LUNCH HOUR CONCERT

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27641, 23 April 1955, Page 2

LUNCH HOUR CONCERT

RECITAL OF VIOLIN MUSIC This week’s lunch-time recital at Canterbury University College was given by Ralph Aldrich (violin), who is a final year student at Victoria University College. He was accompanied bjMargaret Nielsen at the piano. . Prog’ amm e consisted of music by Nardini, Mozart, Brahms and BartoK, representing four distinct periods of composition. Of the works played the Mozart Theme and Variations arranged by Jarnach, was the least effective because the real Mozart was largely obscured by nineteenth cenlur<..YI ur <..YJ oUn technique which amounted to little more than note-spinning in most places. 8 The Nardini sonata is a fine work possessing a lyrical touch of a nature not usually associated with this period of composition: Mr Aldrich stowed from the outset that he had a good mental, and sufficient technical,’control over the music he was playing In the opening adagio the tone was rather pinched on the upper strings and the changes of position were noisily executed, giving a slightly sloppy effect. But in the ensuing allegro the tone opened out, especially on the lower strings and was rich and even brilliant in some of the bravura passages ? ra^ ms sonata ln A mrjor; Miss Nielsen’s sympathetic playing produced a good ensemble. The inter* pretation as a whole was a subdued one, rather too much so in the first

movement, but this was an error on the right side, one felt, for wi 1 *! Brahms’s chamber music the flow ana natural warmth can be better aPP{r‘ ciated in “correct,” rather than ov* r emotional, playing. “Six Rumanian National dances present Bartok the arranger ratner than the composer, but the distinctive touch of his genius is apparent throughout. Mr Aldrich’s tone is particularly su’ted to this colourful mus’C, which he played with refreshing vigour and spontaneity. - —R.B.L-