PIANO AND VOICE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 146, 22 June 1934, Page 4

PIANO AND VOICE

-, .^OUISHNQFF-STEVENS ■■' ■ ' concert;

A varied, popular, and well-arranged programme was submitted by M. Leff Pouishnpff,- pianist,-: and Mr. /Horace ;''Stevens, baritone', the Town "HaliUast li'igKt to ajarge and delighted audience. Both performers, each in his own way and by .^heer, artistry,, their hearers, perhaps rathef-Ho'o 'niuch so for themselves, because at the close of their respective programme numbers they were called uppn, again and,again, and .to. appease the "audience'; gave a, quite, generous selection of extras. However, they did this freely and in the best of spirits, entering cheerfully, it seemed, into ; the humour of the audience. •M. Pouishnoff comes to New Zealand with a well-iounded Loudon and Continental reputation as a virtuoso of the piauoiorte. .ihathe is a complete master of the instrument was demonstrated beyond doubt last/night in: his opening number Bach g-organ prelude and fugue in'-A minor His rendering of this'item at once proclaimed him as a pianist of infinite resource m technique and power. It distinguished him, too, as a really great playeran emphatically aud . (in a masculine sense) rhapsodic interpreter of Bach That overworked, adjective brilliant must again be called upon to describe M. Pouisnnoff in his interpretation of this arrangement by Liszt of Bach's prelude and fugue. But M. Pouishnoft did not rest solely on this, ■his. ..auspicious opening. He was heard ■ £ te£,: m, ,*he "Appassionato". . sonata o£ .Beethoven, a number'which gave him all .the, opportunity; he could'ask for' the display ol amazing. manual- dexterity1 and superb quality/ of touch, 'By Vay" of contrast he- played with : rare' delicacy a' bracket of five Chopin pieces—the studies m -A flatvminor (op. 25, No. 1), F minor \°f-{P>JXo- 2),-and G minor, (op. 10, No. 12Jj and -the intensely popular Nocturne in F;sharp minor, and the thrilling Scherzo :in Q sharp,minor (op. 39). As an interpreter. o£ Chopin,, M. ppiiishnoff I has been acclaimed ;in the ' two hemispheres as a maste.r-plqyer,.but : ih these numbers, as in the others mentioned above, he conveys the idea of manly strength with never a trace of'sentimentality. :He proved beyond question his ability; to,handle the ideas of the great masters—and he subsequently gave a. i singularly-beautiful , reading of Liszt s rather hackneyed "Liebestraum." ..The-gods have endowed ■ Mr. Horace Stevens with, a fine figure, good looks, a voice of outstandingly pleasant quality, aPA .'ft TOOst agreeable : personality. It might not be incorrect to ■ describe Mr. Stevens,'off the-stage or platform, as a social success, no- matter into'what circle he chosel to enter. ■' So much' for his endowments.- -But it-became'1 clear from the outset-when he opened the concert with •the Prologue from 'T Pagliacei" that to his natural gifts had to.be added hisartistic attainments. These were not'come by in any ojher way than the straight and narrow path of long, and intelligent study, Jiard wbrk.'and plenty of 'it; and a determinatioH'^o "know" what he is'singing .abouV and how the'composer intended the songs'; should be siing. ' As he delivered •the Prologue^-which tas suffered much at ■the hinds of ill-equipped • singers—Mr. Stevens imparted to it the atmosphere of 'opera; and.it came almost as a. surprise ,that .when he .uttered- , ; the. concluding words of ,-,the.number, "Ring up : the, curtain,!" .the curtain did not ascend. But the greatest artistic achievements of Mr. Stevens,at fhis concert, in the opinion of' some ivlio heard him last night, ■will bei "An . Evening Hymn," by Purcell, "ASong for Christmas," by King Charles I, and "A-Soft Day,"-by Villers Stanford. Mr. Stevens sang many other songs, "Sea Fever," "King ■-Charles,". "Simon, the .Cellarer," and- -, still others. His diction; ■nr as..-per£fict,i his sense of rhythm and hisphrasing were-impeccable, and he disclosed' a keen sense of-humour, but had he sang no more-than, the,three songs, above par-' ticularised he-would still have established himself,as a.remarkably fine artist. : A well-diversified programme has been arranged by M. Pouishnoff and Mr. Stevens for tomorrow night, and on Tuesday -the former will give an all-Chopin .programme.