Enthralling Finish To N.Z.B.C. Concert Series

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32114, 9 October 1969, Page 18

Enthralling Finish To N.Z.B.C. Concert Series

To the dying strains of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony the N.Z.B.C. Orchestra’s concert series for the year ended last evening in the Civic Theatre.

It was a performance to remember, because the players, controlled by Anatole Fistoulari, who gave the distinct impression of possessing an omnipotent concept of the entire work, released the emotive power of Tchaikovsky’s musical message with a full-blooded and unabashed romantic spirit. The capacity audience seemed enthralled and obviously moved. The lower string sections, numerically weak as they are, strove to provide a fullness of tone and it was only in the divisi passages that the deficiency became apparent. The brass relished in what for them is a field day. The trombones and tuba in particular contributed splendidly to the over-all impression. The violins and woodwinds, whose functions in this symphony are so closely related, excelled in the broader sweeps but some of the intricate detail produced lapses in synchronisation. Nevertheless the total impact was there and Tchaikovsky was more than well served. What a composer! And how he loved the descending major scale!

Kendall Taylor is a pianist who combines immense technical prowess with an imaginative and cultured attitude to the music he plays. Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto under his hands became a vital and organic unity, as much

because of his command of detail as because of his ability to link the moods he explores. The first movement sounded inevitable, in spite of its thematic diversity. The adagio was played with great tenderness and the finale swept along with a controlled impetuosity which belied the digital problems the soloist faces.

Rhythmic understanding appears to be Mr Taylor’s decisive virtue. He transmits a clear picture in sound; so clear that the listener is left in no doubt as to where the phrase is aiming or what the underlying rhythm is. His is great art.

The N.Z.B.C. Orchestra can look back on a satisfactory year’s contribution to music in-Christchurch. It is the pacesetter for all our development, particularly in the instrumental field. The guest conductorship policy appears to work well in all matters except programming. The difficulties of providing a balanced diet when four chefs are manning the kitchen can be imagined but one hopes that it is not beyond the wit of the N.Z.B.C. to act in an overseeing capacity. This criticism is not intended to represent the views of a lunatic fringe which considers everything composed the day before yesterday as “old hat” It draws attention to the safety-first selections of 1969. The old adage, “Something old, something new” could well be adopted for the seventies. The support of Christchurch has been won; its palate can be tickled once in a while.—J.A.R.