ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 18885, 9 March 1925, Page 2

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

SOME SPLENDID PLAYING WHAT PROGRAMMES LACK, The Dunedin Orchestral Society opened its 1925 season on Saturday night at His Majesty’s Theatre most auspiciously. There was a very large audience, and Mr Coombs had under his baton a large, capable, and most conscientiously rehearsed orchestra. On no previous occasion that we can remember has tho orchestra played with such unanimity and elan combined with true intonation and accurate reading. The ensemble was better than has yet been heard from this oldestablished society, and the solo work and leads from various sections of the orchestra were clearly executed and in true perspective. The strings —the backbone of the orchestra, admirably led by Mr John Wallace, maintained a very high average of excellence throughout a programme containing much iriusic which demanded here delicacy and there sonority. It might be suggested that only two ’cellos among twenty-four violins, four violas, and three double basses was inadequate and against perfect balance; but the two gentlemen entrusted with this imp jortant part are to he complimented on their valuable work right through. They played as one, and demonstrated afresh that union is strength. Tho convention which precludes mention of individual players in an orchestra f except tho leader) has to be rather regretfully observed, otherwise one would like to allocate with personal definiteness praise to outstanding work in this and other sections of the orchestra, as, for instance, some most delightfully finished •md artistically phrased work from the flute and the clarinet in tho wood wind section. Here, again, there was a numerical disparity, as there was only ono oboe as against three flutes, two clarinets, and two bassoons. Nevertheless tho work of the wood wind was something to listen to. In passages where this quartet of parts was given prominence on tho score their ensemble was a source of pleasure, undisturbed by any of those qualms of uneasiness which in many amateur orchestras tho wood wind often arouses in tho audience. As to the brass, it was in great strength in ©very sense. It was, perhaps, too assertive for the liking of those who favor the proportions between strings, wood wind, and brass allocated by Beethoven and observed in his lime when the composing of “ pure music ” was at its zenith.

This point leads us to iteration of past criticism on the choice of music. What can honestly be termed tho only really great name on Saturday’s programme was Wagner, and tho Wagnerian piece was merely a compendium from his early opera (Rienzi.’ It was Wagner who greatly increased the size of “Beethoven’s” orchestra by the magnification of the brass section. The ‘Eienzi' selection was very nicely played indeed, the musical taste of many in the audience being evidently well suited by tjje succession of brass solos, chiefly for comet and trombone, and the crashing finale with the brass tutti dominating. Other programme numbers were Rossini’s ‘ Serairamide ’ overture and Auber’e ‘ Domino Noir ’ overture, both splendidly played, but both, bo it noted, distinctively operatic music, and not what one would designate as “serious” music. The trend of the society is unmistakably towards opera. One surmises that the reasons for this are two—the first being that its programmes cannot contain music which is not in its library; and the second (derivative from the first) is that what additions are made to the library are of a nature calculated to placate, or give plenty of opportunity to, tho brass. Tins is not calculated to create or foster a wider acquaintance with “ pure ” music or a fuller appreciation of it. We are not depreciatory of operatic music per se. For cxamplo, we would welcome the purchase and performance of Beethoven’s ‘Leonore_’ overture—one of the three he whote to his opera 1 Fidelio ’ —for it stands second to no orchestral work over penned. Tho onesidodness of the society’s library was fairly recently put into somewhat better balance by the gift of a Brahms Symphony by .or Kotlicrgill, one of the performing mem''ers. It was an admirable precedent, and one longs to see someone else follow it by presenting (say) the scone and parts of, say, Bcellioveu’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’ (as being perhaps more “popular” music than the three,immediately preceding and Lixj three following it from the same pen) or Schubert’s Symphony in C Minor, or one of Mozart’s Symphonies, or Wagner’s ‘Siegfried Idyl.’ Many music-lovers in Dunedin are acquiring the symphony habit per medium of the gramophone, and feeling is becoming very much more widespread that tho Dunedin Orchestral Society is missing educative and pleasuregiving opportunities which rightly belong to it. The orchestra is now playing so splendidly that it could surely give more than merely passable or adequate or competent readings of tho best class of composition. Basse's * Merchant of Venice ’ suite, comprising five numbers, proved very interesting music—melodious to a degree and most richly and skilfully orchestrated. The intermezzo, with its rnytbm suggestive of a sedate polka, is highly individual, but not more so than the ‘ Oriental March,’ in some passages reminiscent of Gounod’s ‘Funeral March of a Marionette ’; while in the first prelude the ’cello’s early lead was perfection, equalled by the subsequent work of clarinets, horns, and flutes. In the second prelude the rich tone of the strings in a sostonuto passage was a feature introducing noteworthy work by wood-wind to a pizzicato string accompaniment. In the concluding ‘ Doges March ’ tho horns had a most enjoyable time, and the trombones a perfectly gorgeous one. In this suite Miss Meda Paine skilfully rendered the harp port on the piano. Bose’s ‘ Rose-Mousse ’ entr-acte, embodying a seductive waltz theme, was admirably played, and a quickstep, ‘Hero’s Call,’ ended the programme. Mr Reginald Tapley sang Wo standard English songs in more than capable style. They were Sergeant’s ‘ Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind’ and Shield’s ‘The Wolf,’ with ‘ The Yeomen of England ’ ns an encore. His voice is a baritone of good range and quality, and even throughout its compass; and his splendid enunciation, good breathing, sensible , phrasing, and definite note division of the runs in ‘ Ilia Wolf ’ (in which memory played him a brief trick) betokened sound tuition. Miss Alice Wilkinson sang two goods songs—Tchaikowsky's ‘To the Forest’ and Martin Shaw’s ‘Bummer’ (both encored), but there was not enough weight in her mezzo-soprano voice to secure- adequate effect. Challenge or hint from her accompanist (Miss Paine! evoked no response, and tho result was wnat nowadays one hears so much of at the theatre —a transposition of tho relative positions of voice and instrumental accompaniment. Miss Alice George provided Mr Tapley’s accompaniments.