Skilful performance of Missa Solemnis

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 6

Skilful performance of Missa Solemnis

By C. FOSTER BROWNE The Royal Christchurch Musical Socibty and the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra gave on Saturday evening a performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in D major. It was marked by the presence of the Governor-General (Sir Keith Holyoake) and Lady Holyoake and was one of this year’s special concerts in honour of Mr Robert Field-Dodgson’s 30 years as conductor of the society. That such an honour was well deserved was shown by his meticulous direction of the singers and players in a performance where choice of tempi, careful grading of levels of tone, and the artistic use of nuances at each desired level showed his stature as a technician and as a musician. The choir sang this | physically testing and tiring I work with aplomb and with lasting freshness that speaks well of their training,! carrying out each expressive change with care for balanced detail. Quite often the very well known words were not heard clearly, but this could not have been the choir members' fault. The inverted “goldfish bowl”

above the orchestra does its j ! job of spreading orchestral[ ; sounds clearly ' across the ;! stage. It is helpful, but 1 am not convinced that it does , | not create problems for ‘isingers situated behind it. It , I does not seem to affect the ! ' work of soloists in front of) lit. In a work such as this, . the choice of soloists is I .! most important, vor an; ’I inadequate soloist destroys! .[the unity of a performance.! ‘ We had a soprano, Nance, Grant, and a contralto,! -iLauris Elms, from Australia.! ’ . Miss Grant has an operatic I i f i voice of power and i character. She knew her ! work and sang it with) distinction. She need fear no)| ' orchestra for her voice has) i plenty of carrying quality, [; I That quality is good, fori, i what it is designed to do. [i Her duet singing with |1 i|Lauris Elms was always;] ;' pleasing, and her shaping of i II phrasing in solo work was of p high order. It is to be hoped I /that we shall hear her again. |- i Lauris Elms is well known): ■ and valued here, and her)’ I[ work on this occasion); should enhance an already;' :! high reputation as an artist.l i ■ Everything she sang had! i ■ clearly achieved purpose and 'ia richly formed beauty of .

[tone. Her words had 'excellent clarity. Both the tenor, Anthony Befell, and the bass, Bruce Carson, are well known and appreciated as artists with fine voices and with the ; ability to portray a part ; with convincing artistry and -with required technical prowess. This they did once ! again and added much t'o the : artistic unity of the performance. There is [nothing in the work in (extended aria character, and ' the vocal ability of each [artist worked well for good [blending. Such a group [assembled necessarily at the last moment, cannot have I time to prepare the finest [points of ensemble singing. I The orchestra deserves ! praise for its ability in dealing well with such a difficult score. It showed i many artistic virtues and | performed well under difficult conditions. Very (Special praise must be given to Paulene Smith who not [only led with her customary [skill but gave great delight -with her splendid solo playing in the Benedictus. This was superbly done and 'not only gave great pleasure Ito hearers but did so much Ito establish the correct ethereal atmosphere.