MUSIC.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 484, 17 April 1909, Page 11

MUSIC.

(By Tbedls Clef.): :,';-y Arnold Trowell In Liverpool. Mr. Arnold Trowell, the gifted eon of Mr. Thos. Trowell, kto of Wellington (who went c to England a year ago), is quickly ascending \ the artistic heights. From what can begath- j erod from English sources, this bright boy, j who commenced to play tho 'cello when but a tiny boy attending St; Patrick's College, l is not only a great player, but is making his i mark as a composer. For the general in- i formation; tho complete" description of Mr. Arnold Trowcll's own concerto (in D minor), which ho had tho honour of playing in one of tho finest orchestras in England, is given { in this column. : ; ' ... g Writing of the performance in Liverpool j with the Liverpool Symphony Orchestra (con- } ductor, Mr. V. V. Akeroyd), the "Courier { said:—"His own 'cello concerto which was t heard for the first time in Liverpool was the j medium, for his more serious effort'of, the j evening. Whilst the work for the solo in- f strumont is always engaging in the appro- [ priato way in which it is laid out, the merit r is not hero alone, but is evidenced in the J clover scoring for the orchestra, and he evi- j dently understands proportionate balance be- j tween tlio solo part and orchestral writing, t Ho handled tho melody in the first movement 1 with nicosubdued expression, investing it with j that ravishing .beauty of tone which rendered i it altogether-dolightful. The slow movement j is, a, delicate fancy: with: some original ideas in [ the ; orchestration, and tho finalo introduces £ a.dance measure, and also another themo of c more serious character. . .■ Throughout tbe concerto' tho soloist approached his task t with sympathy and musical' feeling which c served to bring out the excellencies of tho < composition,' and the performance evoked the 1 most enthusiastic recognition. Mr. Trowcll's 1 fine technical accomplishments were revealed '. later iii his own arrangement of Paganini's j "Non piu mesta," which served as the right ] channelfor the exercisq of harmonics, pizzi- | cato, stopping, and weird "cadenzas. . ... Mr. Trowell was always artistic; this cannot besaid of some players of this class of composition." . '.. "'. : ' '... • ■"•".■: .. I Mr. D. Trowcll's D Minor Concerto. To the somewhat limited number of concertos for the violoncello the present work is ' a/distinctive addition. Written as it is to ! display the beauties and possibilities; of the ; solo instrument, the purely musical interest ' of. tho work is., nevertheloss','"soriously cultivated and well sustained. Further, the com- ' poser has succeeded in avoiding that orches- ( t'ral overclouding, which so frequently, 'and■ ! with such fatal facility, results when .writing ] for solo violoncello and orchestra—for though j the full modern'orchestra, including the harp, \ is here employed, the accompaniments to the ] solo passages, are scored in a manner 'that invambly allows of their full extent being ■' realised. , ,',' : . ' '■In'tho present w ; ork, as in [ many .modern 1 concertos, the prolonged orchestral exordium ' treating of'future subject-matter is"" omitted. ; The chord of D minor sustained for two bars, forms ; the prelude to thevfirst a ! plaintive melody to'whiphitlie-interval of'an augmented fourth'gives character/ which is ' ( i ( ( I '1 ',1 '] I '] '] 1 i 1 i I i I c t < f t t t 1 t s t I a o t I r e s T t t t C

announced by the, solo instrument. A continuation of-the melody terminates in an oxtonded phrase .of a moro purely ornamental nature,. and thonco to'a "fortissimo. Tutti," based upon tho same- subject. With a modulation to l< , major';the second subject (expressive-) is, announced—also by the solo : instrument —a somewhatjilteresting point being that between .this and'the first subject the measure 'of contrast- is but slight, since' each is of the "caiitabile" nature andimbued with a certain melancholy. ; The melody, which is continued at some length, and with much variation of key tonality, is succeeded by an animated episode;' in which the soloist, in fluent semi-quaver figures, decorates a coun-ter-melody for the'clarinet. The 'sequence'-to this,is a brilliant orchestral "Tutti" which merges into a charming treatment of! the first subject. . Here the interest is at first purely orchestral, and it is carried on 'at considerable length, until the solo instrument; enters upon , a' florid. variation of the samo theme. A brief but vigorous orchestral -inter? hide, precedes the "cadenza, , ' which, is not only of. considerable- 'dimensions, but of a most,elaborate-,.and brilliant character. At tho conclusion of this and with a change to thetonic major, tho remainder of the movement 'is devoted, to a full statement of tho second theme and'it, , ; episode—terminated by a short and fairy."Coda." ' V .'

The slow.■movement is'of: simple structure and of purely, lyrical character. Commencing with a brief exordium,' for muted strings, the solo instrument enters.at the eleventh bar with a melody of romantic charm, which'is outlined against a gently murmuring accompaniment. A brief , orchestral interlude, in which the. ham. is with exquisite effect, leads to a nibre anijnated middle section of a capricious nature. At the-conclu-sion of this the orchestral interlude' which is based upon .the introduction reappears in the key of B major, after which, through a delightful modulation, the' opening theme' is reasserted in its hriginal.key of B flat major. This brings to a conclusion a l 'movement characterised throughout by. beauty of idea expressed in terms of raro , delicacy and refinement. '■'-~'■

Tho "Finale" commences with a vivacious orcheetrol exordium of independent material, at tho conclusion of which tho soloiet outers with a robust dance measure—a'sixteen bar strain in D minor—which is given out twice. In contrast ■to this is tie second princinal thomo, nn expressive melody of a "cantabilo" character. These themes, however, are not developed-'.- ( with any complexity, but aro merely: varied : through episodes. Immediately ... preceding tlio " Recapitulation " an orchestral interlude.occurs, evidently related to one, occurring in tho first movement, tho characteristic figure of-which appears to have been evolved, in diminution from the first bnr of the principal subject in that movonibiit. With a brilliant "Coda" the work is then brought to a conclusion, , ■ •