ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2568, 16 September 1915, Page 3

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

A SPLENDID CONCERT. '. Resuscitated last ' evening . after some years of total eclipse, the Wellington Orchestral-. Society, resumes its chequered ;career with every reasonable prospect of a prosperous future. The' history of this' society . has been the history of many kindred bodies in other centres of the .world, experience having laid it down that it is: a matter of asiazing difficulty to seep .a, body. of- : instrumentalists • to-, getfier in harmonic social relation and to make it pay its way Without loss of : those' inusicianly qualities which create that .prestige essential to gain and hold the respect of the public. The society has in the past' done, good work under such conductors as Jlr. Connolly, Mr. Eobt. Parker, JXri , : Alfred Hill,, and. Mr.' SJaughan Barnett, and now it has as a director, in the person of Mr. Bernard F. Page, one who is destined to be a potent figure in the musical world of our': little .New Zealand. With' a deliberation and set purpose he has gradually made his inljjiehce in the sphere of music felt in ■'Wellington, and his debut with the baton at tho Town Hall last evening, when the. UrcKstral Society Was born again, gives a full. and definite • promise of :bettcr things to come. All-things- considered, the concert was more, than: a mediocre' suocess. With infinite-resource Mr. Page; has .managed to gaffier together a very capable orchestra indeed, and with average luck, the existing weaknesses should not long remain. The strings' are.a very sound, section, and, under the -leadership of Herbert Bloy,. did: splendid work lafi' rrening.: .Another .outstanding'.good section was. the brass. The most pressing: needs are strong clarinet, bassoon, and 'cello leads, which should totattract- : •,ed; by; tite obvious merits,of tie rcrt of the band. ' Mr/. Page's. work as a ; conductor was exhilarating. There was all the evidence of conscientious drilling in the fine unanimity/of attack and smooth-' ness in release, in: good, emphases, and modulation. Those inspired crescendos in . the,' JTingal's Cave" overture of Mendelssohn were finely graduated, and there was vital force in his readings to. convincethe most sceptical of strength and. character a conductor. He has a clear nnd comprehensive beat, and a fine clarity and .virility'of intention without un-due.ostentation-in, style.; The - programme ■ was exceedingly' interesting in every detail. It was good to hear onco niore the popular Mendelssolm overture with its Homeric crashes- > of» lnassed sounds . contrasting ; against those, lulls of translucent melody •so "entirely Mendelssohnian in character. The. over- ' ture was ; a favourite .of. the society of old, and its early inclusion in the repertoire; of: the new is recorded..as a-tactical achievement:- of. note. Two charming numbers of a lighter character were the Berceuse" and "Prelude" 1 of; Jarnefeldt. In the former the solo for the violin wtis admirably played by Mr. Bloy, whose presence , as leader was a distinct strength to the orchestra. . Mr. Page speeds! lip the. curiously, attractive. "Prelude," a dainty number, with some merry work for the oboes and flutes, and the encore demanded was thoroughly well deserved. As a boa bouche the. : programme • included tho A Minor Concerto of Schumann, which has not been heard for mahy'yeare .in Wellington. : The. society, was fortunate in securing the services of that brilliant. pianist, Mr. Arthur Alexander, .whose comprehensive technic and nervous foipe were virtues that lent distinction beyond the ordinary -to what was unquestionably ■ a masterly' arid; awakening per-' formance. The final cadenza was played by Mr. Alexander with a sparkle and strength positively 'exhilarating, ' and the coda.it leads into was played with splendid unanimity and precision. - In. re-. 6ponse to very hearty applause Mr. Alexander played very ably ' a ' shimmering eccentricity of'the moodful Debussy, en- • titled "Reflections in the ■ Water." . In the second half tho pianist was once more heard to advantage in the , Chopin "Barcarolle," and,; again recalled, gave an illuminative reading of Brahain's Prelude in G Minor. The orchestra gave an interesting ' performance of • the "Peer Gynt" suite, and a-really fine performance of the grotesque "Triumphal March of the Boyards" (Halvorsen).- ' ■ The vqcalist -of. the'evening was Mr. Frank baritone'was exercised in scena; "Tutto e Deserto" and aria, "H Balen" from "II Trovatore" (Verdi). Mr, ; -'Charlton<saiig; the music correctly and with : fine' tone,-"but lacked, that temperamental tousTi'so'necessary to the complete realisation of operatic music. As an encore lie sang "Duisait" (Lambert). His second number was Coleridge Taylor's fine song, "Eleanore," but, best of all, he sang "Obstihation," a melodious French song .by Pontanailles. Mr. C. 'W.VKerry accom'paniedi timidly.