FRANK BENNETT, SOLO PIANIST

Evening Star, Issue 18034, 31 July 1922, Page 9

FRANK BENNETT, SOLO PIANIST

HIS RECITAL AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS. Though the weather was cold and the counter-attractions were numerous, a representative audience faced Mr Frank Bennett at Burns Hall on Saturday evening. Faith in Miss E. Yoratqo no doubt caused many to’attend. 'Our people know that _ this lady would not facilitate the public appearance of any unready pupil, and they took it that as Mr Bennett announced himself as her pupil she consented to the recital and associated herself with the responsibility. Others there were who, knowing beforehand that- Mr Bennett had proved himself in private, and had dope remarkably well in his few platform appearances, entertained a belief that he would come through the test of a recital if ho could stand the physical and mental strain. All concerned are satisfied now that the venture was fully justified. It was, on the face of it, a hazardous undertaking for a Dunedin-born student, Dun-edin-trained, to come forward with a full programme of classical compositions such as might servo one of the world’s master players; but he stood to his task with a wonderful degree of success, and to-day the position is that, any who offered minimising compliments concerning the recital would have to answer the affront to students who have tried and failed, students who have tried, and . succeeded, and master's who oan value .the results achieved —they unite in rejoicing with Mr Bennett in that ho lias now .quite proved that ho is not merely a pianist, but a musician, and one who need not feqr to submit his knowledge and his powers to, any audience. In the language of the day, he is ‘‘a find.” He secured his position at the very outset, before any latent nervous ness had time to weaken' him. Ho mm-,' have felt that he,had fairly got the mean big of the lengthy allegro tnat opens the ‘ Appassionato Sonata,’ and from that ■_ he wont on to a series of successes, playing with fine authenticity, getting in personal readings, whilst fully respecting the composers and adhering to traditional interpretation, and making everything . most interesting. Exports have no doubt assessed Mr Bennett’s playing critically, giving points for this and for that. Leaving them to do the analytical examining, it may be said jas from the mere music-lovers that they felt delighted with his variety of tone and his wide resource generally, that they noted how he put each piece into its own frame, and that they were impressed with his clean scale-playing and the judgment displayed in the proportioning of contrasts. Of lawful force he can call up a great supply, but it is always the force that is required, not the force that brutalises tone.

Beethoven’s sonata in F minor opened all right, as already noted. There was no tinkling with the first movement—it was played with masculine passion, In the great finale Mr Bennett got splendid articulation at the greatest speech The audience accepted the interpretation as authoritative and poetic. Next there was a bracket of four. No. 1 of the four was Chopin’s waltz in A flat, often overthumped. Mr Bennett played it fast and with lovely richness and variety, the note of gaiety uppermost. No. 2 was the waltz in B flat by Brahms, treated with loving tenderness, all very light but not in the least feeble. A waltz in A major by the present-day composer Levitski was listened to attentively. It is exceedingly graceful and full of fleeting subtleties. Many present would like to hear it again and' ail it to the music they think they Imow. As to the fourth item ■of the fourfold bracket, the ballade in A flat major by Chopin, thanks are due to the performer for the proportions as to weight that he set himself. The scaling was so well thought out that he was able to build up an effective crescendo without deafening the hearers. The encore item was the prelude in C minor by Chopin, most deli-’ cately treated, the softness quite distinct from the softness of the Brahms waltz. The etude in G flat by Moezkowsbi found Mr Bennett able to preserve clearness in. the most brilliant and complex passages. The audience singled out Chopin’s ‘ Horoique’ polonaise for special applause. Tt was certainly Invested with breadth and nobility. In answer to the encore, Mr Bennett gave S; human n’s romance with lovely contemplative expression. Four of Chopin’s compositions followed-—the ‘ Revolutionary ’ etude, in which the _ player probably rose to his greatest _ height in dramatic express-on ; the elude in 0 sharp minor, given with marked refinement; the ‘Butterfly’ etude, which in the opinion of some present hardly had the airiness that is so desirable ; and the ‘ Black Keys ’ etude, this being, very cleverly played in respect to the placing of the subordinate themes. An encore being again insisted on, 'the ‘ Butterfly ’ etude was repeated. The ponderous anil much beloved "No. 6” rhapsody by Liszt came last on the programme, and Mr Bennett had picnty of ecergy left for it, being able to bring out the beauty of the intervening cadenzas and wind up with a wonderful display of ordered frenzy. He got no peace by bowin;.' again and again, so to satisfy the audience ho played the ‘ Bird ’ waltz by Chopin, and made it a great treat. Mr GcmmeU’s singing was on a very high plane. Ho is making ‘live Pagan’ a t'rcat song, and we risk nothing by the D assertion, that his study of . the ‘ Xhagliacci’ ■ prologue is artistically perfect. Eis" first song cleared his vole, and thereafter his singing was a perfect treat, the note-making absolutely sure, and the producticn so well under control as to pernrt of rare nicety in expression. Mr .0. A. Martin made the accompaniments quite n part of each of Mr Gemmcll’s six songs, for ho was doubly encored in each part.