SOUSA'S BAND.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1207, 16 August 1911, Page 9

SOUSA'S BAND.

YESTERDAY'S CONCERTS. Judging by tho attendance at the second concert given by Soiifa's Band yesterday afternoon, it appears that Wellington has not arrived at a just, computation of tho standard of this famous organisation. One result of the sparse attendance was the presence of irritating echo, about which much has been written of late. The programme was most interesting. It began with Litolff's great overture, "Robespierre," which pictures with rare power and alarming expression the riot of blood in Paris at the time of the French Revolution, the rise of Robespierre, and his fatal fall and end under tho blade of the guillotine. Tho music is fascinatingly descriptive. The clarinets, oboe, and piccolos join in the savago shrieks of a demented people, and as Robespierre passes, the tumult is increased by the blaring of "The Marseillaise by the-trombones, acclaiming him the saviour of France. Then follows an eerie passage, depicting the turn of the tide, the, murmuring clarinets chatter and scream, the brasses growl and threaten, and a big crescendo is piled up and up until there is a grand discordant crash, followed by a drum-roll—Robespierre has paid the full penalty. An impressive dirge is followed by a paean of joy, which takes the form of a triumphant march in which the blaze of "The Marseillaise" is still heard. The performance of this intricate overture was really magnificent. The descriptivo suite "Looking Upward, by Sousa, gave further evidence of the versatility of the composer. The spirited playing of a "Siegfried' fantasia brought back the Homeric grandeur of Wagner, at whose altar lovers of the great German master of inspired instrumentation may worship gloriously during the present" week. The call at the opening was admirably played by Mr. Herman Hand, solo French horn player of the band. In the second half the band played Liszt's "Second Rhapsody" with a verve and freedom rather astonishing to those used to the deliberate and reverent treatment accorded this . work by colonial orchestras. . It was played with all the dash and elan of a Sousa March, an interpretation open to qnestion, but, as we said on Monday, Sousa is a law unto himself, and his dynamics make everything attractive. Finally Sousa gave us the Rakoczv March from "The Damnation of Faust" (Berlioz), written round an old Hungarian air. It is a battle piece in which the thunder of cannon and tho crash of arms reverberate, but ever through the succession of harmonic shocks rings the motif, which is said to have "set the Hungarians on fire" when first played at Buda-pest. Sousa Marches, gaiiy, snappily played, were served up as encores. Miss Virginia Root sang Sousa's pretty song, "Where is Love?" and lor an encore "Miss Industry," from the same prolific pen. The violinist, Miss Nicoline Zedeler, played Wieniawski's "Souvenir du Moscow," in which she was smothered by an over-exuberant accompaniment, and "Lo Cygne" (Saint-Saens) nicely accompanied on the harp. ■ Tschaikowsky's "1812" is cne of the few compositions written to order which have lived. Sousa's. Band did not, perhaps, realise all thjit" is in the work, but its interpratation "vas extremely good, and stirred the big audience which assembled for the evening performance .to great enthusiasm. A full orchestra, supplemented by a brass band, i> the usual combination for "1812," and is certainly the most effective, as the range of l touc-colour is greater than can possibly be produced even by a band like Sousa's, but u'e are lucky indeed to hear it at all, and it .is hcroed that it will be played again before tai present , susou ends. "'i'Moe Quotations" is the quaint name of a Sousa- suite played last eveniujj The middle one, "And i, too, was Born in Arcadia," [s a particularly melodious number fimlodyinj; a pretty jastiirale motif (for tho clarinets; and oboe), (vtnch caught the ear pleasantly. In the "Lohengrin", fantasia thebaud' once more eraphasised its facility in the performance ol Wagnenan music, and here again the cross section covered itself with glory. Webe.-'s "Invitation to tho Waltz , ' cries aloud id , strings, and it only gets wood-winds, one might .idd, which do not quite convey the tonal delicacy of a violin, division. The encore provided tho opportunity to revel-in', the grotesque comedy "Has Anybody Here &en Kelly?" in which the question is asked by every instrument in the band with most laughable contrasts. Further bis induced the national fantasia "Rose, Thistle, aad Shamrcck," which concludes with a thunderous blast of "Rule Britannia." Every heart and nearly everybodv cheered, and so.the audience got the "Yankee. Shuffle," and liked it immensely. The ba.nd also played Friedeman's "Rhapsodie Slavonic," the "Washington Post, tho "Army and Navy," and "Hands Across tho Sea," and the "High School Cadets" marches, all of which were rapturously received. -Mr. Herbert L. Clarke playeirthis'cornet, solo "The Debutante" most attractively, exhibiting ~a sur-. prising range . and- ! unquestionable tone. Miss ■ -Virginia Root, sang-Sousa's somewhat bizarre "Card Song," and for an encore trilled "The Goose Girl," a very pretty trifle, gaily sung. Miss Nicoline Zedeler played Wieniawski's "Souvenir de Moscow" soundly, but was rathor overpowered by the accompaniment in tho passages played in harmonies. As an eacore she played Gosse's "Gavotte." This afternoon's programme will include Liszt's symphonic poem "Les Preludes," Richarcl Strauss's tone picture "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, (new to Wellington), German's dances from his "Henry VIII" music, and Rossini's "William Tell" overture. . To-night tho programme will include ' the Haydn-West-mnyer overture "Imperial," the "Geographic Conceit," "People Who Livo- in Glass Houses- " (Sousa), Liszfs "Fourtoanth Rhapsody," and Suppe's "Poet and Peasant" overture. . -.'. ■."