Fine Concert By Civic Orchestra

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31773, 2 September 1968, Page 14

Fine Concert By Civic Orchestra

The Christchurch Civic Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr Dobbs Franks and led by Mr Louis Yffer, gave another concert yesterday afternoon in the Majestic Theatre. This was one of the “Music ’6B” series, sponsored by Stars Travel Agency, and it was attended by a very large audience. The programme had an attractive and suitable lightness of character, and Mr Franks’s comments on the structure of the music, and the illustrations of significant themes played by the orchestra in the course of them, were helpful to the audience, many of whose younger members could have been making first acquaintance with a live orchestra. Mr Franks, both in manner and in matter, does this tricky task with accomplished ease. The programme began with

Mendelssohn’s Overture, “Fingal’s Cave,” a work of deserved popularity. The opening showed the orchestra's advance in team technique, for the smooth and delicate opening was played with i transparent quality of balanced sound. The strings of the orchestra | have long maintained a most commendable standard of i playing; and the wood-wind and brass played at this concert with beautifully produced sound and with artistic finesse in phrasing and expression. Intonation throughout the concert was of high standard, and Mr Franks’s imaginative and inspiring directions were followed with disciplined accord in this overture and in Tchaikovski’s “Romeo and Juliet” which: followed. In the latter work the hazy and idyllic opening was played with restraint which set an atmosphere of youthful expectancy, with sombre sounds as a foreshadowing of the developing tragedy. The second part of the programme was given over to two works by George Gershwin. Mr Franks has specialised knowledge of this music and the symphonic arrangement of extracts from “Porgy and Bess” were authoritatively interpreted and recalled happy memories of the whole opera presented under his direction a few years ago. The playing was highly atmospheric. This swift capturing of authentic moods was all the more clever in that each section of the suite is comparatively short. The favourite tunes—so many of them—fixed their popularity more firmly in the audience's minds. The last work was the “Rhapsody in Blue” with Mr Franks as piano soloist as well as director of the performance. A most happy arrangement it was, for he successfully drew from the players heightened expression, contrasts, rhythmic life, and vital colouring, and gave us piano playing that had a very attractive flexibility. —C.F.B.