JEAN GERARDY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 12911, 3 September 1902, Page 8

JEAN GERARDY.

THE OPENING CONCERT

The first of the series of concerts by Je<an Gerard v was given in the Canterbury Hail £t IveUg, before * large and enthns ast.c audience. A majority of those piesent had very lively and pleasing recollections of the musical treat afforded them by this artist on his previous visit, and consequently they were in a state of eager expectancy with regard to the “ least of fat things ’ which the programme presented. They were not disappointed, as from the first to the last of every item which the prince of cellists played, he held his hearers spell-bound. His broad, sustained cantabile stylo, purity of intonation, beautiful “soulful” quality of tone, and his marvellous technique were all most marked, and his scale and arpeggio played yitli the rapidity of lightning, the beautifully pure harmonics, the rapid pizzicato, the combined strength and lightness of his bowing, his exquisite harmonies, his double-stopping and his chromatic and octave passages were equally marvellous and entrancing. In the solos M. Gerardv played last night, all the difficutties —many and great —yero overcome with apparent ease, while the expression infused into his performance amply proved that the player possessed the soul of a great artist. The numbers given in programme by him were Saint-Saen’s “ A Minor Concerto,” a clever but uninspired composition; Servai’s variations on Schubert's “Le Desir”; a beautiful aria by J. S. Bach ; “ Pensee Amourcuse ” by Victor Herbert; and D. Popper’s showy “ Tarantella,” the last three being bracketed together. In all the diverse schools of the music played the artist seemed equally at home. Naturally the player was vociferously' recalled after each solo, and at the end of his second piece he good-naturedly responded by playing another item. Herr Gottfried Galston proved a capital pianist, possessing a considerable amount of virtuosity. His touch was crisp, neat and withal sympathetic. He at once put himself on good terms with his a.udience by his excellent performance of Rajmeau’s “ Gavotte and Variations,” for which he was heartily recalled. His second number—a dainty little “ Gavotte ” by Gluck and Tausig’s arrangement of Schubert’s “Marche Militaire”—was encored, the player kindly responding. His accompaniments were admirable models of what accompaniments should be. The vocalist of the company was Miss Electa Gifford, a young American soprano, who has a voice of good quality and considerable range and power, which she knows how to make the most of. Her opening piece was the “mad scene” from Ambroise Thomas’s “Hamlet,” one of the most trying and dramatic vocal compositions ever written for a soprano. Through this ordeal Miss Gifford came, if not triumphantly, at least with very great success, and the audience was not slow in recognising the fact that Miss Gifford is a singer of great natural and cultivated ability. Later in the evening she gave two very opposite styles of song—Schubert's “ My Sweet Repose” and Schumann’s “Auftrage,” for which she was compelled to respond to a well-merited encore. Tlie next concert of the series is announced for this evening.