VICTORY PIANOFORTE RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 289, 5 September 1945, Page 8

VICTORY PIANOFORTE RECITAL

Mayor Receives Cheque For £lO2O Isador Goodmau, the brilliant pianist, has broken more than one record in Wellington. His fourth recital at the Town Hall last night was not only presented to a "sold out” audience, which packed every inch of seating space in the big auditorium, but it meant a rather amazing contribution to the Metropolitan Patriotic Fund. At the conclusion of the recital, when the enthusiasm for Mr. Goodman’s superb artistry had calmed down a little, M. Levitoff. impresario, appeared on lhe platform together with- the recitalist, and Mr. Vineeu'. Ward, and handed to the mayor, Mr. Appleton, a cheque as the result ot’ the recital. In accepting the cheque, as chairman of the patriotic committee, Mr. Appleton said that he. teit rather overwhelmed at tlie response to the concert so generously tendered by MrGoodman. It ..was for tlie sum ot LIO-O. <A lii l ' l retu'rnlng thanks on behalf of the committee, the mayor said it was one of the finest efforts made during the campaign. and on behalf of the people of Wellington, he thanked Mr. Goodman for what he had done aiid for the great treat he had given tlieni. _. vinThe cheque was then handed to Mr. yin cent Ward, secretary of tlie Metropolitan Patriotic Fuad Committee wlm said that fVioxr h'ltl Ollt tO JJC’t llx-> only wished lie had had Mr. Goodmau s services for 73 nights. f Mr. Goodman said it was a uie l a ®^. e e , C ’ fort hut it was tlie least he could do in return for the warmth and enthusiasm with which be had 9ee u .received in I\eland which had increased the a feelion he already had for New Zealand, lie had made so many friends on this occasion that he was reiuetant to feo, but hoped to return as soon as it was pos 6i Th e t ?ec4tal B °denionstrated once more the assured artistry and versatility of Mr. Goodman, whose magic fingers m . netic personality captured the great audl euce with effortless ease. He gave clarity of definition and mature beauty to the herffic- "Organ Prelude and Fugue in A minor” of Bach (transcribed bj Liszt), sustaining throughout its that suavity and dignity which such music demands. T" most of tlie n", 18^1 * 1 present tlie severest .test-set bj was the “Variations on a Tneme uy Paganini” (Brahms). Paganini was wont to pride himself on the difficulties he vonterl for the violin in this work, but Brahms was no loss a taskmaster when he transcribed them for the pmuotortc. With uncanny skill be embroidered 1 « U'® ninnv movements with a maze of pyrotccn nios/whieh makes the fullest demands not only on tlie technical capacity of ’ the: ait ist but on his memory, and nervous <.n er Jr In a variety of tempi and styles fringes the moods 'vith an e astic ty ot invention that staggers the intellect, yet never omitting the framework of the or g inal theme. Mr. Goodman plnycd this num her with coi;se!eiitioiis brill "'.’'’f power, and was accorded a well-dcserieu °'wiiat pleased tlie audience. on more familiar ground, was the serene and contemplatire manner in which J intoned Chopins “Ballad in A fiat major. The three, studies by the fame compos, r which followed were played with a sens! tire charm, ami tlie great “Scherzo in C sharp minor” illustrated the n ®J v ?he strength and precise accentuation of the nlavor The request numbers in the eecdnei half of the programme included the chorale, “Fortity Is with Hiy (Bach), Beethoven s “Moonlight Debussy’s dreamy “Claire de I.iszt's ’ transcription of tlie quartet from Verdi’s "Rigoletto.” Ravel’s stunning Bolero," and the “Sixth Hungarian . Kh"predv” of Liszt. Tlie third part consisted of a brilliant improvization on a theme supplied by a member of tlie audience, a feat which amazed th? audience. Mr. Goodman is to leave tor Limstchurch bv air this morning.