MOISEIWITSCH

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 28 May 1928, Page 5

MOISEIWITSCH

SECOND RECITAL With the exception o£ three numbers by Russian composers, the rirogramme of the second pianoforte recital of Bermo Moiseiwitsch at the Town Hall on Saturday consisted of works fairly well known. Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Chopin— mainly Chopin—were the1 salient works in the programme. The audience was large and 'receptive. It is always difficult to apportion the applause to say whether it is meant for the particular piece performed or for the performer. On Saturday night its was notably meant for both, for the Mendelssohn number was the Rondo Capriecioso, and the Beethoven sonata was "The Moonlight." The former was played with an elegance and grace that iully. justified M. Moisehvitseh accepting the; spirited applause as meant for himself. In his rendering of the Sonata, the vecitalist brought out all the romance in the first movement, the eestacy in the allegretto, the passion in the presto or finul movement. The felicity of M. iloiseiwitsch's finger manipulation was something to greatly admire (and evidently was greatly admired) in the rendering of these two works. He seemed to play as easily and with as much assurance in these, and subsequently, in the formidable Tausig arrangements of Schubert's "Marche Militaire," as- if the works were not at all difficult. Six selections from Chopin were began with the Fa-..tasie Impromptu, a work of both nobility and passion, and followed by three studies (including the "Black Keys" and "Butterfly"), the Raindrop" prelude, of, the Ballade in G Minor. In these M. Moiseiwitsch's playing was as polished and poetical as the mlisic itself. The audience insisted upon the repetition of the' "Butterfly" etude. Hie performance of the Ballade was sufficient in itself to prove M. Moiseiwitfdi to.be a master in the conveyance to' his hearers of the romantic spirit of the music ot Chopin. . In striking contrast to what had gone before in the programme were the modern Russian pieces: (1) "A Fairy Tale," by Medtner; "Suggestions Diaboliques," by i rokoiieft'; and "La Tabatiere," by Liadoff The "Fairy Talc" was given as for the first time in New Zealand, and proved to be a.singularly beautiful little story in melody; the second was descriptive enough, uncanny, and emphatically modern, , but the audience applauded 'in a frenzy of delight, and M. Moiseiwitsch repeated it. The last of the Russian I pieces was an almost perfect fae •simile of those old-fashioned Swiss musical boxes (the delights of our fathers), and the metallic sound of the notes ,was cleverly reproduced. Tenderness and eestacy characteristic of Liszt's "Liebestraum" were brought out by M. Moiseiwitsch. to the manifest delight of his hearers. His innmte resource in power and technique were displayed in the "Marche llilitaire, a performance which was followed I by, a storm of applause, and in response to which M. Moiseiwitsch played a couple of delightful pieces by Weber and SaintSaens. The third recital'to-morrow will include Cliopms' Sonata in B Flat Minor,-nnclud-■ed in which is the "Funeral March," Bach,-: Prelude in C Major; Rachmanioff's Preludes in G Minor and C Charp Minor; some Chinese fantasies by Chasms (new to this country); Schumann's "Etude Symphomque," Palmgren's "The Swan," and, ior the first time in New Zealand, Ibert's "Le Petit Ane Blanc" (Little White Donkey), concluding with Liszt's arrangement of Schubert's "Hark! -Hark! the Lark," and the "La Campanella" of Liszt.