First Of Four Proms Concerts

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31904, 4 February 1969, Page 16

First Of Four Proms Concerts

The concert season began merrily last evening with the first of four Proms concerts by the N.Z.B.C. Orchestra conducted by Juan Matteucci, and led by Alex Lindsay. The programme began with Reznicek’s overture to “Donna Diana,” played with broad and rich colours and with splendid clarity in Its toccatalike brilliance of movement. Malvina Major, the soloist for the evening, began with Mozart’s “Porgi Amor.” The carrying quality of her lovely soprano voice, flowing with effortless smoothness, showed her firm technical. command, and the subtle changing of colours in artistic nuances were a -delight. There was bright sunshine in her rendering of an aria from “Don Pasquale,” by Donizetti. The brilliant ring in her voice

brought but the full texture of the aria. Coloratura nimbleness, and a velvet smoothness of tonal production made her rendering of “Caro Nome” from “Rigoletto” thoroughly enjoyable and impressive. It might have been wiser to have had fewer players for the accompaniments. The balance within the orchestra was good, but there were times when the playing seemed ponderous. A suite of three pieces from the “Tsar Saltan” by Rimsky Korsakov ended the first part of the programme. Mr Matteucci directed this so that all the colours in Which the work abounds were brought out vivaciously, and with very good balance. It was imaginative direction which brought forth a ready response from the players.

Beethoven’s Twelve Contredances were an admirable choice for this programme. They had a lightness of spirit, and a healthy sense of enjoyment of simple pleasures. The playing was direct, with effective use of dynamic effects.

Malvina Major then sang “Czardas” from “Die Fledermaus,” by Johan Strauss, “Solvieg’s Song,” by Grieg, and “Poor - Wandering One,” from the “Pirates of Penzance.” These were performed with confident assurance, showing technical mastery of precision and an artistic insight and awareness. The lyric beauty of Miss Major’s voice in the Grieg song was spell-binding, and the ringing freshness in the Sullivan song would make a bell-bird look to his defences. Miss Major

thoroughly deserved the ovation she received.

The programme ended with the Symphony in C by Bizet. The first movement was happy, vigorous, and tuneful —apd was played with zest and appreciation of its warmly romantic appeal. It is a well-knit movement that could not fail to make friends for itself. The slow movement was built round a hauntingly beautiful melody. This was followed by a fugato passage with effective little stretti. The third movement was a merry romp with a rather wistful middle section as contrast, and the finale was a moto perpetuo of irrepressible gaiety. There will be other concerts this evening, and on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.—C.F.B.