CONCERT AT THE CHORAL HALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9189, 19 October 1888, Page 5

CONCERT AT THE CHORAL HALL.

THE CANTATA "ART AND MIND." PRESENTATION TO MR. F. D. FENTON. The . Choral Hall was crowded to excess yesterday evening, when a concert was given under the direction of ' Herr Carl Schmitt. ' The principal "■■ feature of the entertainment was the performance of the ' cantata "Art and Mind," which proved a signal and gratifying success. •. -i; For the first t number upon sthe.; pro/ gramme, an i excellent I choice I was. made in 1 the i selection/;; of % the ■*. overture ;>..". Fidelio," ;; one of - the three which Beethoven wrote for i the opera]of;■ that name. ; This,;as well as ; the other two—the " Leonora" .overtures—-! bears .thej impress' of that individuality with / which the great ) composer stamped i all • his works, and abounds .in dramatic : and animated ' harmony. ; ; In the-open-.ing ; bars .. the variation ; style, is fol- ; lowed, and gradually the theme Expands, itself in graceful . and r flowing ! melody. The selection, ! which was here produced for the first time in Auckland, : -was brilliantly ..performed by a complete . and, well-balanced orchestra of thirty-one ~ members, under the leadership ..of Mr. ; Arthur Eady. .Miss Whitaker : sang with charming expression a pathetic ballad by , Roeckel, ; "I Cannot Say Good-bye." The • quartette, "0 Confusion," from "Mari-_ tana," and which is not often heard as an ex- , | cerpt, was sung by Miss Knight and Messrs. j Hosking, Sykes, and Haraerton", with good effect. Another item not previously heard , in: Auckland was Koenig's /Romance," ' played by Miss Buckland as a; violin solo.. This Vlady's bowing is;free/ and graceful, whilst she produces a full, round tone from the violin. To the solo there was an orchestral accompaniment, beginning with a pizzicato movement for ; the stringed . instruments, which had a beautiful effect. The number was heartily applauded. ''Grafton Or-/ pheus Club, Messrs. Martin, Edwards, i Ha- ! mertoh.and Charter, sang a piquant and lively nautical ballad, "The Tar's Song" (Hatton), with so great success that a portion had to be repeated. Scholtz's "Gipsy March," also new to Auckland audiences, was played with perfect taste. '/;! This is "a/composition in the stye of "The Turkish Patrol," and from an effective opening, in which the drums and horns are prominent,' the harmony passes to an exquisite pianissimo /strain, which shortly develops into the full measure of the beautiful march. »The sprightly air riveted the attention of .the audience, and an encore was of "necessity., responded to. /*, / , The cantata '"Art and Mind", was set'', to be performed as/ the second part of the »■ concert.",' This is', a local composition 'of/great merit. The .music was set /by/ .Herr ; Schmitt to ! a libretto written , by Mr' W. E. " Outhwaite, and which was most appropriate 5 for the occasion for;which the work was intendedthe opening of the Public Library and Art Gallery. Mr. Outhwaite wrote the words at//, very short '! notice. / The/ orchestration ' is / full / of rich harmony, and the recitatives, most ' effective, / whilst /the choruses/are artistically worked out without being/ heavy."/!' : The symphony with which i the composition'opens, is scored solely.". ; wind instruments! and suggests with happy expression/ the jubilance of the motif. At the fifteenth bar the tenor voice enters with a recitative—an invocation, to the angels of light to enter and rest. in the "rich treasury of /intellect and art, upreared under the gleaming '*. cross of the southern sky." A , tuneful chorus, with a light and . pleasing '"■' prelude, is V followed by a quartette of angels, who appeal to mortals to " be '.",•■." Grateful Ever to Jehovah."' This quartette is appropriately set ; to ;. an ' air .■ replete with devotional" and reverent feeling, .; and the refrain - is taken,- up by , the chorus with fine '/effect; Then comes the following .bass' 1 recitative :—....... •■■-■.■'".■'. Scholar and sage, with reverent gaze behold! Tomes and scrolls of the mighty past—relics of ■■)• .■■;.,, master-minds.. -; : :. ... ■' ;•■ V ' ~wV i*." Timo-tinted leaves plucked from the tree of know- ••';■ ledge, , , - . i By generous hand bestowed on us and ours ! O, happy children ! waste not your golden hours Chasing the frothy ebb on the sands of time! >- ' ' ' ' j Search ye the unknown depths after knowledge! Deep, deep in a sea of mystery lie pearls of truth. ;. At; the words, "O Happy Children," the .key changes ;from C to ;G, and thef expres-j sion is altered. i A charmingly-written aria j is sung, and thes work concludes with a ; ; chorus of i praise/ to the Lord.; This chorus is in fueato form J and it increases in volume until the " Hallelujah" resounds with rmagnificent ; ensemble, -forming a very fine ending. < The soloists were Mr. Hosking, tenor,and Dr.; Maitland Gladden ;baiss, and they rendered their, parts with . characteristic skill. Mr. Hosking's recitative was clearly given, and the \ upper G at the close was a' powerful and resonant note. Dr. Gledden was s also well , suited j-; and ; his declamation i; in .the i recitative, i "Scholar f> and Sage," was admirable. Mesdames Tayler and -•;.. Lewis, and Misses J. ? Knight and Scraggs, sang ■ the quartette, .a beautiful ■>■ n umber, which ' had an \ accom- / paniment i of . muted strings,. this greatly adding to its ' effect. ;. The last note of the final chorus was followed by an outburst of enthusiastic applause, .and a shower of bouquets • set in towards • the conductor's stand, where Herr Schmitt stood j bowing his acknowledgments. H Mr. Outhwaite was near the platform, and he i was also loudly applauded. > , " • .■■ v (. < when the enthusiasm had moderated, Herr.; Schmitt ;; addressed ;; the audience, thanking; them for / their : kind ?. appreciation I of his work.% He remarked . that the cantata had been composed .for; the opening;of the Free Library, but other arrangements were: made,' and it could ; not performed on that occasion; and he had now produced it at the desire of ; his i friends. ;; He took this opportunity of thanking?; Mr. Outhwaite for the i excellent t libretto which he if had' written at very . short i notice(applause) and he also thanked the ladies and gentlemen on the platform for;; the : : valuable assistance : which they., had rendered. ;<ri (Applause.) Mr. F. D.j Fen ton, - to whom j the cantata was dedicated, had promised to be present that evening, but he was prevented from attending,; by illness ;:■ and he (Herr Schmitt) would ask .Sir G. M. ■', O'Rorke,; President of the University College Council, to forward to Mr. Fenton- the. book, which he handed to him. (Applause.) \'\ •■ /' The book wad a handsomely-bound copy .'of .the cantata. : .:..- ,' ~ j / Sir G. M. O'Rorke ; said he had very , great pleasure in accepting,'on behalf of Mr. [Fenton,;;this dedication of Auckland music and an Auckland libretto. , He. regretted I that Mr. Fenton was not present that evening;.:; he would have been very; much touched by the performance, and the kind terms in which Herr Schmitt had spoken of i him. He was sure that-Mr. Fenton would be delighted;!to know.;. that the torch of music which he ;f had' kindled in Auckland was being fanned by Professor Schmitt, and would "be ; fanned with;t;increasing., vigour. ■ (Applause.) It was 'no ordinary 1 thing for him to read on the title page of the book that the words had been written by an old friendof his,an Auckland-born gentleman, Mr. Outhwaite—(applause) that the music had t been composed by another friend, Professor Schmitt. ? (Applause.) He hppod that these gentleman would continue their services in the cause of ; music and poetry. / ' ' -~ ,■;-'. ""....-. ' ~' After ;. an . interval of ten • minutes the concert was proceeded with ; the orchestra played : Professor Schmitt's " Ouverture Dramatique" (dedicated ; to the King of Italy). This is an artistic work in; four movements, fully scored, and in -i the orthodox concert-overture style.. It .presents many difficulties of instrumentation. \ Miss K. . Gilfillan, and '■''; Messrs. ; Edwards/, and j. Hamerton sang the grand trio /which; con- • eludes the ■ third act of "Verdi's "Ernani." I , i Here, again, local talent was prominent, for j I the fine orchestral accompaniment played | to this selection had been scored by Mr. T. Wood, the well-known /; solicitor. «. Miss Maud Hogg, a child of nine years, played a violin solo, ; "Fantaisie Italienne," and was enthusiastically recalled, when she contributed a quaint "melody which also won her loud applause. She has a simple, unaffected manner, and gives promise of becoming an expert violinist. A remarkable fact is that ' the little girl plays entirely from .memory.; A romantic song by Mattei, "Non Torno," was; rendered f in; Italian - by Miss Julia Knight. It goes without saying /that; it was sung with grace and finish but : a vocal selection in ; the English : language would ; have ;; pleased / the audience even better. In response to a persistent encore, i Miss Knight sang the charming morcoau I " Two's Company." Another.quartette by: ; j the Grafton Orpheus Club was also enj cored. : A' very successful concert termitnated with the " Fantaisie Nationals,," ar- [

ranged ! for. chorus I and ■ orchestra -• by ; Herr Schmitt; After a brief symphony, the choir sang the Mareeillaiseandtheßussian national hymn. A hidden quartette with organ accompaniment < sing- the v | Sicilian Vesper. Hymn, and "God ; Bless the Prince ofWales," and the National Anthem follow as full choruses. The quartette-was sung by Mrs. Tayler, Miss Knight, and Messrs. Tayler and Charter. : : \ : The accompaniments to the various vocal numbers ; were tastefully! played ' by Miss Harding. The conductor's stand was almost bidden by a mass of lilies, and a'border of! these beautiful flowers> ran along the outer edge of the platform. This was the work' of lady friends, and was in itself a tribute to their taste. The cantata "Art and Mind" is certain '< to become popular. i We understand thatit '■ is being * translated ' into German, and; thai, it will be performed at an? early date at Scheverin under the direction of the : Court/ - conductor, " Herr A. ; Schmitt. The < pianoforte arrangement will be published by Andre. /