PIANOFORTE RECITAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9300, 16 December 1891, Page 2

PIANOFORTE RECITAL.

The hall of the Young AVomen's Christian Association's Rooms was comfortably filled last evening, when a pianoforte recital was given by Miss Blanche Joel and Mr A. J. Barth, both of whom possess, as it is almost superfluous to state, musical attainments of a high order, such as ensured that the programme which was prepared for the occasion would be carried out with a considerable degree of success and fidelity. The programme embraced the following items: —Duet, overture to " Fairy Opera," "Good Luck and Bad Luck" (Reinecke); soli— '.a) nocturne in E flat (Chopin), (b) menuet in G (Paderewski), Miss Joel; solo, 17 variations serieuses (Mendelssohn), Mr Barth; duet, valses de fantasie (Gouvy); solo, grand sonata in C— (a) allegro con brio, (b) adagio molto, (c) allegretto moderate, (d) pretissimo—op. 53 (Beethoven), Mi3s Joel; soli—(«) arabeske (Schumann), (b) sarabande (Ketten), Mr Barth; duet, Marehe caracteristique (Schubert). It will be seen^lj^ a wiije. range of styles of composition was' included m the recital, which passed off very pleasantly and satisfactorily. It is open to question whether Miss Joel was not somewhat at fault in the tempo in her playing of the Beetho .*en sonata, the 2>restissimo movement of which was certainly not performed fast enough, but as to the musician]}' manner in which she executed the nocturne and menuet there can be no question. Mr Barth's treatment of the Mendelssohn item was in his best style, but there was no solo on the programme that was more appreciated than the Schumann and Ketten compositions, which were bracketed by Mr Barth, and in which his artistic touch was admirably displayed. The three duets were all treated in a masterly style, and the executive skill of the the performers was duly recognised.