AMUSEMENTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8984, 18 July 1907, Page 1

AMUSEMENTS.

HIS MAJESTY'S THEATRE. Miss Marie Hall has come a long way, not in geographical miles only, but in ability, and she give 6 every indication of going a long way further yet. The young violinist opened her Christchurch season la6t night in His Majesty's Theatre, and while the audience was not numerically what it should have been, it was superlatively enthusiastic, and, what is even more pleasing to the artistic heart, unqn.ilipleasing to the artistic heart, unqualifiedly appreciative. The pro- | gramme of last night's concert I was delightfully diversified, ranging from the Dan of Max Bruch to the Beeisheba of Schubert. MiVs Marie Hall herself, a "slip of a girl," played with a spirit and a vigour that suggested a personal love of her ar' 6up rior to all ulterior considerations. Indeed, one of the most striking features of her playing was her wholehearted enthusiasm. She has no rf fectations and no tricks, and her playing was characterised by a temperamental intensity that really made ler technical excellence purely a secondary conisiderntion. She is essentially a lyric artiste, a Swinburne rather tha?i a Browning, and it wa6 in the mort purely sensuous numbers of her programme that she scored her most pronounced successes. Sho opened with Max Bruch's b'illi?nt "Concerto in G Minor," but I the highly-coloured and varied com- ; position oid not sl^ow her by any means at her best. Her technique was ad mirable and her tone beyond reproach, but the performance lacked some indefinable quality of breadth which it is usual to associate with it. As a matter of fact, it was a feminine interprei tation of a masculine composition. T^o vigorous allegro energico, paradoxically enough, was the b st of the three movements. Her next selection was a charrcteristically juxtaposed b'ackct Corelli's "La Fclia " and Hub:y's "The Zephyr." The Corelli compesition, rich in melody and full of linked sweetnesses long drawn out, was one of her best selections, and it contrasted prettily with the dainty " Zer>hyr." As an encore she played Saint Saens's ever-popular "Le Cygne," In the second part of the programme Miss Hall opened with a bracket comprising Wilhelmj's setting of Schubert's " Aye Maria," Schubert's "The Bee," a valse by Techaikowsky, Dvorak's " Humorrske," and " Hubay's " Heiro Kati." Her tone in the " Aye Maria" wns rich and round ; " The Bee," played with the muted strings, was dainty and delicate; the wild Tschaikowsky valse was interpreted with passion and grace; and the " Humoreske," with its intricate double-stopping, wa6 a triumph of execution. But it was in " Hejre Kati " that she scored her most marked success. The wild Hungarian music was full of colour and character at her hands, and compelled the mute inquiry, "Where does she get it?" The inevitable encore took s'ape in a sweetly pretty " Canzonetta " by D'Ambroise. The concluding solo was Wieniawski's " Faust Fantasia," a brilliant and technically florid composition, which was stormily played. Being again recalled, Miss Hall played Schumann's " Traumerei," a dreamy little solo of a class in which she excels. Miss Lonie Basche, the piniste of the company, is a faithful and clever player, though by no means a virtuoso. The Chopin valse in A flat and "La Campanella " were probably her best solos. These require brilliancy of execution rather than, delicacy of interpretation for their success, and it along this line that Miss Basche is at tor best. SJae is a bril- I

liant executant, but a trifle art : ficial in her playing. The heavy accompanying which fell to her lot throughout the concert was capitally undertaken. The second recital will be given this evening, instead of on Friday as previously arranged, and the final one tomorrow. There will be a complete change of programme at each recital. OPERA HOUSE. Last night tie Opera House was again well attended, :>nd the programme present' d wes very successful. Miss Verne and Mr Armstrong repeated thrir ske'eh entitled "Two ' Hundred Wives," the two clevr ermfdiars being weU received. Th° R-cse Sistere were successful in their brgH turn, and the humorous pongs <-f Mr B r b Bell evoked much laugbter. The bill will be presented again this evening.