Splendid playing in ‘Wednesday at One’

Press, 15 October 1976, Page 17

Splendid playing in ‘Wednesday at One’

The “Wednesday at One” concert again had a large audience in the Arts Centre on Wednesday afternoon. The programme began with Ruth Pearl and Dobbs Franks playing “Three for Violin and Piano”, a set of interesting and tuneful little pieces, succinct in statement and interesting in their setting out between the instruments. and having a pleasing freshness. An andante, which had a gently soaring and serene melody, nostalgic to some degree, a brillante with excitement and a warming and sunny atmosphere, and a hvmn, confident and quite free from sentimentality made up this very attractive little suite. As was to be expected, the two artists played with unfaltering rapport. Poulenc’s Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, played by Keith Spragg and Dobbs Franks, had the melodic insouciance and bright harmonic invention always to be found in his compositions. The first movement opened richly and there was delightful humour pervading the playing. Idyllic atmos-

phere shone through the second movement, and bright, quirky, and sophisticated challenge in the finale. Mr Spragg plays with subtle expression and changes of colour, and brings his instrument shimngly to life. The Hindemith Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op 11. No. 4 was played by Jocelyn Perry and Dobbs Franks. This was magnificent and certainly one of the finest works we have heard in this series. There was confident and sure agreement between these two well-balanced instruments and the performance had vivid colourings beautifully adapted to the dignified, well-founded, and discerning meaning of the music. Tonally it was lovely to hear throughout its course, and the rhythmic strength, the supple p’hrasing, and the niceties of expression made this a performance to be remembered. These concerts have given us valuable opportunity to become further acquainted with Hindemith's thought and outpouring. • —C. Foster Browne.