WELLINGTON ORCHESTRA.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1512, 7 August 1912, Page 8

WELLINGTON ORCHESTRA.

In the Town..Hall last night, an. ex celleiit concert was-given-by the Munici pal Orchestra.'. .Whore been of...ah .ultra-popular and ."mixed' order; the patronage accorded to concert in' .Wellington .this season has been ver liberal, yet, for somo reason, tho con certs of the Municipal Orchestra hav Leen - neglects d, though ■ various device have been resorted to in an effort 't convince tho. public of the really goo> things they are missing. Tho orchestra i not complete instrumentally, nor in tjual ity, but tho work that it is accomplish ing in the face of difficulties of which til general public know little is really of praiseworthy character. Its efforts ar on artistic lines, and-tho results arc es ceedingly encouraging. Tho programme last evening was higt ly interesting. Tho inclusion of Bee hoven's Fifth. Symphony (in C Minor) ii sural that. It is ono of the finest, an probably the best-known, of all Beotho' en's symphonies, and one which neve "cloys the hungry edge of appetite, .- rich and vari-coloured are its melodic and glowing the harmonics which ilhin ino the great work. There js a fine vita itv in the "Allegro con C'rio" movemen ■which has been interpreted as "l'al knocking-at the floor." The music certainly vetted with solemnity and hop and as tho next movement (the andani con tnoto) is a caressing network of beai tiful harmo'ny woven round a motif < Eirat melodic charm, it may bo nssiinu that the fate which knocked has not bec an unkindly one. To follow the master] treatment of this motif—at one tin scored in the guise of a softly-breathc prayer, then a song, a battle cry, a him oresfiue, and a hymn of praise—is to rea ise the absorbing fascination of Beotho , en's genius. .The 'cello solo, with tl pizzicato string accompaniment, wi delightfully played, and tho cl clamalion of the horns and co nets in harmony against a shimmer i strings, was an arresting variation of tl central theme. The movement was loud' applauded. Tho "Scherzo" gives tl bassoon and double basses some live' solo work of a humorous character, whit Berlioz is said to have likened to "tl gambols of an elephant," which is.ee tainly broadly descriptive of one pjssas but there is another graced with delica pizzicato passages for the strings wil some delightful bits for tho wood-wind implying (hat an aviary must hai existed in the trees above the sporii' elephant,?. Finally,' the symphonv sweo] into a stately and'vivncion's march, whit was played with rare spirit. That 11 orchestra can give a reasonably good ii terpretation of such a work speaks vo limes iu justification of its to liv Tho few hundred presVnt last evonii were certainly of that mind. The orchestra also nlaved the fest: wedding march from -Rubinstein's open "Forrainors," the ever-popular, .if had neyed "Intermezzo" from Mascagni "Cavalleria Riistieans" - (encored), ai: those delicious]}' characteristic dance "Castillano," "Aragonaii-e," and "Jiava raise," , from Massenet's "Lβ Cid." . Mr. Sidney Williamson, of Christchurcl ' wa's the vocalist. The visitor, who is light baritone,' has evidently given a goc deal, of study to, interpretation, but h full voice is hard and without musici colour. Moreover, he was consistently 01 of tune, with one exception. That w< Blumenthal's "Evening Song," which h intoned very sweetly in- the niezsw voc Mr. Williamson was lackiii? in the ten petamental essentials requisite to car'r conviction in such a solo as "Eri Tn CI Macchiavi," from "Un Ballo in Mascl era," nnr did'he invest T.andon Eonald , Sfliiys", "Prelude" and "Down in the Fo: est," With their native charm.. He ivt quite deservedly recalled for the "Evei ing. Sour," and responded with Mallii son's "Slow, Horses, Slow," sung in a inaudible pianissimo.