulated on the high standard which has been reached. For Saturday night’s concert Mr Ronald Moon, viola, and Miss Marjorie Chapman, ’cello, joined the group. This policy of augmentation by players of approved standard is one that should be encouraged. The programme opened with Handel’s Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 3, for string trio, string orchestra, and cembalo. The cembalo part was played by Miss Slack, and ’throughout the concert she played excellently, giving just the right amount of weight to the piano part so that it blended well and did not interfere with the balance of string tone. It seemed, in this work, that the players had not become accustomed to the acoustical conditions of the building. However, in the Mozart Divertimento which followed they warmed to their work and gave a thoroughly satisfying and lovely performance. The control of tone and dynamic was most praiseworthy. Mendelssohn’s Octet for strings lay on a shallower emotional plane, but it contains many passages of great charman d smooth writing. The second movement is very well groomed, but, like a diplomat, seems to be taking great care not to say too much. The third is full of elfin fun and it was played with commendable dexterity.

The second half of the programme opened with a piano concerto by Handel aiTanged by Constant Lambert. This composite work comes off well, and Miss Slack and the orchestra made the most of it. It was most enjoyable. Goosens’s Miniature Fantasy, is an interesting example of colourful writing for strings. Its atmosphere seems to be that of a rugged and rather harsh scene remote from urban sophistication and not at all concerned with man and his pleasures and struggles. A perfect contrast was the Italian Serenade by Hugh Wolf. In spirit it is an absolute antithesis of the former work. It is concerned with light amorous dalliance and not at all with landscape, although it captures the southern European atmosphere excellently. The concert ended with a rousing Gigue by Bach. The orchestra plays with good balance in regard to weight of tone and further experience will give them that command of balance of tone colour which is the hall mark of really firstrate string ensembles. Whatever small v/eaknesses they have should soon be remedied. The many fine qualities which they already have more than made up for such weaknesses in one’s enjovment of the first of what one hopes will be many fine performances.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19471006.2.14

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 3

Word Count
734

STRING WORKS Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 3

STRING WORKS Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25307, 6 October 1947, Page 3