Orchestral experiment

Press, 29 November 1976, Page 6

Orchestral experiment

Besides good music beautifully played, a concert by the Canterbury Orchestra in the Town Hall on Saturday evening was interesting for a new and experimental placing of players on stage in search of better acoustics. Dobbs Franks placed his strings at the back of the woodwind and brass and raised them to higher level, ft seemed unsuccessful, but < more exhaustive research would have to be made before an unquestioned decision': could be reached. It seemed that there was I very good claritv all round, : and that the slight blurring I of the strings — previously!' noticeable either with solo 11 performers or with orches’ras in the Town Hal! — wash lacking. The cello and violatones came through with!' splendid clarity. Ruth Pearl led the orchestra, and gave her unfailingly

immaculate performance; and the programme, consisting of! .Mozart's “Haffner” sym-j phony, and modem works by! .Menotti, Barber, and Kodaly, i had good balance, contrast, I and kaleidoscopic colouring.; The orchestra played with! ' splendid smoothness, elan, and a well-trained accord. Dobbs Franks has shown himself a stylish and erudite conductor of Mozart. His choice of tempi and his regulation of tonal levels always show experienced judgment. iSo it was at this concert. This series has had a Mozart symphony at each. Balancej between strings and wood- j wind in tonal textures always ■held heightened interest, and! the brass played to spendid* (advantage throughout. Menotti’s compositions' offer effervescent effects im instrumentation and charm' in melodic content. The< "Sebastian Suite” played on|

I this programme had much to f I interest in itself, as well as •jin the artistry with which it r j was directed and played. ,: It was followed by Samuel . | Barber’s “Capricorn Con- . certo.” with Anthony Ferner, i! lan Falloon, and Vere Smyth . playing solo flute, oboe, and trumpet respectively. Their i playing in combination and i in solo passages was always ; interesting and enjoyable, ■ with polish and skilled judg- ■ ment. and the accord be- , tween soloists and orchestra . showed appreciation of de- ; tail. As for the work itself, ijit did not carry quite the interest aroused by others on [the programme. Kodaly’s “Dances of Galanta” were full of interest t and excitement, arousing the full spirit of Hungarian gipsy J life. In performance, it came ‘richly to life, in sparkling :> and scintillating fashion. i —C. Foster Browne