A FINE MUSICIAN

Evening Star, Issue 26102, 16 May 1947, Page 8

A FINE MUSICIAN

THIRD CONCERT BY MISS ROSINA RAISBECK The brilliant young Australian singer, Rosina Raisbeck. gave the final recital of her Dunedin season in the Town Hall last night to an audience which compensated for its moderate size by its full appreciation of her ability. .Miss Raisbeck established an excellent atmosphere in all that she sang, and her qualities of musicianship made tlie concert a most enjoyable experience. Her legato singing in Handel’s ‘ He Shall Bring Them In ’ and the rhythm of Bach’s ‘ Prepare Thyself, Zion ’ were impressive. Her second group comprised r ßut the Lord Is Mindful ’ (Mendelssohn), the magnificent ‘ Angel’s Farewell,’ from ‘ The Dream of Gerontius,’ bv Elgar, which was sung with moving restraint, and Rossini’s ‘ Fac ut Portem.’ This last selection, of an operatic atmosphere rather than oratorio, was interpreted with particularly fine insight. The audience was probably more enthusiastic in Miss Raisbeck’s operatic arias—two Mozart excerpts, of which ‘ Voi die Sapete ’ was brilliantly sung, and ‘ Ah M v Son ’ and ‘ Leiti Signor,’ by (Meyerbeer. In the latter bracket, particularly in the selection from 1 The Prophet,’ Miss Raisbeck used her voice and her appreciation of the drama of the work to fine purpose. Tlie accompaniments of Miss Arlene Lower were a valuable asset to Miss Raisbeck’s performance, but it was difficult to condone the selection of two of the most hackneyed of Chopin Preludes as her choice of .solo presentations. The organist, Mv diaries Collins, added interest to the recital, and his playing of a Mozart Fantasia was that of an accomplished musician.