MAUD ALLAN

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2134, 28 April 1914, Page 6

MAUD ALLAN

: anp|the chkrniavsky trio ■■ "''''" Whf-n Orpheus phyo.il his lute lit. tho ; birth of days somconei danced, ami if •fwbal, tho father of instrmiw-nts, ovt-f twanged Urn lyre rhythmically enough ono would be quito "safo in ndsuming . that there Were unquiet foct mid vilirat- ■■ in* be/dies rnaving in tinigon, for music iiiid dancing nro two elements in oik; — twin Bonis with but a singlo thought. Bsneing, as K matter of historical faot* must havo proowkd music, as it is well known that BHch words as orchestra, chorus, choir, atitt oven enrol all stood originally for dancing forms, and worn not terms specifically musical, as is now the esse. It is natural, perhaps, jo liarij bade to tho beginning of things in referring to tho aft of t'ho gifted dancer, Mibs Maud Allan, wh-ft, long heralded, danced Iwir way into tho favour of rv largo audience at the Opera House last ovnning. This because her style of dancing docs, not In tho least degree rosomblo that of any dancer over scon in. Wellington before. It is ft return to tho delightfully freo, untrammelled and non technical caparings of those nymphs who are popularly, supposed to bar© gambolled in tho dfilip. of Aicady for tho steer toy of living, over so far away back in tho mists of mythological times. Miss Allan cannot he judged by any of out acknowledged standards, nor cansliobecompaml with dancers who have danced through Wellington 'recently or remotely. She is uniquo,_ individual, inimitable!. Attired in a brief dross of some light diaphanous material, which falls to the- knee, and with imro feet and arms, she presents, with artistic poiso and grace, tho changing mo«ds of tho music, _ and her quaint posturings, jumpiftga, pirouettes, languid postures, and dramatic appeals aro all given rare emotional colour by her facial expression. There is never a suspicion of tho indelicate, In tho shadows of a curtain-hung hall she poses, arms outstretched, in tho mystic purple light. More light and the throb of tho 'eollo and the plaintive song of the- violin. Slowly the hound head rises and listens. A faint orange glow suffuses in tho. blue, creating a luminous vtmosphero, and there in tie heart of it is the swaying figure—swirling, eddy* ing, swaying to the voluptuous rfayth.tr of a Chopin waltz. It is a dance without special ferns, without Bet figures, *»r de-fiiiito stopa into each bar of music. It is just aft attempt te interpret by natural instinct tho soli of tho music—to give it animated physical forra—'awl that is accomplished ir a delightfai manner. The- music of t-h( masters is selected, by Miss Allan, ant it is played with, rare artistry by the Oherniavsky trio, whose share in las' evening's success was a. very large oni Indeed. .' Miss Allan made her first appearand in "Am Meer" (Sehubert-Ijisit), ii which the placid serenity of the sea, fol lowed by a sadden -storm., was BUggest ed more by ge&turo and pose than b; dance. In the Chopin Valso in A MifloT (Op. 34 No. 2), the, slender form «'; the dancer slips from behind curtains and at oneo woos the spirit of the dan.ee becomei! pensive, appealing, joyful, de spoiident, by turns, as tho music- pro grosses. Then came Mendeksolm': "Sprjng Spngj" and the same figure showing a few sprigs of green again* tho whito of hef tunic, becomes a jgtiil; romping fay of -spring-time, chasinj tho sunbeams, inhaling tho glad per fnmes, and finding 303' in everything The ,cold critical-audioneo gathered i little of the dancer's warmth at ks'frraid, when she become the gay. mjscihie votis laugMng, alluring sprite" in fichu beri's "Moment Musical," there was i definite gust of applause. When th'i -dancer next. appeared it was to inter pret tho "Peer Gynt" suit© of Gfim Ibsen is .always grimly grotesque—h< never entered for laughter, and is ; constant reproof to anyone daring t< be happy, lit "Peer feynt" ho ain his pessimism quite effectively, am tho therao was a highly theatrical em for Miss Allan to exploit. "Mwninjr' was noted for its beatitifii'l lighting ef feets, and tie plastic poses of feh« dancer paying her homaß© to tho de mon. "flte Death of Aso'* Was morbid and perhaps a little gruesome. Heri Miss Allan, swathed in a wisp of blacj net, acted.tho role of the dying woma! considerable powor, fenffing am fighting the grini spectra until she fall pajwing, trerahlihg into iho arms of thi grim ferryman, ""Annitra's f>anee s '- tho dance of the Arabian beautv—*wa: sprightly, alluring, with a touch "of thi sensuous. Then, camo "Tho Dance 0 the Gilowos," in w-hich Miss AJhffi'f arms beeamo writhing snakes, and Actions grotcsqno and wild,. This- Wai a wonderful effort-,, and it earned th< dancer a triple call. In tho seconc half she danced passionately, eavly sadly, a»d madly to the fascinating strains- of Johann Strauss's "Blue Danube" wa.fe; gave pbetip. vitality tt a, ilrahms waltz, and another Grief It was a sheer delight to hear th< Cherniavskys onco ihoro. When tlioj were hero five years ago they weri brilliant students; how they a*s i»a : tured artists without having lost ain of the freshness and elan of then youthful elithti-sksm, Tho Bach trio 'with which they opened tho programme was played witli rare feeling and* rnasi ciuniy precision, and they had to •ae cede to the resultant bis. Misohel, tl)< young 'cellist- has an abounding tcchniqu< and is furnished with that tempera meat which gives colour and rare sym pathy to his work. Ho is a demon strativo player, attitudinising accord ifig to. the charaoter of ths passage hut ho bows with freedom and -produce! a_ broad, rich tone. Ho gave •a. uov vitality to Popper's "Vito," and playe» Van Goen's "Scherzo," with its pro longed Rgitatsd passage, ivith vervi and delicacy, and Schubert's "Weige-n lied" was intoned with a wealth of ex pressiofi, Leo ChernJavKkv, Uip-violin ist, shows a roma-rkablo nieaswm o: improvenieitt. His technical equip niwit denotes him a master, and hi Slavonic temperaiEertt, allied to a rift, tural retiHement, accounted for sod)i very beautiful playing. Ho investet Schttbert's "Avo Maria," with a fill! spirit of fervent reverencO, and, in tin Snfasate "Spanish Daiioe," eshibitet his facility at ail the Sarasate trick! with darting effect. The_ encore wa Zadarcwitsch's "Imagination." Jan Chcrniavskv is a joyous pianist, and ii "Ei-goletto" (Verdi-L-isjit), and Paderew ski's "Minuet" cshiibiod rare digits deftness, as well as a capacity to in terprot with fine intelligence. Las evening's cntcrtttinmont proved th< acoustics of the new Grand Open House t» he all tiint conld ho desired Mr. Frank St. Loger accompanied brit liantly. An entirely Hew pro-grammio will h presented this evening.

A meeting attended, by about fifty persons was hold at Tinui on Saturday night to con Rider the question «f the opening of land id tho district for closer settlement. Sir Walter Buchanan, M.P., and Mr. G. ft. Syfcos, M.P., w»ire present. Sir Walter Bncferttinn Addressed the meeting at -sonic length; and quoted figures to show that tho present Gownnient had done a vory creat dfial to meet the demand for loud, Ho promised to do his best to secure land in this district for closer settlement. The meeting decided to potitfan tho Government to acquire _ estates, for suh-tlirisiou, and A deputation was appointed 'to wait ob the Minister of Lands on the- subject. Members of the Ha who's Bay M«tor< Cycle Club have decided to hold the annual reliability trial oil June 3. Tho route chosen, is from Hastings 1o Daftnevirke, via Ormondvillc, 'Makotokw, snd M'atamau, returning via Norsewood and Taka-paU; a oisUn-Ce of icß miles.