DAWN ASSHETON PRESENTS HER SECOND RECITAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18496, 23 June 1928, Page 10

DAWN ASSHETON PRESENTS HER SECOND RECITAL.

LARGE AUDIENCE HEARS EXCELLENT PROGRAMME

The Caledonian Hall was well filled last night when the audience vociferously demonstrated its approval of the novel and entertaining fare provided for them by Miss Dawn Assheton and Mr Laszlo Schwartz. It was the second concert presented to the public of Christchurch by these versatile artists, and was received with the same enthusiasm as the first, which was given on Thursday night. The programme last night was entirely, new and contained a very catholic selection of items. Miss Assheton gave selections ranging from an aria from Rossini’s “ Barber of Seville ’’ to an intensely humorous little Bohemian sketch, “He Loves Me Well.” Mr Laszlo Schwartz beside being an accomplished violinist, is an able and entertaining talker. His explanations of the various national groups of songs made for a fuller appreciation of their merits, and his witty anecdotes connected either with himself or with lions of the musical world, were much appreciated. There is no doubt that Miss Assheton has a golden voice, which is heard to advantage in the softer passages. She has a very wide range, which she uses to advantage in either opera selections or the quaint folk songs which she sings with so much success. In her shorter pieces, connected generally with some national characteristic, Miss Assheton is at her best, and it was with these unusual little offerings that she captured the hearts of the audience. With true dramatic sense, and a nice appreciation of the requirements of her different offerings, Miss Assheton has made her costuming a feature of her entertainment. Each group of national songs is given in the costume of the country dealt with, this colourful idea giving the offerings a much deeper significance. The programme given last night was a judicious mixture of the fascinating Miss Assheton and the popular Mr Schwartz.

An aria from " The Barber of Seville,” sung by Miss Assheton with the greatest success, was the first number. Then followed three selections from the violin of Laszlo Schwartz, “ Deutcher Tanz ” (Mozart), “Air” (Kreisier-Padre Martini), and a Menuette of Haydn. In order to contrast the Western idea of Eastern music with Eastern music as it is, the aria, “ One Fine Day ” from “ Madame Butterfly ” was sung by Miss Assheton before three little Japanese and Chinese sketches. Two were entirely humorous and were received with delight by the audience, which would not be satisfied until two encores had been given. The second portion of the programme started with three negro spirituals, and in these intensely real songs. Miss Assheton proved her ability. The well-known, “ I Got a Robe,” was the most popular of a popular trio. Following this Laszlo Schwartz gave three items of his own arrangement which were highly appreciated. It was in the Hungarian and Bohemian character songs that Miss Assheton made her biggest success. Her costume for this section was gorgeous, and was a big factor in the success which these happy selections gained. The programme ended with an old English folk song, " Why So Pale and YVan?” perhaps the mbst appreciated item on a very popular programme. NEW PROGRAMME TO BE PRESENTED AT FINAL CONCERT. A musical programme unlike any ever before offered in Christchurch will be presented for to-night’s final recital at the Caledonian Hall by Dawn Assheton and Laszlo Schwartz. The programme offers compositions from almost every musical land, and is also enriched by the comments of Laszlo Schwartz. While the aria from “ Mignon ” is well known to music-lovers, such cannot be the case with the Hungarian, Polish, Bohemian and Russian art and folk songs to be introduced by Miss Assheton in her Hungarian peasant dress—a costume which is described by one critic as “ a riotous rhapsody in colours.” Most of these quaint songs are traditional airs which exist only in manuscript form, with the English lyrics written by Laszlo Schwartz. As to the Oriental group, the musical lover, as well as the serious student of the art, will have a rare opportunity to hear songs from India, Java and Burma—songs that rarely, if ever, find their way to concert programmer, There are also clas-

sic songs and songs of Scotland, Ireland. Nor is the element of novelty lessened in the violin selections, for in his two groups oT solos the Hungarian artist presents his own composition.