Last Of Proms Concerts Best Of Series

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30976, 4 February 1966, Page 14

Last Of Proms Concerts Best Of Series

This season’s proms concerts, conducted by Mr Arthur Fiedler, ended in the Civic Theatre last evening. The theatre was again filled and the playing was warmly acclaimed. The programme began with Glinka’s Overture to the opera “Russian and Ludmilla” played with lighthearted insouciance and excellent precision. Mr Fiedler is an expert in conveying the spirit of this type of music to his players.

He then had Shostakovich’s Concerto No. 1 in C minor for piano, trumpet and strings. The soloists were Janetta McStay and Albert MacKinnon. This pleasant-sounding and interesting work was played with expertise and strong accord by all concerned. Miss McStay, always a competent and discerning player, produced attractively sparkling and singing tones welded in strong phrasing. Mr MacKinnon had impressive control of tone and expres-

sion. The string’s played with suave tone and interesting variations of colour. The second movement had a charmingly peaceful quality and was interpreted with appealing tenderness. The third movement was restless but in a happy mood and this built up with increasingly joyful confidence with many a lilting quirk. Miss MacStay’s playing of a cadenza had rippling vivacity. “Les Preludes” by Liszt was dramatically interpreted and had well-sustained and convincing atmosphere. The tone, at times richly sonorous and at others gently flowing in well-poised phrasing, was always compellingly interesting and enjoyable. Mr Fiedler used a wide range but well-balanced set of tonal levels, and the whole work was impressively performed. Janetta McStay was the soloist in de Falla’s “Nights in the Gardens of Spain”— three movements which

cleverly paint charming scenes with tellingly effective strokes. The playing was subtle in expressive response and in choice of timbres, of fine textures giving life to the details of the changing scenes. The orchestral balance was of high order creating charming blend. Miss McStay’s clarity and mellow tonal quality together with the vivid life she brought to the music all held constant and rapt attention. This was the most enjoyable work on this programme which was, of itself, by far the best of the whole series. Offenbach’s “Gaite Parisienne” lived up to its name in frothy fashion and a right good time was had by all. The rendering was slickly precise. The programme ended with “Theme from Lawrence of Arabia” by Jarre—a work winch took us back into what has been the prevailing style of playing at the other concerts in this series—anything you can play, I can play louder. —C.F.B.