ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY GIVES BEETHOVEN MEMORIAL CONCERT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18189, 23 June 1927, Page 11

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY GIVES BEETHOVEN MEMORIAL CONCERT.

Although it is a few months later than the actual date of Beethoven’s hundredth anniversary of death, which I occurred on March 26, the performance 1 given last evening by the Christchurch Orchestral Society was fitting, and in keeping with the world-wide movement I to bring honour to an immortal genius. : There was a large attendance at the I Choral Hall, upstairs and down being j filled. The programme opened with j the famous Leonora Overture, No. 2. ' Beethoven wrote altogether four overtures to his only opera, which was at first called “ Leonora,” but now is known as “ Fidelio.” The opera, although of fine calibre, is gloomy in plot, and has had many periods of retirement from the stage; but with the present widespread hearing of the composer’s works, “'Fidelio ” has returned to the footlights, and has been staged at - the New York Metropolitan Opera House and in many of the Continental theatres. It is usual to play two of j these overtures at the performances— I j one at the beginning and the other j i (tha't given last evening) after the first act. This latter overture is dramatical- ! ly intense, and the distant trumpet ! call which occurs in the middle is of , j thrilling effect. Mr Angus Gunter had ; his forces well in control, and a very ! I creditable performance of the work was J | given, under the leadership of Mr T. B. 1 | Riordan. Mr A. J. Masters Bate is the j I principal 'cellist. ! Beethoven’s supreme effort in the ! composition of piano concertos was the great E flat, which is known by universal consent as “ The Emperor,” and the popular title is very fitting. The. C minor concerto was fine, the G major liner, but in the E fiat the composer produced/ a noble work which easily maintains its supremacy. It differs from the concertos of his day, and of our own, in the fact that, while the piano has plenty of grateful and effective opportunity, the soloist’s part is | not in any way one of show. It is ini deed but a share of the symphonic whole. Mr Ernest Empson was the soloist. He played throughout with good grasp of the meaning of this great work with technical facility and musical touch and tone. In the Adagio Beethoven has given us a very lovely sustained theme. Also he has made much use of the ornamentation of trills, there being chains of them. Without break the Adagio merges into the exhilarating Rondo, which brings the concerto to a joyful conclusion. Mr Empson played the work from memory, but in the middle of the opening Allegro this proved momentarily treacherous, and a stop had to be made for the score to be brought. The pianist was very heartily applauded at the close of the concerto. The orchestral accompaniment of a concerto is really a more exacting task to executants than that called for in ordinary orchestral playing, for it is imperative that the tone be kept down during the -greater part. Last evening this was satisfactorily accomplished. The symphony of the programme was the No. 3, the “ Eroica.” Beethoven had dedicated this composition to Napoleon, in consideration of his lo\ T e of the heroic and fine, but when he heard in May, 1804, that Napoleon had declared himself Emperor, he tore off the name written on the original title page and instead inscribed it “ To the Memory of a Great Man.” The symphony has ever been a favourite with mush, cians and audiences, and in particular the Funeral March, which makes the second movement, the adagio assai, is familiar from frequent hearing. Last evening was the first time the symphony has been given in its entirety by the society, and the concerto and overture were initial performances. It is no small task for an organisation consisting mainly of inexperienced amateurs to play such a symphony, and the results in general were very commendable, and to the credit of the conductor. SYDNEY FRANCIS lIOBEN.