HAYDN BECK’S RISE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 145, 19 June 1944, Page 4

HAYDN BECK’S RISE

AUSTRALIA’S LEADING VIOLINIST LONG ROAD TO RECOGNITION. When Haydn. Beck formerly of Wanganui, gave a recital at the Opera House in 1915, a great future was apparently before him. After years of patient endeavour in Australia he passed through Wanganui unnoticed some years ago—he nas at long last stormed the heights and attained to th P pinnacle as a violinist in Australia. At a recent concert given in the Sydney Town Hall he was the solo violinist under the baton of McArthur, conductor at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, and of , this performance Neville Cardus the musical critic of the Manchester Guardian, who is now in Australia, wrote as follows: “Haydn Beck played the solo part of the Concerto Gregoriano of Respighi, the first performance in this country of a work of rare beauty and originality. The performance was a serious and valuable contribution to music here. Mr. Beck merits Hie warmest praise for venturing on a work with no popular appeal. His chances ot playing solos in public are absurdly restricted: and he might, easily have succumbed to the temptation to win an easy “success” with a hackneved work. He revealed himself a musician and a sensitive violinist; nt all the difficult figuration of his music not a note was dull or insignificant. It was violin-playing devoted to music, with dexterity concealed by understanding of the composer's fantasy. The concerto is perhaps too long for the-nature of its material; modalism scarcely assists Ihe transitions demanded by extended instrumental forms. Respighi is obliged to take refuge in rhapsodic beginnings—again. None the less, the general effect, is of a warmth of poetry and I avoidance of commonplaces tare in lhe concert-halls of Australia nowadavs. McArthur in this unfamiliar piece gave lhe finest example of concerto conducting I have known here." “News of Haydn Beck's success as a concert violinist will be noted with satisfaction by many Wanganui people, who. in 1912. subscribed about £7OO to send him abroad,” said Mr. Gordon Mcßeth last evening when interviewed. "The war in 1914 interrupted his studies and young Beck, who was then about. 16. returned to Wanganui. Later he left for Australia and .became a member of the 1 Broadcasting Orchestra in Sydney. ' For manv years nothing was heard of (hint, but about nine years ago he played a modern concerto in Melbourne mad was acclaimed by all critics as an outstanding artist. Since then he i-.as climbed up to nig-h-1 est position in musical circles. 'Ligene ' Ormandy, one of the greatest eon- • ductors'in the world, has selected him • io he leader of his orchestra for his Australian tour. Beck's recent per- : lormanee of a concerto by Respighi

received enthusiastic notice from Neville Cardus, the well-known critic, which is a high commendation for Cardus is is a discerning critic.' 1