ORGAN RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 300, 15 September 1919, Page 6

ORGAN RECITAL

Mr. Bernard F. Page, City Organist, gave another recital at tho Town Hall on Saturday' evening. Tho programme was of the usual high standard, far abovo the heads of SIS per cent, of tho music-loving peoplo of Wellington. The programme was the fuie overture "King Stephen," originally, of course, written for orchestra. This overture has a story. It was written at a timo when Beethoven was in straitened circumstances through some worrying law suits, and the manuscript was purchased, with the "Ruins of Athens" overture and Onus 113 for 75 guineas bv the London Philharmonic (in July, 1815). The overture is a noble piece tf musical structure. which cannot lie heard to the best advantage on the organ. It calls for "the glorious army of strings" to' transmit its many beauties. The great Baoli "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" is always well played by Mr. Page, but though he knows his Bach, tho audience cannot possibly enjoy such music when it becomes blurred (in tho forte passages) into merely chaotic roar of sound throu'.'h the acoustic defects of tho Town Hall. In contrast to tho rolling glory of Each was played an Andanto (from a string quartet), by Debussy, and "A Tear," bv the great Moussorgsky, whoso weird "Gate of tho ..Warriors" was also included in tho programme. Other numbers wore Gouvy's "Serenade" (No. 5), a gavotto by Wesloy, and T6chikovsky's "Elegy" for strings (No, 2 in G).