A POPULAR BARITONE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21985, 21 June 1933, Page 8

A POPULAR BARITONE

RETURN OF MR PETER DAWSON ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION IN TOWN HALL That the return to Dunedin of Mr Peter Dawson, probably the most widelyknown and universally popular British singer in the world to-day, was welcomed by local music lovers was strikingly exemplified hist evening when the famous Australian baritone gave the first concert of hie Dunedin seasim in the Town Hall before a large audience. From his initial appearance on the platform, which was the signal for an enthusiastic welcome by the large assemblage, until the final recall number, Mr Dawson was received in a manner which was in itself a heartfelt tribute to his fine vocal attainments and the sincerity of his artistry, the distinctive quality of his voice, his clarity of enunciation, and his rich interpretative qualifications making tue slightest of his songs a joy to the ear. In addition to these accomplishments Mr Dawson has the faculty of being able to place himself in intimate communion with his hearers, even in such a large building as the Town Hall, and therein lies much of the undeniable appeal of his performances. His generosity in the matter of encores, which was a feature of his last visit to Dunedin, brought the total number of his offerings up to 17, eight of which were recall selections, and it says much for the artistry and the executive accomplishments of the singer that the last song was received with equally as much enthusiasm as the first. In fact, it was probably only the lateness of the hour which prevented the audience from making further demands on the singer’s resources. Mr Dawson’s opening song was the dramatic and arresting “Ye Twice Ten Hundred Deities,” by Henry Purcell, which was sung with great depth of expression and interpretative penetration. Here the audience was once again permitted to familiarise itself with the wonderful fluency of phrasing made possible by Mr Dawson’s amazing breath control, and with the clarity of his enunciation. It was a strikingly effective rendition of a highly imaginative composition, and Mr Dawson was required to sing two further numbers before the audience was satisfied. His second bracket of songs was introduced by Schubert’s lovely “Du hist die Ruh,” which was sung with fine restraint and artistic expression, this being followed by the colourful and exotic “La Caravane,” by Henri Rabaud, a strongly descriptive number which was given in Mr Dawson’s best style. Benjamin Godard’s “The Traveller,” which permitted of a fine display of dramatic expression, was an extremely enjoyable effort, a strong contrast being afforded by Martin Shaw’s “Wood Magic,” in which there was more than a suggestion of mysticism, the swiftly changing moods being treated with great interpretative skill. Again the audience gave unmistakeable expression of its genuine approval, and Mr Dawson replied by singing three encores. The concluding group of songs was an interesting bracket of Shakespearian ■ numbers, which opened with a setting by Alison Travers of “If Music be the Food of Love” from ''Twelfth Night,” in which the oratorical value of the words was admirably sustained. M. C. Tedesco’s setting of “Under the Greenwood Tree ” from “As You Like It” was another richlf expressive number which was sung with fine artistic shading, while a more robust note was sounded in Frederick Keel’s setting of "When Icicles Hang, by the Wall” from “Love’s Labour Lost,” Which was sung with attractive vigour of expression. The romantic “ Shall I Compare Thee to .a Summer’s Day,” arrangedby W. A. Aitkin, was a delightfully artistic rendition, and proved a completely satisfying conclusion to an arresting bracket of songs, Mr Dawson being called upon to give three more encores before the audience showed any inclination to allow him to leave the platform. The singer’s recall numbers during the programme included Liza Lehmann’s “Myself When Young,” from “In a Persian Garden,” “ Trees,” “On the Road to Mandalay,” “ The Mountains of Mourne,” “The Song of the Flea,” “I Travel the Road,” “ Green Grow the Rushes, 0,” and “ Boots.” . _ Mr Tapia-Caballero, the Chilean pianist who is accompanying Mr Dawson on his tour through the,Dominion, is a musician of distinctive characteristics. It is not by great velocity or power that he holds his hearers enthralled, but by the unusual beauty of his interpretative artistry, tlje delicacy of his expression, and the perfection of his phrasing and mood depiction. Although he performed compositions by Bach and Beethoven, it was in his presentation of the Scarlatti and the Debussy numbers that he appeared at his happiest, these works giving him ample scope for the restrained and deeply thoughtful, as well as the light and rippling renditions on which he is such a master of expression. His opening number was the beautiful Bach Prelude and Fugue in F Minor, which was played with fine executive skill'and artistic taste. In the Scarlatti Pastorale and Capriccio the pianist demonstrated his ‘remarkable delicacy and fluency of expression, the latter composition being also outstanding for the technical brilliance which it exemplified. Beethoven’s exacting Apassionata Sonata in F Minor was a severe tost of the artist’s executive qualifications, especially in the turbulence of the, first and last allegros, and one could not help feeling that, although the sharply contrasting moods which abound in these movements were clearly defined, something of the fury of the more violent passages was scarcely caught. In the Debussy bracket Mr Tapia-Caballero was at his best, the highly imaginative character of the four numbers which constituted the group, "Danseuses de Delphes,” “Le Vent dans la Plaine,” “La Fille aux Chevenx de Lin,” and “Minstrels,” being nerfectly in accord with the pianist’s artistic temperament. Probably a Dunedin audience has never before heard Debussy so exquisitely played._ The final presentation was the barbaric and strangely exciting “ Danse du Feu,” by De Falla, a strongly rhythmic and graphic composition which received admirably expressive treatment. Mr Tapia-Caballero’s encores included the dainty Valse in A Flat, by Brahms, which was played with singular grace, "Little White Donkey,” and “ Gopak.” by Moussorgsky. Considerable praise must be given to Mr Hubert Greenslade, whose pianoforte accompaniments to Mr Dawson’s songs were executed with sympathetic expression and remarkable musicianly skill. At no time ivas he obtrusive, his backgrounds to the vocalist being musically perfect.