MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1076, 15 March 1911, Page 4

MUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA.

• By far tho largest audience yet at-'\j •tracted by tho • Municipal Orchestra 1 since-'" its - inception' was present, last evening at' the Town Hall, at tho sea- ;; son's first concert. This is distinctly , encouraging', and- the wish is sincere - that the awakening'of interest in orchestral music anticipated'by the establishment. of-.such,a body may be such •, that will at. least mean the. dawn oi better things'.'-'lf'conscientious'.endeav-our on the part of. .those immediately concerned he a--factor', in achieving-this result—and who. will doubt it?—the' bat- : tie is half won, for these attributes'wero obvious in-last evening's -performance. The rest, remains wit-h.-tHo- public. Tho ■ programme was-a reflection of ithe wis- - dom of Mr. Maughan flarne.tt-, whoso motto musically , may bo set-down as "festina- -lento," ' inasmuch as; though. ■ the numbers were interesting in every case, they wore not, with one excop- , tion, from a strictly orchestral standpoint, those that could ''he classed as big works. The exception was tho "Rosamunde" overture of Schubert, :i •' beautifully melodious work which calls for careful study, much rehearsal, and - sound instrumental quality. The over- ; turo was played with tho utmost confidence and spirit, and the delicate work for the strings left little to he desired ' with tho number engaged. The solo oboo '. work in the opening andante was a dis- , tinct improvement in tone on anything yet shown in that department, and tho brass was in nice accord with the liar-, monic body. A good test of an orchestra is tho sustaining of tone and finish in the double pianissimo passages such ' as'thp opening of "Rosamunde," and, here again, Mr. Barnctt executed an influence ■ that was wholly commendable. The overture was followed by Haydn's quaint "Andante" and lively I "Menuotto" from tho third of the twelvo Salomon ..symphonies written in London during his'engagement by Salomon. Tho former is a simple familiar air, picked out into exquisite delicacy by tho strings, and wood-winds, arriving at an unexpected fortissimo chord at the end of the- sixteenth bar which constitutes the' surprise. Tho "Menuotto" is written (quite unusually) in three'-/ four time, played briskly, and was given with breezy' animation in good rhythm. Perhaps tho most popular (bracketed), number on the programmo was the "Valse de Flours" and tho sketch "Trepak" .from Tschaikovsky's "Nutcracker" Suite. Tho first number was marred slightly by one of tho French horns being out of tune in tho first few bars which succeed tho cadenza-like opening (written for the harp, but played on the piano by Mr. Horace Hunt last evening). Tho harmony is very close, and demands perfect tunc, on the part of tho horns. One, however, was irritatinidy "out" with each repetition of the part. Once into the swing of waltz, tho orchestra played with line unanimity. "Trepak" is Slavonic in character—a fiery dance, which increases in pace to an exciting finale. The audience demanded its repetition. A little gem in its way was the "Liebesliedchen," of Tnubort, for strings only, a pretty trills, played pizzicato throughout with nice expression. Mendelssohn's "Wedding March," played with spirit, brought an enjoyable concert to a close.

The programme was varied by a violin solo, a lino audnnlo movement, by Franz Hies, played with distinction hy Mr. Herbert Hlny, who well deserved tlio encore insisted upon. The city organ was not in the best of humonr last evening. A palpable wheeze or squeak marked the opening of a eerlnin stop, particularly (luring the. playing by Mr. Darnet't of VoLstonliolmos "Tim Question" and '"flic Answer." whieh were interpreted with artistic 'insight in attractive lono colours. Mr. Harnett.' also played the "Cuckoo and Nightingale" movement from Handel's "Coneorto," in which some dainty effects aro produced in simulation of the birds mentioned between the Homeric clashes of broad harmony. Mr; Hloy made a; competent leader... The ojphosl.raJstA give, its next concert' oir March""2B'.