DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22294, 21 June 1934, Page 9

DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ATTRACTIVE CONCERT PROGRAMME.

The thirteenth concert of the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra was presented in the Town Hall Concert Chamber last evening before a fair-sized audience, Ho doubt the weather conditions prevented some patrons from attending* which was unfortunate, as the programme was well worthy of the fullest patronage. The whole of the programme consisted of numbers- which call for the most expert treatment, and it is to the credit of the conductor (M. de Rose) and his players that at no time was there a suggestion of strain, every section of the orchestra responding to the baton to give a cohesion which might well be the envy of lesser combinations. As usual, M. de Rose had chosen his programme with nice discrimination, and a wide variety of music was covered. t

The most pretentious offering of- the evening was the “ Scheherazade ” symphonic suite written by Rimsky-Korsakoff in 1888. A composer of parts, RlmskyKorsakoff shows his versatility in this work as in few others, for it embodies a variety of themes, the treatment of each of which is characterised by the touch of a master hand. Baied on stories chosen at random from the “Arabian Nights,” the four movements of the suite set out the tale af Sinbad, the story of the Kalandar Prince, the young Prince and the young Princess, and the festival at Bagdad. The first portion of the suite, the largo Maestoso, opens with the woodwinds, trombones, and strings, which give way in the introduction of Scheherazade’s theme with the solo violin. This passage was tastefully dealt with by the leader (Mr J- A. Wallace), whose solo* are always well received. It might be mentioned here that Mr Wallace was called upon for some severe, solo work at various times throughout the’evening, and on every occasion he proved more than equal to the task. The composer goes on to depict the course of Sinbad’s ship, and each section of the orchestra is called upon to contribute to the picture. The second movement is in sharp contrast to the first, the motif being wholly Eastern in its construction. It is never an easy feat to. secure the correct atmosphere in this type of music, but it would have been -difficult indeed to have found iault with the performance of the players at any stage. An equal standard of. excellence was attained in the third movement, which consists of two themes, both of folk-song character. ■ The second of these was greatly enhanced by the rhythmic effect introduced with the tympani. In the fourth movement the suite is brought to a .conclusion in a finale calling for clever work by .all sections.

As was the ease in this number, the Preludes to Acts I and 111 of ““Lohengrin " (Wagner) were delightfully handled. The first prelude opens with a passage which gave the violins an opportunity to show ,-their ability. The sweet melody was brought out with admirable restraint, and when the woodwinds! entered into the picture the effect was heightened considerably. Throughout the prelude, which is played piano to gain the mystical effect Suggestive of the vision • of the- Holy Grail, the music was accorded the most delicate of treatment. • The Prelude to Act 111 is of an entirely ’ different character, taking the form of a march with a fine chivalnc theme. Here Urn brasses were given the opportunity which was that of the strings in the other prelude, and they showed themselves to be equally conversant with their work. The work of the string section in providing < the accompaniment to the bold melody, of the brasses was a noticeable feature of > the performance. t

An item which met with well-deserved ! popularity was Cesar Franck’s Symphonic - variations for pianoforte and orchestra, the solo part being taken by Mrs B. H. Nees (nec Miss Koa Oliver). MrsNeess ■ ability as a pianist is well known to Dunedin concert patrons, and it is sufficient to say that she has never been heard to better advantage than last night. The ! score provides difficulties in abundance, and the player might well be pardoned for , any slight lapse, but Mrs Nees was never at fault, and the effect of her work was enhanced by the cohesion between piano and orchestra.

The second half of the programme was opened with Mendelssohn's “ Scherzo ” (opus 16, No. 2), the light-hearted, happv melody being charmingly handled. This was followed by Godard’s “ Adagio Pathetique” which is notable for its flowing melody and measured pizzicato accompaniment by the ’cellos aud basses, and here again the orchestra played faultlessly under expert direction. In this work the melody is carried in a sweeping crescendo to its climax, and throughout this portion the most careful restraint is called for lest the organ-like tones should be lost. Gopak," from Moussorgsky's unfinished opera, “T-he Fair at Sorochinak,’’ was the final item: of the bracket, and in this the orchestra was successful in capturing the spirit of the dance. The final item_ was from Mascagni’s "Cavalleria Lusticana,” the beautiful intermezzo being the principal portion of the offering. The vocalist of the "evening was Miss Florence Pacey, who, though suffering from a cold, gave a delightful interpretations of the three numbers' against her name. With each appearance she earned an enthusiastic recall. Her first number was the Valse Song from Edward GerTnan s Tom Jones, 0 • and later in tbo evening she sang “To the Angels’’ t/iirdo) with ’cello obbligato by Mr yjfJ'd Hunter and "Lament of Isis” (iJantock). The accompaniments were rastefuHy played by Miss Marjorie M ‘Powell. J