MADAME SUMMERHAYES' CONCERT.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6784, 16 February 1884, Page 3

MADAME SUMMERHAYES' CONCERT.

Madame Cecilia Sunimerhayes gave her second pianoforte recital last evening in St. John's school-room. There was a good attendance of the public. The performer's clever execution, together with the complete absence of nourish and affectedness which distinguishes Madame SummerhayeB 1 playing, was most pleasing. Her rendition of Beethoven's " Moonlight Sonata" and Chopin's " Marche Funebre" was sympathetic in the extreme, but the gem of the evening was Thalberg's selection, "Mose in Egitto." The way in which Madame Sunimerhayes brought out the full power of the instrument in the variation on " The Prayer," without apparent effort, was admirable, and tells of powerful wrist action. The last item on the programme, " Balmoral," a fantasia on Scotch airs, was also very enjoyable. Miss Anderson follows well in the footsteps of her talented mother, and bids fair to rival her. Her rendering of Abbe Liszt's " Airs Hongroises" was very good. She also played in two duets— one with her sister, Miss Constance Anderson, in " Les Oiseaux dv Paradis," and the other with Madame Summerhayes in Goria's " Belisario. ' Both these duets were well played, the latter, which was for two pianos, particularly so. Miss Anderson, who possesses a mezzo-soprano timbre, sang "The Requital" very fairly. Mr Stephens (tenor) sang with considerable success two songs — " "Winter's Gone" and "Forget Me Not." Mr Humphries' violin solo was most enjoyable, and the trio "Adagio and Gipsy Rondo" by Haydn, in which Madame Summerhayes (piano), Mr Spackman (violin), and Mr Humphries (violincello) took part, was a gem of instrumental playing. Madame Summerhayes is making her recitals very popular, and she merits success.