A BRILLIANT PIANOFORTE DEBUTANTE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 269, 2 August 1918, Page 6

A BRILLIANT PIANOFORTE DEBUTANTE

MISS ESTHER FISHER'S RECITAL. So,rare have, beeu the occasions of pianotorte recitals in Wellington of recent years that it was with considerable interest and not a. little curiosity that a'iarge audience attended at the Concert Chamber to hear the efforts of a debulante. iu a classical programme, calculated to test the ability of any pianist outside the pale of accepted virtuosity. The debutante was Miss Esther Fisher, daughter of Mr. J?. M. B. Fisher, exMinister of Customs. Without any visible effort and the slightest suspicion of nervousness she had no difficulty in impressing the critical audience with her unquestionable capacity In the interpretation of pianoforte works which demand the fullest technical training. Miss Fisher played with a brilliance of execution beyond her years', and when it is stated that she played the whole , of the programme through without innsic—a feat expected of the professional—her effort must bo regarded «s .1 remarkable one. The completeness of her technical equipment surprised and delighted the nnwt captious of critics. Hers was not the mincing elTort of the budding school miss. She has .strength and character, and before she had proceeded very far/vith tho opening n umbel —Brahitfs's "Sonata in It Minor"—it was patent to all that this mero girl was mistress of the keyboard, that in her were possibilities of eminence as a pianist. Miss Fisher has probably arrived at that stage when 'there is little left for her to learn in tho confines of the Dominion. Further improvement must be looked for in the acquisition abroad of finer graces of virtuosity—beauty of tone, delicacy of touch, and polish in delineation. ■ Her confidence, her absolute correctness iu fingering, and the sense ahe possesses in her reservo and accurate knowledge of tho valuo of pause, as indicated in the Sonata, give high promise for her future. Tho opening movement was played with rare force and dignity, and in "tho cool flowing andante which followed she showed mi usual composure and restraint. The. scherzo was brilliantly played, with a nureness of touch that commanded admiration. Tlien followed the brief solemn intermezzo, full of softened charm, and tbo finale, which is woven round what some writers have termed the "Three Blind Mice" motif, was played with a brilliance that evoked the warmest applause. Miss Fisher, perhaps wisely, eschewed the modern composers, adhering to the be.st only among the accepted classics. A Schuimuin bracket followed the Sonata. It consisted of the B flat major and 15 flat major Fantasias —the first a cool, suave number of great tonal beauty, and tho second, in happy contrast, a scintillating vivace lrovcmeut (in which tho piauist's technique iu a veritable cascade of difficult ciiords was remarkable), merging in lovely gradations to a smooth flowing andante. An Allegro (Opus 8) displayed the player's shimmering facility in jewelled orpeggios at tho top of the piano. The Bach "Ohoconne in D Minor," arranged by Busonj, is a number calculated to make the boldest student flinch. It was played with easy dominance and arresting power by Miss Fisher. The final bracket was dp- < voted to Chopin—an exhausting selection cmlxidying the difficult "Ballade in F Minor," which offered no obstacle.-?, save, perhaps, temperamental limitation, to the performer. The familiar "Berceuse" (Opus 57)— none better is known to the world of music—wa-s played with commendable regard to its mellifluous moonlight mood, and the "Barcarolle" (Onus GO), with its sweet cadences and voluptuous rhythm, was ably played. Three etudes (in 13 Major, F Minor, and G flat major), in varying moods,-further showed the resources of the pianist over an extended field of music, and the brilliant "Scherzo in C sharp minor" gained the fair executant further kudos, and a gratifying hail of applause.