Batons and bows

Press, 10 November 1980, Page 6

Batons and bows

By

David Childs

Last year the British violinist and conductor, John Georgiadis, and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra delighted concert-goers'' with their popular programme of Strauss waltzes, “A Night in Vienna.” On Saturday evening Mr Geor- ' giadis and the orchestra re-i peated their successful formula with a concert of gypsy-inspired music entitled “Romany Romance."; Skilfully and imaginatively 1 ,; presented, such a pro- 1 gramme could hardly fail to be a success. !' Equally at home with baton, bow, or microphone, Mr Georgiadis again proved himself to be the complete:; conductor-entertainer, combining immense musical gifts with his own brand ofunobtrusive showmanship.! The orchestra, responded efficiently to his relaxed < direction although the play-1 ing occasionally lacked the ; flair and passion that one i generally associates with t gypsy-style music. A Bizet’s Carmen Suite No.li 1, always a firm favourite <

with concert audiences,! I made an effective pipe-open-; ' er. The rich, sensuous col-j ours of the composer’s score were admirably high-lighted | by all sections of the or-j 'chestra, particularly the ! woodwind department which played with real distinction! throughout the evening. There were many fine mo-i ments but the opening of the Intermezzo, beguilingly played by the flautist. Richard Giese, to harp accom- : paniment, was particularly 'stunning in its effect 1 Brahms’s Hungarian Dances Nos. 5 and 6 in Al- ■ bert Parlow’s brilliant transcription could have done with more verve and passion but they were convincingly ; performed and provided an admirable foil for Jeno Hubay’s lightweight “Hejre Kati” which followed. With i Mr Georgiadis as the spar-kling-soloist, and the conductor a mystery women in black who directed with assurance and poise, the, work proved to be a delec-: table triPe marred with; only a slight lack of co-ordi-| nation between soloist and orchestra in the final bars. I

Kodaly’s “Dances of Galante” was given a broad and spacious reading notable for the ravishing tone of the strings at points of climax iand some particularly sensitive playing by the woodwind.

I' After the interval, which :gave Mr Georgiadis time to i effect a sartorial change, the; orchestra, encouraged perhaps by the increased warmth of audience response, appeared to play with greater conviction and commitment. Certainly the second half produced the most satisfying playing of the evening. Liszt's second "Hungarian Rhapsody,” two Slavonic Dances, by Dvorak, and Enesco’s Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 were all splendidly played. However, the best received item was unquestionably Vittorio Monti’s michievious “Czardas,” which Mr Geor-I giadis, again assuming the mantle of soloist, dispatched; with breathtaking nimble-, ness and charm. 1 An encore in the form of another gypsy, dance, proved' i a welcome, if unexpected,! bonus.