LOUIS FOX RECITAL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 56, 8 March 1937, Page 6

LOUIS FOX RECITAL

NEW ZEALAND VIOLINIST

A full and attractive programme was submitted by Mr. Louis Fox, the youthful New Zealand violinist, at his recital in the Concert .Chamber on Saturday. The audience was receptive and sympathetic, and gave Mr. Fox an enthusiastic and encouraging welcome, .and at the end of the recital recalled him again and agaig. The recital was opened by Mr. Fox in association with Miss Leah Haughton at the pianoforte with de Beriot's Concerto No. 7 in G Minor, one of several concertos written, it would seem, to display not only its own inherent beauties as a composition .but to furnish all tnat accomplished I and mature violinists can ask in the way of problems of technique and insight into the mind of the. composer. It is essentially a work for the virtuoso and Mr. Fox is admittedly no more than seventeen years of age. He set himself a difficult task in the public performance of this work, and, on the whole, accomplished it. In this Mr. Fox seemed to feel, his feet touching firmer ground. He gave a performance of this exceedingly difficult piece that caught the fancy. and won the spirited, applause of his hearers, who were duly impressed, by .the flourishes of armaments appertaining to the^work and in particular those arresting parts of it that are played "without accompaniment. Mr. Fox showed in these two important numbers, to say nothing of his rendering of the shorter works that followed them, that he has much to learn not perhaps so much about trie fiddle as an instrument, as about its use as a medium of expression of what was, in the mind of the composer and in that of the interpreter. But the concert given on Saturday and that which is to be given tomorrow evening, have for their objsct the furtherance of Mr. Fox's study of the'art of violin playing, the enlargement of his experience, the association with other artists, and a larger and ampler field than New Zealand at present supplies in which he can go on unto perfection. Other works Tollowing the concerto and the Tartini masterpiece included the. Meditation from "Thais" (Massenet), which was ' beautifully played; Siciliana and Rigaudon (Francoeur arranged by Kreisler), and Wienawski's "Legende," yet another outstanding item in the recital. The rest of the items in the programme were the Ballet Music •'. from "Rosamunde (Schubert), "Scotch Pastorale" .(Saenger); and "La Vidafßreve" (de Falla,. arranged by Kreisler). All these numbers were not only popular in their appeal, but abounded in difficulties for even the master violinist; but they, did not seem to appal Mr. Fox, who played with confidence, steadily and generally with power and at times, with ricnness in tone colour that deeply impressed those who heard him. He owed much to Miss Haughton for her support in the accompaniments and for the distinguished part she took in the performance .of - the de Benot Concerto She identified herself completely with the concert, as musician and accompanist. Given time, ; training, opportunity, and kindly circumstance. Mi., Fox will shed any suggestions of playine by intuition, consciously thinking oitt his subject matter for himself. Time to him is money in a real sense of the term. Youth beyond price. He is still young, and yet he has travelled some distance along the gambled path of success, and if he is helped on the way ne may not have so very much further-to go-before, he, reaches the OSs Ok hxU Oes ri%-larewell concert in the Concert Chamber., tomorrow night. Included in • his programme will be Concerto in D Major, "The Adelaide" (Mozart); Sonata XII, "Folies d'Espagne" (La Folia), for violin ana piano <Corello);»Eantasie, "Scene de Ballet," eh. De Beriot; La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin" (Debussy); "Flight of the Bumble Bee" (Rimsky-Korsa-kov); "Romanza Andaluza" (Sarasate); "On Wings of Song"-(Mendelssohn-Achron)-; Gitane (Moszkpwski, Sarasate); "Aye Maria" (Schubert). Box plans, and day sales are at Chas. Begg and Co., Manners Street.