DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22544, 11 April 1935, Page 10

DUNEDIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

SEVENTEENTH CONCERT HIGH STANDARD MAINTAINED Lovers of orchestral music found much that was worthy of the closest attention in the seventeenth concert by the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, which was presented in the Concert Chamber last evening, and throughout the recital, which, with the exception of one vocal item, was composed entirely of works for full orchestra, the unwavering interest of the large audience, and the evident enjoyment with which the various selections were received, were an eloquent tribute to the high artistic and executive quality of the fare provided. The orchestra itself was responsible for a thoroughly competent and workmanlike performance, playing with excellent spirit and cohesion, and obeying implicitly and instantly every direction by the (M de Rose), who, by the way, was obviously not in good health. In view of the latter fact the excellence of his control over the instrumental combination under his hand was another instance of the fine spirit of co-operation which exists between the instrumentalists and the conductor in this organisation. Crispness of attack, excellent balance and sympathy between the various sections of the orchestra, and a concerted tone that has not been excelled by this combination, were some of the features of the performance, in which the orchestra was given every opportunity to display once more the fine flexibility at its command, as well as the competence of its individual sections. Its string tone throughout wag rich and warm, and, when required, the brasses, although labouring under the handicap of depleted ranks, carried out their part with a full-toned resonance that provided « sound foundation _ for the more robust passages in the various works presented. The concert opened with a colourful and spirited performance of the overture “La Mnettc de Portici,” by Auber, in which the lively melodies received bright and animated treatment by the strings, while ;hc remainder of the orchestra maintained fine balance and cohesion, the concerted lone being powerful, yet full of attractive shading. It was an invigorating presentation, and served as an excellent introduction to the recital. The major work of the evening was undoubtedly Mozart’s Concerto No 26 in D, for pianoforte and orchestra. The solo part played by Miss Louise Tonkin, who was set'a task of forbidding magnitude. During the greater part of her performance she acquitted herself with considerate musicianly distinction, and any slight lack of character in her delineation could be excused by reason of the extraordinarily exacting nature of the part. Technically, her presentation was graceful and precise, and in the less difficult passages she achieved a delicacy of expression that indicated a clear insight into the mood to be interpreted, this being particularly noticeable in the middle larghetto movement, which she played in delightfully artistic style. There was no dearth of colour in' her performance as a whole, but some of the essential fire appeared to be lacking in the numerous bravura passages with wjjicli the opening allegro and the final allegretto are besprinkled, and although the orchestra was kept well in hand by the conductor there were times when the solo instrument scarcely gained the necessary prominence. To undertake such a massive task at all. however, was distinctly to Miss Tonkin's credit, and the manner in which she surmounted the many obstacles during the course of the concerto the possession of sound musicianly qualifications. The orchestra carried out its part with fine attention to interpretative detail, the whole combination being under perfect control, while the strings achieved one of their finest performances of the recital. The entrances were achieved witli attractive precision, and the combined tone was richly modulated and controlled throughout. Haydn’s Symphony No. 2 in D minor (“ The London ”) ranked next in interest, as well as in competence of presentation. Here the orchestra was able to display to the full its fine flexibility, and the treatment of the various moods of the composition revealed a close attention to interpretative colour, allied to a standard of technical endeavour that attained considerable heights. With the exception of the grave opening movement and the lovely, flowing andante, which also contained sprightly developments of the theme in hand, the composition was principally vivacious and full of the most attractive melodic colouring, the strings revelling in the spirited passages and aeheving excellent tone and cohesion. It was an exhilarating performance, in which all sections of the orchestra carried out their parts with notable precision ami fine interpretative sympathy. Chopin’s ever-popular Polonaise in A, which opened ah interesting bracket of numbers, was presented in rhythmic, martial style, the brasses being given an opportunity to secure plenty of prominence and maintaining full, even tone when they were required to present the section of the melody allotted to them. The Introduction to Scene 111, “ Faust,” composed by Mr J. Renfrew White, was an absorbing work, of attractive melodic form, which provided a sharp contrast in mood to the preceding composition. Of sombre, reflective, character, this number, written to depict the grandeur of night, provided much scope for the bass strings, and was invested with n rich, yet fluent, tone colouring that admirably reproduced the atmosphere conceived by the composer. The bracket concluded with a brilliant performance of the “Naila” waltz, from “La Source,” by Delibes, the principal theme of the composition being competently played by the leader of the orchestra (Mr J, A. Wallace), while the remainder of the combination provided a full-toned, yet adequately rcstained, background. A number of the better-known excerpts from Verdi’s “La Traviata,” which received competent and musicianly treatment, concluded the orchestral section of the programme. The vocalist of the evening, Mr James Simpson, who is the possessor of an attractive tenor voice of good range and resonance, sang two of Schubert’s most widely-known songs, “ Serenade ” and “ Impatience,” with good exprcssional colouring and interpretative detail, and in response to demands for an encore snug another equally wellknown number, Toselli’s “ Serenade.” His pianoforte accompaniments were sympathetically played by Mrs Simpson.