AIUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1482, 3 July 1912, Page 2

AIUNICIPAL ORCHESTRA.

Thorn were r.o novelties in the programme submitted by Hie JMunicipal Orchestra at it# concert in the Town Halt last evening. It was a re-arrangement of numbers that tho orchestra has been heard in before, and viewed from that aspect was fairly ink-resting. Still there were some numbers, namely, "William Tell," and the "Massanieo" overturn of Auber, which are due for a period of retirement, though perhaps welcome on account of their "popular" character, and the public should bear in mind that new music for orchestra is costly and tho funds at tho disposal of the orchestra are severely restricted. If it were not so, one might, with perfect justice, crave for an insight into the works of many modern composers whose compositions are as a sealed book to nutsic-lovers in this part of tho world. There are such writers of genius as Dehussy, Charpentier, Wolf-Ferrari, Humpcrdinck, and a dozen others, who nre merely names to many and yet find Vi place in nnd out of season in the orchestral programmes of tho big centres of Europe and America. The programme of last evening included Sibelius's tone poem "Tinlandia," a very striking and highly descriptivo composition of itn kind—a painting in broad vividly-coloured splashes of the anguish of Finland in its struggle under tho heel of the oppressor, marked by harshly sombre crashes of brass," .struggle trumpet calls, the Ihuiider-roll of futile cannon, giving the timpani a deal of violent exercise and .a very sweet prayer-like passage played very charmingly by tho woodwinds ti) an accompaniment oE agitated strings, but even as the soft reverent strains dio away tho drums roll up tho doom of the country, and tho piece ends in half a dozen crashing chords—the dying agony of a conquered country. The poem was very well played, though the tono body of tho strings was on the weak side. Tlio brass, very well in hand, mado tlio most of their excellent opportunities, and the timpani was inclined to be overdemoustrative for tho size of the orchestra. An interesting number was the "Andante Con Mo to" movement, from Schubert's "Symphony in C" (No. 7), a very melodious and spirited ■ movement of cleariy-defined and even tempo. A feature is an important oboe solo which occurs almost at the opening—a bright, lively strain, pnrvc-ying the main theme which recurs in' various forms throughout the movement with charming effect. The ".Massanielo" and "Tell" overtures and Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" w.ere aiso played. The vocalist cf tho evening was Miss Hannah Sweeney (of Dunedin), wjio possesses a full-bodied soprano of fair quality and good range, but with hardly sufficient flexibility or temperament to do full justice, to the Italian arias. She sang lfobandi's "Alia Stella Contidente" (with a 'cello obbligato by Mr. Frank Johnstone], and Meyerbeer's aria, "Roberto tu ehe Adoro," and received an encore in both instances. Another concert is to be given on July 9.