OVATION FOR CHOSTIAKOFF

Evening Star, Issue 21824, 13 September 1934, Page 13

OVATION FOR CHOSTIAKOFF

RUSSIAN TENOR ACCLAIMED GREATEST POPULAR SUCCESS OF YEARS Only in years is there such a demonstration of enthusiasm iu a concert hall, as was accorded Senia Chostiakoff in His Majesty’s last evening on the occasion of his performance in association with the Returned Soldiers Choir. Certainly no singer in the last decade has achieved such enormous popularity as this happy personality. Chostiakoff was first introduced to the dominion by the Broadcasting Board (and was, incidentally, its greatest success), and his rare gifts in voice charmed countless listeners throughout the whole country. But he has other attributes that radio (denying the visual sense) cannot show, and paramount among; these is his cheerful and delightful informality in concert style, in which there was such a healthy curiosity last evening. His Majesty’s was packed, with an overflow crowded in the orchestral well, and hundreds must have been turned away disappointed. While the choir was in good form and there were several outstanding artists in support, the concert was practically Chostiakoff, and on the genial Russian was showered one of the greatest ovations of years. Chostiakoff comes from a brilliant school—the Don Cossack’s Choir —and has cultivated the extraordinary characteristics of that extraordinary body. His music has a clear and simple appeal, and is entirely without affectation. It is a habit among many to call mezza voce one of the tricks of voice production, but with Chostiakoff it is a specialisation in, and a development of, a very fine art. There has hot been such finesse in mezza voc© since Alfred O’Shea. Chostiakoff has a superb and exquisite control in these lovely notes and produces from them a tone that is entrancing. In all but one of his solos last evening he sang with the choir, and his gesture to Mr Leech and his men at the conclusion was a richly deserved compliment. Their first joint effort was a folk song of the Volga ' Stienka Easin.’ Here, of course, Chostiakoff sang in Russian, but the language the choir expressed is best known to itself. Next came the monastery song, ‘ O Evening Bell ’ and, disregarding some rather disconcerting “booms” from the choir in the opening, it was a work of great loveliness and charm. Chostiakoff’s solo was exquisite in its delicacy, and tlie choral accompaniment beautifully expressed. The third offering of the group was the much-abused ‘ Song of the Volga Boatman,’ which, seen on most programmes, is apt to give the more critical a shudder of apprehension. Here it was invested with its true and poignant beauties. All three works wore arranged by Serge Jaroff, famous conductor of the Don Cossacks. In these appearances Chostiakoff was a striking figure in his Russian gala clothes, and then, in formal European evening dress, he came on to sing Massenet’s ‘ Elegie ’ to an obligato by Mr Maitland M'Cuteheon. This was expressed with a simple artistry and clarity, and iu its tone effected a pleasant contrast to the other works selected. Chostiakoff ivas then associated with Madame \Vinnie_ Fraser and the choir in the ‘ Miserere ’ scene from ‘ Trovatore,’ in. which a particularly effective climax was reached. Chostiakoff was being applauded to the echo after each effort, and several encores wore being called for. He was obviously enjoying hia reception and was clearly reluctant to leave the stage. But here he excused himself with a piquantly apologetic “ Ladies an’ gentlemen, do nex’ song is ver’, ver’ nice!” That evergreen Neapolitan ballad, ‘Funiculi, Funicula ’ was naturally one of the biggest success of the evening, Chostiakoff’s exuberance captivating the whole house. In his last gx-oup he appeared in the dark serge of the Don Cossacks, booted, and with wide trousers, relieved by a broad scarlet stripe. Jaroff’s ‘ Monotonously Rings the Little Bell ’ did not have the perfect unity in pitch of its predecessors, but it was still a most engaging effort. Concluding the concert was the gay ‘ Down the Eetersky,’ and one would imagine that, with very little encouragement, Chostiakoff would have danced to its pulsating and exciting rhythm. Naturally there were more encores again. The choir opened the concert with the ‘ Hallelujah, P elver and Glory ’ chorus from the Beethoven ‘ Mount of Olives,’ and .its climaxes were welldeveloped, and following this was the ‘ Anvil Chorus,’ a type of music in which the choir can, with excellent effect, let itself go. The lively polka serenade ‘ Come Away, Come Away ’ (Schafer) featured a nicely-judged solo hy Mr C. R. Williamson. Madame Winnie Fraser invariably selects most interesting songs, and her treatment of thenv is not less arresting. Her choice last evening was ‘ My_ Lover Comes on the Ski’ (Clough Leighten) and Stemdale Bennett’s ‘ Sometimes in Summer,’ two ballads that finely exemplified her most distinct interpretative sensitiveness. Madame Fraser also sang Robertson’s ‘ Maureen ’ with charming simplicity to a keenly-attuned choral accompaniment. Mr Maitland M'Cutclieon, that exceptional young violinist, played De Beriot’s ‘ Scene dc Ballet ’ fantasia and the Dvorak ‘ Humoresque ’ with his customary facility and smoothness, and Miss Sybil Baker, Miss Ethel Wallace, and Miss Elvira Wycherley collaborated iu an instrumental trio that lent further appeal to what was really a unique programme. It was completed with a touch of wild burlesque —Messrs C. R. Murray, G. Swan, L. Goughian, and Stanley Jeffs presenting a hilarious representation of _ Sir Edward German’s ‘ Four Jolly Sailormen.’ Miss Baker deserves high commendation for her remarkably fine accompaniments.