SENIA CHOSTIAKOFF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22366, 13 September 1934, Page 10

SENIA CHOSTIAKOFF

PERFORMANCE WITH SOLDIERS’ CHOIR ACCLAIMED BY LARGE AUDIENCE The auditorium of His Majesty's Theatre could not have seated another person when the curtain rose last evening on the' concert in which the celebrated Russian tenor, M. Sonia Chostiakoff, made his second public appearance in Dunedin in conjunction with the Dunedin Returned Soldiers’ Choir and a number of prominent local artists, and the enthusiastic applause which greeted every item on the well-balanced and interesting programme was a sincere and whole-hearted tribute to the high qualifications of the performing artists, both vocal and instrumental. The major honours naturally went to M. Chostiakoff, whose beautiful tenor voice, innate artistry, and engaging personality, made him a prime favourite with the audience. He provided just the right touch of exotic colour to his numbers to give them the requisite atmosphere, and was in much more intimate communion with hie audience than he was during his performance in the Town Hall some weeks ago, with the result that his singing had an even greater appeal than it did on that former occasion. The audience would probably have desired the singer to continue far into the night, but M. Chostiakoff was compelled to sue for mercy, telling his hearers that he would be back on the stage again in further numbers later in the evening. The choir, which was associated with M. Chostiakoff in practically all his offerings, acquitted' itself particularly well, providing a richly modulated background and obeying the instructions of the conductor (Mr J. T. Leech) with a readiness and confidence that argued thorough preparation for the concert. Ms Choatiakolf’q first offering was the Russian folk song “ Stjenka Rasin,” arranged by JarofF, which was sung with effortless ease, the audience being given another taste of the lyric quality of his voice, the soundness of his technique, and the beauty of his interpretative shading. The choir carried out its part with distinct credit, maintaining good tone and cohesion, and providing an excellent background to the solo part. The Russian monastery song, “ O Evening Bell,” gave the soloist an opportunity of displaying his ability in the field of falsetto singing, his exquisite tone and perfect control holding the audience enthralled. The bell accompaniment provided by the choir was inclined to be a trifle ragged, the tenors’ bell imitation being somewhat cracked, but otherwise the effect was highly pleasing, and the item had to be repeated. M. Chostiakoff’s singing of the “ Song of the Volga Boatmen ” a number of which Dunedin audiences never appear to tire, gave it an entirely new value, and hefe again he performed almost unbelievable tricks with his vocal register. The choir provided a short introductory theme, which was repeated at the conclusion of the number, while the soloist sustained the last falsetto note for such a length of time that the audience became positively breathless in sympathy, and then burst into thunderous applause, demanding and receiving a repetition of the number/ The ever-popular “Funiculi Funicula,” by Denza, was an attractive number, although a slight confliction of tongues—the soloist singing in Italian and the choir in English—robbed it of some of its spontaneity, but undoubtedly one of the most popular numbers in which M. Chostiakoff and the choir were associated was Jaroff’s “ Monotonously Rings the Little Bell,” of which the soloist gave a delightfully delicate and artistic rendition, while the choral accompaniment was finely subdued but rich in tone. The lively Moscow street song, “Down the Petersky,” which was sung with attractive abandon by both soloist and choir, was another popular effort, both the latter performances being repeated. M. Chostiakoff also sang Massenet’s “ Elegie ” with great wealth of expression, the violin obbligato being artistically performed .by Mr Maitland M'Cutcheon, and the soloist was also associated with Madame Winnie Fraser and the choir in an impressive presentation of the Miserere Scene from Verdi’s “II Trovatore.” Besides giving an accomplished and finely shaded performance in this famous duel, Madame Fraser sang two solos in delightfully artistic and cultured style, namely, “My Lover Comes on the Ski,” by, II Clouch-Leighton, and “ Sometimes in Summer, by Sterndale-Bennett, and was also heard with the choir in a splendidly restrained presentation of the lovely Irish cradle song “ Maureen,” by Roberton, in which the choir’s humming accompaniment was a fine piece of concerted vocalism. The purely choral numbers were themselves of considerable musical interest. “Hallelujah, Power and Glory,” from Beethoven's “Mount of Olives,” with which the choir opened the concert, was a good example of well-drilled choral work, the singers achieving good cohesion and balance, and attractive tone. The well-known “ Anvil Chorus,” from Verdi’s “ II Trovatore,” tfas sung with excellent spirit, the attacks and releases being crisp and clean, while the general balance was very good. The lively polka serenade, “ Come Away, Come Away,” in which Mr C. R. Williamson sang the solo part _ with engaging expression, was a pleasing number, of which repetition was required, and a touch of humour was added'to the entertainment in the presentation of the quartet and chorus “Four Jolly Sailormen” (German), in which the by-play of the “sailormen” (Messrs C. R, Murray, G. Swan, L. Goughian, and S. Jeffs) kept the audience vastly amused. Mr Maitland M'Cutcheon was at his best in his performance of the violin fantasia “ Scene de Ballet,” by De Beriot, his brilliant bowing and stopping, impeccable tone, and artistic tonal shading immediately Winning the good graces of the audience. As an encore he presented Dvorak’s “ Humoresque.” The other instrumental items of the programme were provided by an exceedingly competent trio consisting of Misses Sybil Baker (pianoforte), Ethel Wallace (violin), and Elvira Wycherley (’cello), who played Haydn’s lively and well-known “Gypsy Rondo” and Widor’s “ Serenade.” a flowing and melodious work in which the instrumentalists aehievecl splendid cohesion and fine interpretative colouring. The pianoforte accompaniments to the choral and solo items were artistically played by Miss Sybil Baker and Mr Colin Oliver.