A BRILLIANT TRIO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22790, 27 January 1936, Page 10

A BRILLIANT TRIO

SPIVAKOVSKY-KURTZ SEASON DELIGHTFUL OPENING RECITAL The curious reaction of the man-in-the-street to the expression “ chamber music,” which he wrongly imagines to be a fornr of musical expression beyond his powers of understanding, is made all the more remarkable by reason of the fact that many of the world’s most notable compositions have been written for small instrumental ensembles, but as the result of ignorance or indifference a large number of people with a definite interest in music (jieny themselves the pleasure of hearing performances of these works which they mistakenly assume to be dull and academic. The fallacy of this supposition was convincingly demonstrated on Saturday evening when the Spivakovsky-Kurtz trio presented the first recital of its Dunedin season in the Town Hall Concert Chamber, for it is improbable that a Dunedin audience has never previously heard a more entrancingly beautiful performance than the Mendelssohn Trio in D minor with which the noted artists opened the concert. The exquisite melodies which are embodied in this the most famous of Mendelssohn’s trios, and the exalted standard of musicianship maintained by the instrumentalists, demanded and received the rapt attention of an audience that was held spellbound by the ethereal charm of this work. Not since their first season in Dunedin nearly thtee

years ago has the perfection of sympathetic artistry displayed on Saturday evening by the three instrumentalists, Messrs Jascha and Tossy Spivakovsky and Edmund Kurtz, been heard in this city, and the ovation which coincided with the conclusion of the opening presentation was a sincere tribute to a masterly performance. Balance, precision, sympathy and unanimity of interpretation, excellent tone control on the part of each artist, and unfailingly high standard of technique, characterised the performance of the trio, which with its delicate tracery of melodic line formed an admirable introduction to an unusually enjoyable concert. The opening allegro, which was attacked with great vigour and spirit, was an inspiring movement that provided a foretaste of the beauties that were to come in the exquisite andante, a movement of almost fragile loveliness which was treated with masterly restraint. A glittering scherzo, and a tempestuous and brilliant allegro, in which the changing moods were handled with a. notable sense of authoritative colouring, completed such a performance as is heard all too rarely in this part of the world. One of the great charms of the recital, however, lay in the fact that the outstanding ability of the musicians as soloists, as well as ensenfble players, give it a balance that could not have been possible without such individual qualifications, and the works selected by each artist were quite as enjoyable

as the trio, so that the musical interest of the concert continued unabated to the conclusion. Mr Edmund Kurtz, undoubtedly one of the finest ’cellists ever heard in Dunedin, was the first soloist, and in his presentation of Locatelli’s Violoncello Sonata in D major, he again revealed the remarkable qualities of technical skill and artistic insight that so impressed audiences during the trio’s first season in this city. This extraordinarily difficult work plainly had no terrors for Mr Kurtz, for he swept through the scintillating intricacies of the opening allegro at a breathless pace, his staccato bowing being a joy to the ear. The measured and dignified rhythm of the adagio movement enabled the ’cellist to display the rich, warm tone at his command, while the final allegretto, with its variations, was a veritable mosaic of delicate colouring. As an encore Mr Kurtz played “ Requirebros,” by Cassados. Mr Jascha Spivakovsky’s opening pianoforte solo was Beethoven’s brilliant Rondo in D major, a work which enabled the pianist to display something of his impressive technique as well as the authority of his interpretation. The rippling rhythm of this work, with its flowing, melodious theme, received most satisfying treatment, Mr Spivakovsky investing the work with a wealth of delightful colouring. His second presentation was Beethoven’s noble Sonata

in E flat, Opus 81 (“Les Adieux”), in which ho revealed an intimate acquaintance with the Beethoven mood. The contrasting colours of the opening adagio, with its alternations of fire and pathos, received artistically sensitive treatment, and the following andante, which also embodied effective contrasts, demonstrated the pianist’s qualifications as ti tonalist. The concluding vivacissimamente, a glittering and joyous movement, was taken at a tremendous pace, Mr Spivakovsky overcoming the very considerable technical difficulties of the movement with inspiring ease. His encore number was a Mendelssohn Scherzo, which he played with delightful facility of expressional colouring. Five compositions by classical and modern composers, each being a perfect gem in itself, were presented by Mr Tossy Spivakovsky, whose work was even more impressive than it was during the trio’s earlier visit to Dunedin. His tone seems to have broadened, and there can be no question regarding the brilliance of his technical and interpretative equipment. His opening number was “ Sarabande,” by Mouret, a graceful and dignified piece of rich, sweeping melody, which was presented with exquisite tonal shading. The famous Tartini Variations on a Theme by Correlli was brilliantly played, after which the violinist performed a delightful little waltz entitled “Arva” (Valsc Mignon), by the contemporary Russian composer Paul Juon. This was an exquisite trifle of appealing grace and charm, another number which also captured the audience’s imagination by reason of its beauty being “ La Caprioipiisp.” n snint.illnfinpr morcean bv Elffar.

Paganini’s difficult Caprice, No. 24, played unaccompanied, revealed to the utmost the violinist’s masterly technique, for he performed the most prodigious feats of dexterity with either hand with an case that roused the audience to a high pitch of enthusiasm. His recall number was a Spanish dance by Sarasate. Mr Noel Newson, the young Christchurch pianist, who provided the pianoforte accompaniments to the ’cello and violin solos, is deserving of the highest praise for his excellent work. It is almost invariably overlooked that what are termed solos are in actuality studies for two instruments, the piano playing almost as prominent a part as the solo instrument, and for that reason the success or otherwise of the presentation is to a large extent determined by the ability of the accompanist. Mr Newson’s accompaniments were literally perfect, for not only were they technically flawless, but they were also in absolute sympathy with the interpretative readings of the soloists, facts which contributed very largely towards the success of the recital as a whole.

TO-NIGHT’S RECITAL The programme for the second recital by the Spivakovsky-Kurtz trio, which will be given in the Concert Chamber to-night, contains many works of considerable interest to music-lovers. First and foremost there will be the masterly trio by Maurice Ravel, a modern composition of unusual design and construc-

tion, which has not previously been performed in Dunedin. Mr Tossy Spivakovsky’s violin solos will include Correlli’s “La Folia,” and Bach’s majestic Prelude and Fugue in G minor, and Mr Edmund Kurtz will play the Violoncello Concerto in D major by Haydn, a work of unusual charm and beauty. Mr Jascha Spivakovsky’s pianoforte solos will include Schumann’s Arabesque and Traumeswirren, the Gluck-Brahnis Gavotte, Capriccio in B minor, also by Brahms, and Chopin’s famous Etude in C minor. The box plans for the season are at the D.I.C.