Wind Quintet Present Contemporary Music

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30470, 18 June 1964, Page 14

Wind Quintet Present Contemporary Music

An audience of perhaps 800 was present at the Civic Theatre last evening when the New Zealand Wind Quintet, under the auspices of the Christchurch Chamber Music Society, presented a concert devoted mainly to contemporary music. The transition from the Mozart Divertimento which began the concert to Three Pieces for Flute, Clarinet and Bassoon, by Walter Piston, was accomplished without any falling-off in the craftsmanship so important for the earlier work and on this occasion resulted in an unexpectedly spell-bound period of attention for the latter.

The substitution of a work by the Bohemian composer Anton Reicha for the listed George Onslow quintet broke an intended all-french run for the remainder of the programme. Reicha did teach in the Paris Conservatory but apparently without influencing greatly his two most famous pupils: Berlioz and Liszt. “La Cheminee du roi

Rene,” by Darius Milhard was the best known work to follow the interval. Perhaps Peter Glen could have made, more of the rumbustious horn part: certainly the fifth movement: Chasse a Valabre. did hot romp quite so royally as do the recorded versions.

Such music really demands some attempt on the part of the players to project more than just the notes. The bassoonist, Harold Evans, was the only performer to acknowledge an applauding audience with other than the minimum formality. His engaging smile after the completion of “Passecaille,” by Barthe, was gradually echoed by his fellows and, minutes later it seemed, by laughter and applause as the audience realised that an unfamiliar work had in fact ended.

Quintet by the contemporary French composer, Jean Michel Damase brought the programme to a goodhumoured conclusion. —P.B.Y.