Civic Orchestra’s Concert

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31809, 14 October 1968, Page 18

Civic Orchestra’s Concert

The Christchurch Civic Orchestra, conducted by Dobbs Franks, and led by Louis Yffer, gave the fourth of its Music *6B concerts, sponsored by Stars Travel Agency, in the Majestic Theatre yesterday afternoon. The programme began with the overture to “Die Fledermaus,” followed by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor. In the second half of the programme, the Harmonic Chorale—with Elisabeth Hellawell, Anthea Moller, Ramon Opie, and Grant Dickson as soloists, joined with the orchestra to perform Act II of “Die Fledermaus.”

The Beethoven symphony was attractively played with transparent tonal qualities, logical moulding of phrases, and a clearly thought out scheme of expression. Mr Franks chose satisfying tempi and kept the rhythm very much alive. A larger body of strings would be needed for the work’s fully-dramatic sonorities to be achieved. As is his custom, Mr Franks outlined the thematic material to be heard.

The orchestra played the overture to “Die Fledermaus" with point and bright clarity, good balance, and freshness of tone. It was rhythmical playing which caught the carefree nature of the operatta. Performing Act II as a concert arrangement was as successful as such unconvincing surroundings will

allow. The Harmonic Chorale sang the chorus work with excellent tone, rhythm, and general eclat Their precision was, as usual, very good indeed. The soloists sang with experienced skill, each aria being pleasant to hear. But there was little in the way of dramatic cohesion which

carried any credibility, nor was such likely to be possible. Most of Act II is concerned with drinking champagne—and if anything cries out for audience participation, that does. In this performance we could only hear about it. To see champagne in a stage show does help a little, but for all the bibulous conviviality created here, the show could have been put on without giving offence at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Alliance. The orchestra showed its versatility by playing the accompaniments very skilfully, but these concerts are meant to present the orchestra to Christchurch audiences —and this programme kept the players in the background far too much. So much Strauss did not help, either.

Nor could the inclusion of the quartet from “Rigoletto,” and some unaccompanied Negro spirituals—although they were sung with virtuoso expertise by the Harmonic Chorale—be given commendation as programming. The return to what was left of the finale to Act II could not do much to recapture what there had been of atmosphere of the operetta.

In creating a continuing atmosphere of exciting orchestral entertainment, this programme fell very far short of its predecessors.