PIANOFORTE RECITAL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 284, 28 October 1933, Page 2

PIANOFORTE RECITAL

MISS iMARIE MOFFATT’S TREAT. Only at rare intervals do the lovers of true pianoforte music in the city have their yearnings satisfied, but it seems that when these occasions do arrive they more than compensate for the anticipatory periods. This lias been the experience when overseas virtuosos have made a visit, and it was fitting last evening that the city should do honour to one of its own daughters who has proved her claims to a place in the first rank of pianists. Miss Marie Moffatt treated her large and keenly appreciative audience in the Rosco rooms to a magnificently rendered programme of the better-known works, and the manner in which she conveyed to her hearers the glamour and beauty and passion of the great artists was an indication of the master touch with which she imbued all her presentations. To have studied assiduously for four years under some of the decade’s best musicians was a privilege for Miss Moffatt, but for her to impart to her work their spirit in interpreting the sometimes very ambitious pieces was little short of a grand achievement which could not have failed t-o thrill the audience. It was a.n evening of gems delightfully presented. The programme opened with “Prelude and Fugue in C sharp Major,” by Bach. This 17th-18th century German was probably the greatest of fugue composers and this particular composition has brought many musicians to heights. The enunciation, follow up and answer of the theme were easily discerned by the least talented listener, and to the one who sought the finer points and the hidden beauty there was a feast of a few minutes. It proved to be a fine introduction to a splendid series. The major work of the first portion of the programme was “Sonata F Minor, Op. 57” (Appassionata) (Beethoven)—a glorious rendition in which the predominant reflection in the mind of the listener was the marvellously sustained artistry in the fine passages in which Miss Moffatt appeared to revel. The chords, the trills, the rhythm of the three movements carried the listener away as the pianiste, steeped in her . art, handled with a confidence horn of experience and a tenderness of understanding this great work. At the conclusion one could well believe that to have been a pupil of Schnabel, a pupil of Lechetizky, the greatest living exponent of Beethoven, was an honour fully realised by Miss Moffatt. It was a new side of the artistry of the pianiste that the first number of the second portion of the evening revealed when the “Rhapsody No. 12” of Liszt was presented. To handle Liszt satisfactorily is no mean achievement, hut to revivify him and impart a freshness to this particular work is a deed worthy of praise, and it was a delighted audience in the sylvan beauty of the composition. Next followed a bracket of four Chopin gems—“ Nocturne in D flat Major,” “Waltz in G flat Major,” “Polonaise in C sharp Minor” and “Etude in C sharp Major.” Here was an admirable group for the music-lover to enjoy and there was no shade of meaning or hint of hidden delight that escaped exploration. The placid and reflective contrasted and combined with the static to present a fine bracket. Such was the enthusiasm of the audience that Miss Moffatt now obliged with her first recall number and chose the familiar — and probably all the more enjoyable — “Hark! Hark! the Lark” (SckubertLiszt) as an exquisite rendition. The final programmed selection was “Etude de Concert” (Ma.cDowelJ) —a grand number in which the melody assumed a new captivation at the hands of the artist. This was indeed a treat for the audience. Then, in response to the continued approbation of her artistry, Miss Moffatt presented “The Dryads” (Farjean) and “Lorely” (Hans Seeling). Thus ended a. remarkably fine evening; the lasting impression was that Miss Moffatt is living her music to secure such a measure of interpretation, that she is a friend of the masters, and that because of all this the city may well be proud of her achievements and accord her its wholehearted recognition. At intervals during the performance numbers of beautiful bouquets were handed to Miss Moffatt.