VERBRUGGHEN ORCHESTRA

Evening Star, Issue 17273, 11 February 1920, Page 7

VERBRUGGHEN ORCHESTRA

A BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY. A huge audience filled the Drill Hall last night to hear what was probably the strongest programme yet presented by the New South Wales Stato Orchestra. The piece de resistance was Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, said to be the most played of the immortal nine. To those who appreciate this wonderful work analysis of its construction or of the circumstances of its creation Would be as superfluous as it would be to thoEe who, alas! found its 35 minutes' performance beginning to be tedious. The annotated souvenir programme supplied all this, incidentally querying Beethoven's alleged comment on' its basic themo of four notes (three of them recapitulations): "So Fate knocks at the door." It seemed to us that Mr Henri Verbrugghen took the first movement, built up on that four-note phrase, rather faster than is customary; also that he took the. Scherzo, which" forms the third movement, rather more slowly than is usual. But he was iustified by the results, for under his masterly direction such variations'from tradition add piquancy to the performance since their evident purpose set 3 the listener thinking afresh. For instance, the extreme delicacy of the Scherzo was charmingly revealed, and the contrast of the succeeding trio, with its almost grotesque opening figure for the basses, was thrown into higher relief. The intervening second movement was certainly one of the gems of the concert and of the season. Its lilting, haunting melody, announced by violas and 'cellos, drew every sentient being swaying in its wake. Its subsequent development by the incomparable woodwind possessed by the orchestra was a sheer delight. It'may be mentioned that the Symphony's position in the programme was the place of honor, immediately after the interval. Comparison y.'ith the more modern numbers which had preceded it accentuated the belief in \ Beethoven's supreme mastery in achieving greater effects with less material, and fostered doubts as to the use of the present-day tendency to score ofr mere and yet more instruments, particularly in the "brass section. Thus nothing could have bean moi<e tremendous and impressive than the climax of the fourth and final movement, in which the full orchestra recapitulated and emphasised earlier themes and clinched the conviction f that no finer rendering of the C Minor Symphony could be wished for. There seemed a hesitancy on the part of the | audience to vent, the applause customary | after each separate movement, but on the conclusion of the whole there was a refreshing burst of genuine appreciation. Of the other orchestral numbers two w.ere by Berlioz, whose ' Carnaval Romain' overture provided an interesting start to i the concert, and whose Hungarian march from his too little known setting of ' Faust' proved one of the popular successes of the evening. Another was undoubtedly a second performance of the ' Tannhauser' overture, notable for the pilingup of effect on effect, until finally, at a signal from the conductor, the players of brass instruments rise in their places and declaim at full power the pilgrims' chant. In an excerpt from Guiraud's opera ' Piccolino' Mr W. J. Coad, who was leading the orchestra, imparted fine, tone into the violin solo, to an accom-) paniment for muted strings. In conjunction with the orchestra MiHenry Penn played Liszt's ' Piano Concerto ' in E Flat.' It is in four movements, somewhat declamatory in style in its earlier parts, but its thematic "material increases in interest with the third movement, in which the composer makes singular and effective use of the triangle, which, as it were, challenges the piano for attention, to a background provided by the strings played pizzicato. Another striking passage is scored for wood wind against a prolonged shake by the solo pianist. In this latter role Mr Penn did splendidly. Madame Goossens-Viceroy sang with great success the ' Jewel Song' from Gounod's ' Faust,' ' Depuis le Jour' from Charpentier's ' Louise,' and as an encore to this an English ballad, 'He Loves But Me,' to which a charming orchestral accompaniment was scored. Her pure soprano voice carried surprisingly well in the big building, and she has evidently become a great favorite with patrons of these concerts.

VERBBUGGHEN QUABTET. " And many -were unable to gain admission." This was written of both the Auckland and Wellington concerts given by the Verbrugghen String Quartet. We the same could be written of their only Dunedin appearance. The Burns Hall is art ideal place for chamber music, both for size and acoustics, and naturally one feared lest its only drawback would be that it would be unable to accommodate the. audience. This unfortunately it did only too easily, and many Dunedin music-lovers lost the opportunity of a. lifetime. Some connoisseurs declare chamber music to be the cream of musical art, and in chamber music the string quartet holds first place. The Verbrugeben Quartet —Mr Verbrnp--ghen, Cullen, Mr Nichols, and Mr Messeas—have played together for 17 years: their instruments are priceless Cremonas which blend together just as much as their players'; in fact, it is claimed that no better combination of the kind exists anywhere to-day. After hearing yesterday afternoon's concert one feels prepared to endorse the claim, as nothing better can be'imagined. Mr Verbrugghen is an ideal leader, and under him unity of purpose pervades all that is played. The balance is perfect. At first the impression is that perhaps Mr Messeas exercises too much restraint on the 'cello thus providing Tather a light baw? as a foundation. But the more they play the more one is convinced that ■ he is just "i? 1^- that they are all just right. Purity of tone, lusciously blended harnionv, wonderful clarity of the parts, especially the two inner parts, and intellectual refinement distinguish the work of this quartet. It full of' beauty and of delicacy, of subtle nuances and unexpected delights. These were first illustrated m a Mozart Quartet in B flat. In their hands this Old World music lived again, and of the four movements the minuet and trio, leading into the slow movement such excedpts by which amateur combinations usually begin acquaintance with quartet plaving—were a revelation, though not less so than the others particularly the finale with its brilliant octave passages. A Beethoven Quartet, Opus 59, No. 3, was also given m its entirety. Print is incapable of translating, or even hinting at, the nature oi the treat provided. Among the fugitive impressions noted were the arresting preface (reminiscent of the opening oi .the Kreutzer Violin Sonata); the first violins inspiring announcement of the theme of the first movement, with the oehcately subordinated . figures bv the cello; the beautifully suave tone of Mi iMcnoss viola in his important lead in the slow movement;, the subtlety with which the composer overlays with harmony a chromatic passage which threatened to be gauche when separately given out by the various instruments ir turn, making i{ at once a thing of beautj and a joy tor ever. There was anothei !& gl J e " ° ut b >' the firsfc vk>lin anc running down to the 'cello, but where th< changes of instruments occurred was t matte which defied detection, so per lect was the co-ordination. The distinguishing feature of the last movement was a _ f U g Ue the 6ub j ecfc iven t , the viola followed by second violin Aj nd fi i St - Violin ' T W h taker at gieat speed, it was. clear as noonday lievvreen the Mozart and the Beethover was a movement from a posthumous hchubert quartet, known as 'Death anc the Maiden,' the theme being taken fron bclmberts song of that name. In hi' interesting musical chat before startin; the programme Mr Verbrugghen said tha to take a movement thus, out of its settiiv v/as a compromise with" his artistic'con science, but, in view of the length of tfo programme, it could not be helped Among quartet lovers this Schubert themi and variations is deservedly a great favor ite. The sombre beauty of the theme ani the wonderful variety, delicacy, and origin alityof the variations illustrate Schufjer in his happiest vein. Most memorabL were the legato work of first violin in th first and fourth variations, comprisinj some flawless octave figures, the master oi the 'cello, in ttie second variation, thj

staccato ensemble in the 'third, the won•derful crescendo and diminuendo in the fifth, and the grip of the re-entry of the theme -at the close. Last on the programme- came Mr Alfred Hill's Maori Quartet. No. 2. It is an original ana characteristic work in four short movements. The first movement allots a pleasing theme to the instruments in turn, to a rhythmical tattoo accompaniment by the other three. The second movement —in our opinion the weakest—involves much use of tho muto, and the effect aimed at appears to be that of weirdness. The third movement is in scherzo form, with an openinc in unison. In the last movement free use is made of doubling the violin parts, first and second violins frequently in octaves. Altogether it is a pleas'm- hut rather nneaual work. Mr Hill has the gift of melody, and knows how to score his ideas in quartet form. But. compared with the classical items precedin- his composition, a certain incoherence was therebv made more noticeable than would otherwise have been the case. The work received a technically perfect interpretation at the hands of the VerbruTrhen quartet.'