FRANK HUTCHENS'S RECITALS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 14 October 1911, Page 7

FRANK HUTCHENS'S RECITALS

Mr. Prank Hutchens, the talented young ■New Zealander whose pianoforte recitals have been tho subject of favourable comment, gave his second Wellington recital at the Concert Eoom, Town Hall, last evening. The young musician was assisted by Miss Ethel Carter (mezzo-so-prano), Miss Agnes Segriet (contralto), and Mr. Will Hutchens (tenor), with Miss 'Mabelle Harris as accompanist. The programme was a good one, but the indulgence of the performers in the mattor of encore numbers protracted the concert somewhat. The items selected by Mr. Frank Hutchens last evening included Beethoven's Sonata in C Minor, a suite of six waltzes from Brahms, a miniature silite of Work-Boiie.'i's, J.iszt's "Bream of Love," and the Finale (presto movement) from Chopin's Sonata in B minor. The Beethoven ''number did not impress one with the idea that the pianist understood Beethoven. Mr. liutchens's best effort was (he Chopin Finale, which was excellently played. His encore numbers included Chopin's Etudo in E Major, and' a Brahms waltz. On closer acquaintance, Miss Ethel Carter impresses one with considerable enthusiasm. Sbo has indeed a very lino voice, hei enunciation is excellent—in parts— but in a ganeral way her singing method requires more cultivation. W>tn care and strict at'entiou to Uie technique of'her art, Miss Carter should take a leading place iu the ranks of our aniatcui sins-' ors. She is described as a mezzo-soprano. Ono is templed to suggest that contrallu singing might develop latent powers which would bo distinctly interesting—if not even surprising. But that is, of course, Miss Carter's business. Her items included Blumentlial's "Life," Mailman's " Eleanors." and "Orpheus willi his Lute" (an encore .number). Mr. Will Hutchens. a cultured'tenor singer of tho "robust" type, who suggests interesting possibilities in tho sphere of light baritones, should develop his unmistakable talent for oratorio work. His item from "Judas Maccabueus"—tho- rou'tative, "Thanks to My Brethren," and the aria, "How Vain is Man"—was distinctly good. He was also quite enjoyable in Clay's favourite lyric, "I'll Sing Thee Songs of Araby." His other iteius -were "Gentle Flowers in the Field" (Gounod's "Faust"), "She is Far from Hit* Land" (Lambert), and two encore numbers—"Sincerity" (Clarke) and "Tho Browny Bird" (Frank Hutchens). Miss Agnos Segrief, the young Wellington contralto, is invariably good. In. her items, "Pieta Signoro" (Stradclla) and Gounod's well-known serenade she sustained admirably her high reputation Lai a fiultured ar.tisS»