A SUPERB TRIO

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 98, 20 January 1936, Page 2

A SUPERB TRIO

Spivakovskys and Kurtz

BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE

Whatever standards in trio playing may have existed in Wellington went by the board on Saturday evening at the Concert Chamber, when the Spivakovskys (Tossy and Jascha) and Edmund Kurtz, the gifted Russians, returned to the platform to charm the public with their immaculate art. This brilliant trio is not unknown iu Wellington. It visited the Dominion over two years ago, and on that occasion opened new vistas in the most beautiful of all music in a manner that gave the most complete, joy. .... Each member of the trio is an artist. Jascha Spivakovsky, the pianist, was a boy prodigy iu Russia and Germany, and visited Australia and New Zealand as a recitalist over u decade ago. His younger brother, Tossy, violinist, was leader of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and his master records are sought the world over. Edmund Kurtz, ’cellist, made his first appearance in Rome at the age of 14, and then toured the European capitals with marked success. A pupil ot Casals, he is one of the great ’cellists of the day, with a fascinating personality behind his technical brilliance.

The trio was heard on Saturday evening in a performancev-the first in New Zealand —of Maurice Ravel’s Trio, perhaps the most brilliant composition of that distinguished French composer. Ravel is strongly individual in his musical outlook. It is no use saying that any movement, any phrase, any bar of this trio is like anything else in music. It stands out singularly chaste in its striking originality. Cue's first impression of the opening, when the violin and 'cello sustain high harmonies against the sombre background of the pianoforte, is that Ravel has adopted the Debussy harmonic scale; but that thought is soon swept away by the ingenious and altogether beautiful and unique manner in which the movement is developed. If music has colour —and it has —then the pigments used by Ravel iu this x

lovely movement, “Modere,” are those of ancient stained glass of some mediaeval cathedral.' “I’antoum” (Phantom) is eager, fantastic, staccato music, with extraordinary inteichauges in tempo, and ceric pizzicato conversations between the strings against a turbulent and difficult pianoforte part. Beauty, majestical and arresting, comes with the third movement, ‘Tassacaillc.” This commences with a solemn low-pitched cadence fertile left hand of the pianist, which is taken up and developed by the ’cello ami violinist until a full stream of sublime melody ilows with the stately, sombre grandeur of a Gregorian chant, rich, colourful, aud always lovely. The finale discloses vital contrasts in mood and flashing changes in harmonic colouring. This work must be heard, perhaps two or three times, to be appreciated. Saturday’s audience acclaimed the players for their splendid effort. , The Ravel was the only trio on the programme. The rest was devoted to solo work. Tossy Spivakovsky, who is a cirtuoso in his own right, exerting a full ric-li, sweet tone, with rather wonderlu. powers of expression on the G string, played with rare strength and polished artistry "La Folia” of Corelli, lyric music with all’ the stately charm of its period (seventeenth century). Then, unaccompanied, he played with consummate grace and finish the “Prelude and 1 ugue in G minor” of Bach, a revelation ’n depth and sonority of tone. In response to enthusiastic applause Tossy, played the allegro movement from Bach's “Sonata in C major,” also unaccompanied. It was violin playing at its best. For his share in the programme, Edmund Kurtz elected to play the e®*' o Concerto in D Major, by Haydn. Ihe character of this number is a ranked grace and daintiness, lavender of old lace transmuted into fascinating music that is all gentle dispassionate beauty ot a ebuste order. 31r. Kurtz bandies and plajs his instrument with all the deftness and finish ot a virtuoso violinist, and the cii'ects he gains are dazzling in their point and beauty. lie exerts the loveliest tones, and his suavity in fingering and perfection in bowing are those of a fine artist. His accompaniment was admirably played by Mr. Noel Newson, a young Christchurch pianist of great promise, who gave the ’cellist capital support. The eucore tiunilier was a gorgeous excursion into Spanish music, the “Retjuibros” of Gaspar Gassatlo, splendidly passionate music, having no fealty to rhythm, all ruhalo, coloured and titivated with the pulsating Spanish idiom of sttecial allure. I’o bear Mr. Kurtz play th s number alone was worth walking miles. His second encore was Rimsky-Korsakoff’s "Flight of the Bumble Bee." Jascha Spivakovsky, the trios able pianist, is as vital and dynamic at the keyboard as ever. lie plttyeu with nue autliority and conviction such graceful numbers as the Schumann "Arabesque’ (Opus 18) and his "Trauuieswtrren,” the always bewitching Gluck-Brahms "Gavotte,” Brahms's "Capriccio in B minor,, anti the torrential "Etude in C minor (Opus 25) of Chopin. His encores were another irridescent study (in I' minor) by Chopin, anti a dazzling Mendelssohn scherzo. It was a great concert. The second anti final concert will be given in the Concert Chamber this evening. when the trio will be heard in the Mendelssohn "Trio in D minor” (Opus ■l9). Mr. Kurtz is to play the ’cello Sonata in D major by Locatelli. Jascha Spivakovskv will beard in the pianoforte sonata by Beethoven. "Les Adieux.” and Tossy Spivakoksky will play among other numbers “Variation on a Theme by Corelli (Tartini). "Sarabande’' (Mouret), “Arva” (Paul Juon), and Elgar’s "La Ca prici euse/’