THE BEST PIANIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14854, 4 December 1911, Page 8

THE BEST PIANIST.

A DOMINION COMPETITION.

miss e. McLaren the winner.

DUNEDIN SWEEPS THE FIELD.

The solo pianist contest in connection with the Auckland Competitions ,* Society's festival has been one of the most importout musical tests in Australasia, taking the value of the prizes into account, and the whole festival has, in fact,. almost centred in the valuable prize that has just been carried off by a Dunedin girl, Miss E. McLaren. The first prize, a piano valued at £140, is regarded as the biggest ever awarded in such competitions. The second prize was £8 Bs. The competitors came from all part* of New Zealand, and as there, were 41 entries the preliminary tests were held in four sections, and wero played on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday mornings. A second eliminating test was held on Saturday morning, and on Saturday evening the three competitors chosen as the best by. Professor Ives played again, and the award was made. The decision of the judge was : — Miss E. McLaren (Dunedin), 95 marks) 1 Miss Q. Foster (Dunedin), 93 marks ... 2, Miss M. Mitchell (Dunedin), 95 marks 2 The second prize of £8 8s will therefore be divided, and will accompany the piano' to Dunedin. - The performers in this contest were: — , On Tuesday: Mr. A. Bartlcy (Auckland), Mr. A. C. Baker (Dunedin), Miss E. McLaren (Dunedin), Miss F. Cannon (Christchurch), and Mrs. Blundell (Remuera). On Wednesday: Miss Edna Smeeton. ; L.A.B. (Auckland). Miss M. Mitchell. (Dunedin), Miss T. Gallagher (Ellerslie), Mrs. E. Sutherland (Devonport), Mrs. B. Dale (Waihi), Miss F. Denz (Mount Roskill), Mr. L. A. Eady (Auckland), and : Mr:, A. Pacoy (Dunedin). On Thursday: Misses P. Mills. M. Lewis, C. Biggens, D. White, M. Lusher, and E. Webb, of Auckland ; M. Taylor, Tuakan ; Mrs. Rogers, of Ponsonby, and Mr. R. Yates, of Auckland. On Friday: .Misses C. Brook (Epsom), N. Ridley (Dunedin), B. Snodgrass (Te Puke), L. Harper {Christehureh), C. Wilkie (Fordell), A. Theareby (Wanganui), and Q. Foster (Dunedin), Mrs. G. A. Martin (Ellerslie), Mrs. Ingram (Te Aroha), and. Messrs. J, McGuire (Ponsonby), W. Woolford (Mount Eden), and Baxter Buckley (Gore). '""" : \'?- :X\ x ¥""*''"'■ " :: , The First Elimination. The lengthy tests held morning after morning attracted large and interested audiences, who were in general treated to a great deal of good playing. The interest in the outcome grew rapidly after the announcement that a "semi-final" must be played on Saturday morning, and: there was a large audience even at the early hour fixed. Two players. Miss McLaren and Miss Foster, - had been definitely selected to take part in the finals;, and those who played on Saturday morning were Misses X. Ridley (Dunedin), Mitchell (Dunedin),' and B. Snodgrass (To Puke), and Mr. B. Buckley (Gore). " ' Much of the interest in the semi-finel test was caused by the fact that Mr. Baxter Buckley was. the winner of a similar conrecently held in connection- with the' Wellington competitions. Mr. Buckley's playing was therefore looked forward "to with, keen anticipation, and not a little feeling was expressed in sonic quarters' be- 1 cause he had riot-been" selected outright, and. still more when he was not afterwards chosen as one of the three • placed players. ; * ", " -'.;;' \. ■, ; ."■ ~>■ ; •• . ' Some of the Performances, 'j -4 After announcing the -selection of Miss. Mitchell (Dunedin) 'as the third player, , Professor Ives read summarised criticisnts of each of the numerous unsuccessful performances. He remarked that several of the players should never have come for-. ward in such a competition,-being, far below the standard necessary. The criticisms made in respect to' the three unsuccessful competitors in the semi-finals, in brief, were: * ''. ' „,' " ~..." , Ridley : On first occasion, showed. very good style, excellent touch, and tech-, nique; very good phrasing and expression ;• altogether very nice work, marred by many slips; Chopin very finely played;. memory evidently faulty. In the second attempt, she fell considerably through many slips, probably due to nervousness." Waltz not so well played, and sonata,'marred by mistakes; only a moderate .'performance. Good touch, bad memory, : much hesitation: . First time, 90 points; second attempt, only 81 points. -'\\ _ ,'„ •' '"■•Mr. Baxter Buckley.: On the first occasion a good performance, but hardly any of the - rallentandos with which a reintroduction of the principal theme should always be heralded. The third .variation I lacked intensity; there were slips in the fifth.' Scherzo, too slow and lacked spirit. March, too slow, but had fine tone con- ; trasts, and very . good pianissimo. All . pianissimo work, excellent. Waltz rather colourless and needed more variation in tempo. The player used his left pedal. far too much. In , Beethoven's. music, the player should depend less on the pedal and more on touch for soft effects. In the second performance, the Beethoven sonata was played well, excepting the march and the 'rondo, which were not so good. , The., waltz was improved, the middle section being very good. Generally, it was a fine scholarly performance that could have ' been elevated by a' little more facility in the march and the scherzo. Mr. Buckley scored 90 points on each occasion. v . * ''*' Miss Snodgrass: Very 'well.played, despite certain slips.'Generally refined musicianly work, ■ a 1 little wanting in vigour. The waltz, fairly interpreted, but wanting in Variation of tempo. ) First playing, 90 points. Second performance marred by very many slips;* 812 points. .... /;. :•• *"♦■' ■'■' ,: ' ' The Final ; Test, -~•*' '','''

The audience in the theatre on Saturday evening fiilled every seat in the house, and more; and it was obviously comparatively careless about' most of ' the events other than' the piano solos, which were given at intervals during the programme. The award was announced as soon. as the third player-had finished. ••■.,«. Professor Ives stated that he had taken the greatest pains in making the award. Dealing only with thu three who had just played, he said that— Miss.Mitchell had fine touch and technique, though not so' good as those of the other two. In other' respects, hers was clean, neat' work, well done from beginning to end, with hardly a slip. Striking features of her performance had been the judicious use of the rubato, an i excellent taste in expression, and fine tempos daringly adopted and successfully carried out. Miss Foster's performance showed that to a fine touch and. technique was added an obviously fine temperament. But whether she was overcome by the audience or not, there were'some slips which took from the excellence of an otherwise fine performance. Miss Foster had some strongly marked mannerisms; but mannerisms were'allowed in the modern school of pianoforte playing. . .-:-.,-• For" Miss McLaren's work ;' he said it would be.hard to find a finer touch,'better technique, or better evidence of a real musical temperament. He thought he had never heard a better interpretation of the finale and'the scherzo of the sonata; nor, with the exception of the middle section, a better one of the march. Her playing of, the waltz, too, was bettor than that of •any* of the other performers. On adding the marks at the last moment, he said, he had found that two players had tied. He preferred leaving them so to making them play again. They would both have at least the honour of being, second in the competition. -

The announcement was received with applause, and the: winner, in response to insistent clapping, came forward twice .and bowed her. acknowledgments.•■• ~