ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY HOLDS THIRD CONCERT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18332, 8 December 1927, Page 7

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY HOLDS THIRD CONCERT.

A programme that contained much music of attraction and interest marked the third concert of the Orchestral Society, which drew an audience that filled the Choral Hall last evening. Wagner was heard in two highly contrasted compositions; the overture to his early opera “ Rienzi,” the first of his dramatic works to find success, and which was written in the conventional style of the time, and the “ Siegfried Idyll,” which belongs to his maturity. The overture is brilliantly written, with stirring passages for the brass, and broad effects. Mr Angus Gunter directed his orchestral forces in the work with attention to detail, and in general the playing was commendable. The “ Idyll,” written to commemorate the birth of his son, Siegfried, is of totally different conception; here there is no thought of theatricality, all is of soft beauty and refinement, flowing on in ever-sustained and soothing harmonies. Nowhere in his long list of iii!!iiiiiii)iiii!i!i!]!iJiJiiiii!i)iiiiiiL , ii2iijiifjiiiiiiiiiiifirmiiifffiiifm///;rmmmmr(mn<

orchestral writings has Wagner ever I touched purer, holier inspiration than in this lovely piece. In his own conducting of his music, Wagner demanded a sustaining of tone that used to tax his players, and in the “ Idyll ” there is even more necessity for sostenuto than in ordinary. The orchestra maintained a good legato, and there was evidence of painstaking care in the playing, even if at times things did not always accord with the intentions of the players. The most effectively given number of the evening, however, was the symphonic poem of Liszt, “ Les Preludes,” a work which is full of colour and brilliant instrumentation, and written by Liszt as effectively for the orchestra as he wrote for the piano. And no c-ne has ever equalled him for. giving “ thrills ” in his pianistic writings. The. performers were at their best, and worked the piece up in quite excellent manner. There was an ovation at the close, and Mr Gunter had repeatedly to bow his acknowledgments. The “ Hungarian March ” of Berlioz, which brought each triumph to the composer (when he wrote it to gain the goodwill of his Hungarian audiences on a concert tour) that he added it to his “ Damnation of Faust,” was well and confidently given. The programme concluded with the Sibelius tone poem, “ Finlandia.” Mr T. B. Riordan was the violin leader, and Mr Harold Beck vas the principal ’cellist, and as usual a number of professional artists assisted. Miss Vivienne Ralph sang three groups of songs by Schubert, Grieg, and other composers. The voice is of good quality and full in tone in iy; middle and upper registers, but the singing is unsteady and wants evenness. She was nicely accompanied by Miss Frances Hamerton. SYDNEY FRANCIS HOBEN.