Civic Orchestra And Soloists Well Received

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31672, 7 May 1968, Page 18

Civic Orchestra And Soloists Well Received

There was a large attendance at the concert given by the strings of the Civic Orchestra last evening under the direction of Mr Dobbs Franks.

The programme began with Bach’s Concerto for Clavier, Violin, and Flute in A minor, with Messrs Franks, Louis Yffer and Trevor Hutton as the respective soloists. Mr Franks directed the performance from the harpsichord, and the orchestra responded with cohesive precision. The work opened with expansive tone, giving a rich and somewhat sombre background, and the soloists produced delicately outlined filagree work, passing imitative material from one to another with shapely delicacy. The gentle harpsichord, under Mr Franks’s clear touch, gave merry and glinting sparkle; the flute added threads of sliver to the graceful tapestry, and the violin gave enlivening and vibrant timbre, always interesting and artistically moulded in clear phrasing. Mr Yffer kept his part distinct from that of the violinists by choice of apt tonal colour rather than through use of assertive volume. The second , movement was a trio among the solo instruments, and had refreshing elegance and poise. Mr Yffer’s pizzicato playing always had vital tonal quality and shading. All resources were again employed in the finale, which began with grave dignity, against which the harpsichord made jolly and ruffling contribution in brilliant style keeping moto perpetuo style through to the end. Interest mainly centred perhaps in what Mr Franks had so delightfully to give, but the playing of all was thoroughly appreciated. Then an enlarged group of strings played Douglas Lilburn's “Diversions,” written for the Boyd Neel Orchestra, and sounding so fresh and spontaneous. The first movement was played with delicately wrought balance in its cheerful and light tossing of material and with broad sonority at times. There was moving solemnity in the opening of the second movement, leading to an attractive!

melody in lighter vein accompanied by pizzicato figures.

The third movement had an invigorating will-o-the-wisp skelter and infectious good humour. The next movement was meditative and restful with increasing animation giving a ruffling effect of a passing breeze. High and good spirits bubbled out again in the charming insouciance of the last movement With the Albemi String Quartet the orchestra then gave a splendid performance of Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for Strings. Lovely rich sounds soared in the announcement of the first subject giving the invigorating tang of a strong breeze coming across a pleasant countryside. This was wonderfully healthy music. There was exemplary clarity of texture in the playing throughout the work, and the golden tone of the Alberni Quartet was a sheer joy. They caught, developed, enriched, and handed on the melodies with clever and sincere artistry.

The programme ended with Bartok’s Divertimento for strings which began with a suggestion of a dance in the open air. Bright costumes and slow but engaging movements set in an exotic scene. Southern colour and a spirit of romance came to life in this attractive music so skilfully and faithfully interpreted. But this atmosphere was not the prevailing one, and by way of contrast there was conveyed a heavy air of languid indolence in some of the interludes. The second movement began in a brooding atmosphere suggesting some disquiet of spirit Nor was this resolved entirely. In the last movement, there were colour and swirling crowds in bright sunshine, and elusive little answering melodies seemed to chase one another like evanescent shadows. A reflective solo part created an atmosphere of tension which was worked out at some length until a pizzicato challenge led to a short and bright coda. The work of the orchestra • was received with prolonged land well-merited acclamation. I —C.F.B.