MR PETER DAWSON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21989, 26 June 1933, Page 8

MR PETER DAWSON

ENJOYABLE SEASON CONCLUDED The final concert of Mr Peter Dawson’s Dunedin season, which was held in the Town Hall on Saturday, evening, was probable the most enjoyable entertainment of the three, and it was regrettable that the audience was not of larger dimensions. There was, however, a spontaneity apparent in the audience’s expressions of appreciation which indicated that it was fully alive to the artist’s remarkable qualifications and the high standard of the fare provided, and Mr Dawson responded ’generously, singing a large number of encores. The fact that even when the hour became very late the audience showed no sign of restlessness was in itself a high tribute to the singer’s great appeal, and there were indications that if his hearers could have had their way Mr Dawson would have been required to sing on almost indefinitely. • As it was, the concert occupied the better part of three hours, Mr Dawson singing no fewer than 17 songs. The singer’s first offering was the recitative and ’ air “ Ah, Shall not this Great Day of Wrath,” by Bach, which was given an impressive inter j pretation, Mr Dawson singing as encores Shaw’s “ Cargoes,” “ The Blind Ploughman,” by Clarke, and Schubert’s “Who is Sylvia?” The succeeding bracket of songs was introduced by a thoughtful and artistic performance of “ Die Mainacht,” by Brahms, and Duparc’s lovely “Le Manoir de Rosamonde.” Loewe’s “ The Clock,” a whimsical and exceedingly attractive composition, was sung with fine expression, while Schubert’s “ The Erl King ” was given a highly dramatic interpretation. In response to repeated demands for encores Mr Dawson sang “ On the Road to Mandalay,” “ The Lute Player,” by Allitson, .“ The Song of the Flea,” by Moussorgsky, and “ Largo al Factotum,” from Rossini’s “ The Barber qf Seville.” The concluding bracket of songs was composed of Michael Head’s “Money, 0!” a delightful little song with a moral, and Ainsworth’s “ The Recruit,” which was sung with characteristic vigour of expression. Mr Dawson’s final encore numbers were “ I Travel the Road,” “ Cells,” and “ Sincerity.”

Mr Tapia-Caballero’s pianoforte solos were again characterised by great delicacy of artistic interpretation and excellent execution, and the audience again shewed its i genuine appreciation of his work in no uncertain fashion. Beethoven’s Sonata, Opus 31, No. 3, was played with close attention to interpretative detail and rich tonal colouring, while the Chopin bracket, which included three etudes, the Mazurka in A minor, and the Scherzo in B minor, was performed with notable delicacy of treatment and a fine insight into the composer’s moods. Two arresting and highly futuristic numbers by Prokofieff, a Gavotte and a March, which intrigued the audience immensely, were followed by two Debussy numbers, “ Clair de Lune,” which was played with great beauty of expression, and “ I’lsle joyeuse,” a strikingly colourful composition. Mr Tapia-Caballero’s encores were “ Spanish Dance,” by Granados, “ Malaguena,” by Albcniz, the Brahms “ Valse in A flat,” Chopin’s “ Impromptu in A flat,” and “ The Little White Donkey,” by Ibert. Mr Hubert Greenslade’s accompaniments to Mr Dawson’s songs were artistically sympathetic, his performance ol the accompaniments to such songs as “ The Erl King ” and “ Largo A 1 Factotum ” displaying to the full his mature musicianship.