HIS MAJESTY’S.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1120, 28 September 1911, Page 16

HIS MAJESTY’S.

LEONARD BORWICK RECITALSA GREAT ENGLISH PIANIST. Leonard Borwick, Poet Pianist! Thus this eminent English pianist is styled by reason of the poetic insight which his interpretations reveal, and he indisputably proved, his claim to that title to the unbounded delight of true music lovers at His Majesty s on Monday evening, when he gave his first recital. Devoid of mannerisms and extravagances, quiet, almost reticent in his method of playing, sub dued yet virile, he grips his hearers with his artistry and temperamental perception of the composers whose works he interprets. In him the old masters live again, and are a revelation to both student and finished musician. His programme, too, every item of which is characterised by exquisite handling, shows the wide extent of his repertoire, the opening recital embracing the works of Bach, Graun, Sgambati, Scarlatti-Tausig, Beethoven, Chopin, Paderewski, Rachmainoff, and Moszkowski. Commencing with Bach’s numbers, Fugue in G Minor, and Choral Prelude, “Sleepers Awake” (with his own pianoforte arrangement), a magnificent interpretation was given, paving the way for the feast of incomparable gems from the virtuoso’s wealth. Of a truth it has been said that Mr Borwick caresses the notes, and the piano responds like a sentient being. Asked whether he specialised in composers, Mr Borwick said that he hoped sin cerely that he did not. Each composer had, of course, to be approached in a different spirit, but the literature was so wide and beautiful that it would be almost a sin to neglect any of the great masters. All audiences loved Chopin and wanted as much as he could give them. Tuesday’s recital gave further evidence of the virtuoso’s genius and versatility, his numbers covering works of Schumann, Bach, Couperin, Liszt Debussy, Sgambati, Mendelssohn, and Saint-Saens. The audience was again enthusiastically appreciative, and the player was recalled again and again. Mr Borwick may not have arrived with a flourish of trumpets, but he has come and conquered, and his final recital to-night should not be missed by those who hold music at its true worth. “Perfection —thy name is Borwick!,” quotes London Opinion. One could say no more.

“THE WOMAN IN THE CASE.”

OPENING ON MONDAY WEEK.

A drama out of the ordinary, interpreted by a company of more than

ordinary merit, is promised Auckland theatre-goers in “A Woman in the Case ’ which has met with tremendous success in Sydney and Melbourne. “Nothing so thrilling as the third act of “The Woman in the Case,” has been seen here for a long time (says a Sydney paper). In this, Mabel Trevor and Elinor Foster are at their best. Here are two women, contrasts in every way, one watching the other like a cat watches a mouse, waiting and watching to catch her off her guard and wrest from her the secret that has thrown her husband into the Tombs prison and hung over him the shadow of doom. When Claire Forster makes the confession and Margaret Rolfe seizes her by the throat while she sails for the hidden witnesses who have taken down every word, the pent up feelings of the audience, restrained with difficulty throughout this strenuous scene, find relief in an outburst of real enthusiasm and applause. It is a finely acted scene, and in it Miss Mabel Trevor gives a fine display of marvellous emotional acting.” The story of “The Woman in the Case” is a thrillingly interesting one from start to v. nish. It deals with the struggles of two women, one for the life of the man she loves and the other to ac-

miplish the death of the man she hates, and the man is the same in both cases. Both women are unscrupulous in their efforts to obtain their desires, and the management appears to have searched stagedom to find people physically fit for the varied roles. Clyde Fitch’s powerful play s effectively staged, and should score heavily here.