PIANO AND ’CELLO

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 218, 11 June 1929, Page 6

PIANO AND ’CELLO

recital by two brilliant STUDENTS

The Concert Chamber could not seat all who attended the pianoforte and ’cello recital given last jii ? ht by Miss Thelma Willoughby, of Wellington (pupil of Mr. Gordon Short, and winner ot R.A.M., L.A.B. scholarship), and Miss GreteJcspersen, of Palmerston North (pupil of Mr. George Ellwood). Both girls are of tender years, and both gave ample evidence of unusual talent for players of their age and necessarily limited experience. Miss Willoughby showed extraordinary verve, a crisp and certain touch, a surprising command of technique,. and confidence in the display of these virtues. Probably those inner graces of tonal nuance and interpretive insight which spell glamour are yet to come, but this gifted student has the basis of the art beautiful to build upon, and is going to London to take advantage there of the privileges her scholarship embraces. It is not for every student of fifteen summers to be able to lend so much grace and animation to the complex mosaics of John Sebastian Bach, but in his “Italian Concerto” Miss Willoughby denoted a full appreciation of the masters, expounding the delicacies of his contrapuntal art with good accent and nicely varied tone. Beethoven always calls for mastery, not only in execution, but In interpretation, and in the Sonata (Opus 110), a work that may not appeal to the many, there were passages that demanded the soul of a virtuoso to express which were scarcely within the scope of the young player. Chopin presented no difficulties to Migs Willoughby, as expounded in the tremendous Octave Study, whilst the hymn-like “Ballade in F, with its one barbarous rush of torrential runs, symbolic of peace ruptured by war, gave Miss Willoughby a capital opportunity to display her brjjljance. Following this she playe in fine style a modern “Rhapsody” by John Ireland, a work of dazzling tonal combinations developed from the opening rhythm. The ear-,tickling encores Were those ravishing studies of Chasins hero by Moseivitsch), “Flirtation in n Chinese Garden.” and the speedy “Rush Hour iu Hong-Kong.” Finally, Miss Willoughby, in association with Mr. Gordon Short (at a second piano) played the splendidly festal first movement from Arensky’s “Russian Concerto,” with an elan add abandon that won admiration.- The encore was the beautiful “Study in E Major” of Chopin. Miss Jsspersen, a talented girl of 12, was very successful in her valued contributions to the programme, playing with a suavity and ease music of a highly technical character, such as the difficult “Symphonic Variations” of Boellmann, a good test for any ’cellist. She also played an “Avi” by Mathieson, Cui’s bizarre “Orientale” (with much delicate tonal work for the springing bow), Jenkinson’s “Elfin Dance,” Faure’s "Elegy,” and Popper’s “Harlequin.” Her encores were Saint-Saen’s “The Swan” and an old and extremely beautiful melody by Pergolesi. Mr. Short accompanied Miss Jesperseh most artistically. During an interval the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Troup) tobk occasion to congratulate Miss Willoughby, and to wish her every success in her studies at .the Royal Academy. - ■ .