BRILLIANT PIANIST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22539, 2 October 1936, Page 14

BRILLIANT PIANIST

WORK OF EILEEN JOYCE ATTRACTIVE PROGRAMME What last night's audience lacked in numbers it made up in enthusiasm when the brilliant young Australian pianist Miss Eileen Joyce made her first public appearance in Auckland at the second charity concert of the season given in the Town Hall by the National Broadcasting Service. The proceeds are to go to the Mayor's Crippled Children's Fund. The IYA orchestra, specially augmented for the occasion, and conducted by Mr. Harold Baxter, Miss Dawn Harding (contralto), and Mr. Len Barnes (baritone), assisted to make a varied and attractive programme.

The main item was Rachmaninoff's Concerto in C Minor No. 2, in which pianist and orchestra alike possessed from all angles a firm grasp of the composition. In the slow movement, Miss Joyce steadily built up a fine climax and then died away to a satisfying end. Throughout the movement the pianist produced a lovely quality of tone and at the close of the third movement, in which outstanding technical ability and warmth the marked features, Miss Joyce received a great ovation and was the recipient of many bouquets. This young artist shared the honours with Mr. Baxter and his orchestra, who undoubtedly assisted greatly toward the success of the number.

In the second half of the programme Miss Joyce was heard in " Romance in D Flat " (Sibelius), " Standchen " (Strauss), and " Viennese Waltz " (Friedmann). In response to enthusiastic applause further numbers were added to this group. The orchestra was heard to best advantage in " Slavonic Rhapsody " (Dvorak). " Finlandia " (Sibelius), in which the brass could have been better, two dances from " Prince Igor " and ballet music from " Manon " were other orchestral numbers.

Of the three, songs rendered by Miss Dawn Harding, " Amina's Garden " (Parry), " Indra " (Hoist), and " Wo Willst Du Des Armen " (Brahms), the lastnamed would have been the best had the accompanist been with the singer. " Indra " is a difficult song and was given a clever interpretation. Mr. Len Barnes sang " Tartary," " The Donkey " and " Song of the Open," in which the accompanist was much too loud. Mr. Owen Jensen for the most part handled the accompaniments capably.