TOSCHA SEIDEL

Evening Star, Issue 18050, 18 August 1922, Page 4

TOSCHA SEIDEL

DISTINCTIVE AS TO QUALITY OF TONE. NOTABLE FOR CLEAN EXECUTION. Music lovers and music students who attended His Majesty’s Theatre last night to hear tho first concert in Dunedin by Toscha Seidel, the young Russian violinist, may be relied on to advertise his ability and do all they can to ensure full houses at the two remaining concerts. Such a j task is prompted by deep gratitude. Let j it be tho endeavor of all who enter upon | it to set forth truthfully tho exact doings of this wonderful man, young in years, ' but ripe as to knowledge and executive i power. There is no need to gush over him. His playing has its limitations. Ho is no Wilholmj as to weight. Ho cannot bo counted as a great interpreter. Last night ho seemed to find no outstanding beauty in the andante of the Mendelssohn concerto, and his treatment of Beethoven’s romance in G may be regarded as severely simple. But if these characteristics of a young violinist are relied on by those who were seeking for defects, they surely must admit with thankfulness that ho gave abundant compensation in manifesting powers that arc truly surprising. First and foremost is superb quality of tone. It is invariably pure and rich at all strengths. There was not an impure note all the evening, and only one —in the final movement of tho concerto—that was at all shaky. The variety of his tone, also, is apparently inexhaustible. And in this connection be gives peculiar pleas-, uro by this artistic perception in regard to tons contrasts. Some violinists bewilder the ear by fanciful blendings. Toscha Seidel, on tho contrary,holds on to the one tone until it has time to make its full effect—until the musical idea veers, and then he comes in with some other beautiful tone which in turn is allowed to contribute to tho general design. Everything is charmingly planned. The proportionateness of his double stopping is another feature. The subordinate part is always in its place, never competing for the dominance. And it may bo said without fear of contradiction that he is in tho very forefront in regard to sureness of execution in presto work. Tho fastest playing finds him perfectly at case, able to secure absolute evenness and exactness. Moreover his work is never vulgarised by showing off or the least attempt at forcing. The concert began with a chaconne by an old composer, Vital!, edited by Charlier. It opens with an Italian melody in tho minor, upon which there is a series of variations. The artist at once made his | mark. Tho audience were delighted with i what must bo counted as a most romantic rendering. They noted with special satisfaction tho sureness of the open shako and the beautiful .relationship of tho changing florid figffrcs. The concerto in E minor by Mendelssohn opened gloriously, with deep passion and fluency, and it was_ marvellous how tho fervor was got in at such speed. The mere bowing and fingering at the rapid tempo adopted would i puzzle many players. Tho cadenza was a i masterpiece, given, as it was, in its fullness, and with impeccable taste. Wo have heard tho andanto played with greater breadth, but this was tho movement that tho audience seemed to like the best. In tho final movement the allegro molto vivace was given out with lovely crispness and joy, and tho climax was conspicuously ' brilliant. In answer to repeated recalls 1 tho artist favored the audience with the I‘Ave Maria’ by Schubert, transcribed for the violin by Wilholmj. It was delivered very softly, with great devotional feeling, and beautifully supported on the piano. Then followed the 1 Romance in G ’ by Beethoven, taken with marked sobriety ; tho ‘ Rosamundo 1 ballet music as edited by Kroisler, this being handled with charming simplicity; and the ‘ Hungarian Dance No. 1 ’ by Brahms, in which languor and emotion were artistically contrasted on a refined scheme that was much appreciated. As encore pieces Mr Seidel added tho ‘ Turkish March ’ by Beethoven, in which harmonics wore heard for the first time during the. evening, and a gavotte by Gossee. Tho last item_ named on tbo programme was ‘Gipsy Airs’ by Sarasate. Tho principal subject was given out with muted strings, and tho changes wore made very fast and very light, tho /performer thus giving n,u interpretation quite different from that which wo aro accustomed to. Another encore being insisted on, Toscha Seidel favored the audience with ‘The Guitar,’ by Moszkowski. The pleasure of tho patrons was much enhanced by tho capable work of Mr Frank Hutchens (a Now Zealander) at the piano. Tho Messrs Tail are fortunate in securing such a pianist for the tour. His accompaniments were perfectly delightful, and in tlie concerto, when tho piano was taking tho place of an orchestra, Mr Hutchens fairly amazed the audience by his resource. Tho second concert is fixed for to-mor-row night. Tho ‘ Kreutzer Sonata ’ is tho central feature of a very fine programme.