Music of all nations at Proms concert
The N.Z.B.C. Proms sea-; son began in the Town Hall! ‘ last evening with a large I audience and a United Nations type of programme. I Music depicting England, Scotland, Ireland. Czechoslo-; vakia, Spain, France, Corsica, > and Israel all came together! .without bargaining or acrimony. There was a large and ! receptive audience. The N.Z.B.C. Orchestra .was led by Alex Lindsay and ! conducted by Stanley Black. It began with Nicolai’s ."Merry Wives of Windsor,” played with lively energy .creating excitement and calling forth warm acclamation. ’ Sometimes the balance of timbres lacked the highest .degree of polish and suavity and the performance was on the dry side. Dvorak's Slavonic Dances, No. 10 in E minor, and No. 8 in G minor, were played with colourful elan. Precision was good and the expression followed a planned design. Malcolm Arnold’s Four Scottish Dances were attractively harmonised and there I was lots of life in the fourth. The four movements of I Ravel’s "Rapsodie Espagnole”
were all charming, and raised (the tone of the first part of the programme. The delicate i orchestration was treated with appropriate care and I very pleasing textures i emerged. “The Irish Washerwoman.” Iby Leroy Anderson, gave breezy lilt to the second part 'of the programme and Mr (Black’s arrangement of the i Russian tune, “Dark Eyes.” had langourous appeal with some compelling tone from the strings. Attractive orchestration and pleasant melodic flow marked Trevor Duncan’s “The Girl from Corsica,” and three traditional Jewish melodies, arranged by Mr Black, had the excitement of the dance, a gently caressing soporific flow, and some uninhibited and very athletic dancing. By this time the programme could well have been put to bed, but went on with Cole Porter’s “1 Love Paris” — a rather noisy. I amour. The end came with Mr 'Black’s directing from the piano his “Medley of Latin | iAmerican Standards.” —C.F.B. i
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33454, 8 February 1974, Page 10
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317Music of all nations at Proms concert Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33454, 8 February 1974, Page 10
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