TOWN HALL ORGAN RECITAL

Evening Post, Volume XCIX, Issue 63, 15 March 1920, Page 9

TOWN HALL ORGAN RECITAL

Tho sterling work of Mr. Bernard F. Page, City Organist, at his admirable weekly recitals at the Town Hall is meeting with a steadily widening appreciation on the part of the public of Wellington. The attendance, especially in the more comfortable upstairs seats, has been gradually increasing lately, and inquiries show that lust Saturday's audience was the largest for some years past. The composers included in the programme covered a range of three centuries and five nationalities, and the works chosen were very diversified and exceptionally interesting, and moreover Mr. Pago has seldom been heard in finer form. Tho first number was Mendelssohn's well-known concert overture in P. This was followed by a delicious little prelude (op 16, No. 3) by Scriabine, which had to be repeated in response to a determined encore. Almost equally effective, though scarcely' so dainty, was a melody by Rachmaninoff (from op. _ 3). An oldfashioned gavotta by Martini, provided an agreeable contrast, and the first part of the recital concluded with Karg-Elert's ingenious variations upon a theme from Handel. After the interval Cesar Franck's singularly beautiful prelude and variation, and the short but masterly fugue with which they are coupled, were played in a manner that bore witness to Mr. Page's absolute sympathy with Franck's ideals. The recital was brought to a great conclusion by an equally masterly interpretation of the prelude to Act I. of Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde." It is understood that next Saturday Mr. Page will introduce -a striking "Fantasic Dance," by Rebikoff, .the composer of the psychological poem, "Le Genie etla Mort."