MR. GORDON SHORT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 134, 2 March 1921, Page 6

MR. GORDON SHORT

A BRILLIANT RECITALIST.

Witon) conducted a music. Some eig.it yeais ago h&d gUn much H’Albert The war caupht him in bcr lin and lie with other English students a ‘ Ruhleben for the form of the war. which, from a musical viewpoint was not at all an unprofltab e residence. After the war. he gave recitals in Berlin. Helsingfors and other places, whilst sitting at the feet of Josef Weiss. Z master pianist of whom the world outpide Germany nnd Austria knowa little. Tn the meantime his Mr Davies, nought renewed health l.i Wellington, and through'his offices Wellington has secured Mr. Short 0 service, for a long season it is honed. B Last evening’s recital was by invitation, and the Concert Chamber was filled to canaeitv. The recitalist made an Innovation by explaining briefly. and at times not without humour, tho character of the pieces h " was programmed to jtey. which materially helped the general understanding. His opening number was that, ounint yet charming senes of musical impressions and imitative sidelights on contemporary composers embodied >n pohnmn,nn’s "Carnsval.” a nomilar studs with recitalists. The preamble ho planed with fine breadth and tone, amil in nice contrast ho reflect"? the. light"’ moods of t\e nl»rro* harl""iini. "rd. ooauette movement". delicnte bite, of fn • tnev nicked exit with nervoiw nnd piouanev. In the "Value Mlenmnde f’"" plav was given'to th" tempo rnb"te w'th charming effect, and the Davidebundler march against the Philistines (the necromanticists against the old ”-h""l> was invested wit.h a nice shade of humour. Ket.hing Mr. Short, nlnvnd smeared to nresent t" the recitalist, the sligfitoot dif. ficultv. and whilst, ore -fflld net label him a sentimentalist at the keyboard, there wore noetic touches that showed the artistic temperament.. This was more annaront perhaps in th" Chenin bracket, which inrlnfled the seldom-hcrd. yet very heantifnl "Fantasia in F Minor.” the hrillinnf. Iv-embroiderad "Tmnrnmntu in F Sharp” and the familiar "Pnllade in A Flat.” ?s a sample of Mr. Short's gossamer touch nnd appreciation of top.nl beauty Pnhen«>ein’s "Pare Angellnne” was striking. The rlnnling runs and arpeggios in the accompaniment (for tho right, hand) wars cTocnted with the fleeting 'likeness of a hnttarflv's wtpsr. and an atmo«nhcric effect whcH" chardvjng respited. romtn™ tn the moderns. Mr. (Short nlaved with great r.nirit nn elegant, waits by Folerld-c. movlor t,hc voll.lrnown imnre"'.ioo. flet' dens I'Fan” (reflections on the n’nt.er) bw Debussy and »he. vlgornnd Slavonic "Poltehfnolte” hr Ppchmn.ni’mff. mho flnel bracket was “mifilte int"’esf I ng tr Inelnded Pr-ihm’s "Phancodv in T. Flat" ,1 hie ” ap/l T,l-,-t’s "Htndv iT> T-ln»" n-t h’r "PS n •• Vo -H-S

..l.vnl with nnlioh P"d Power Altogether t’m roo'tpl was a potable one. and the acclamation which followed was thoroughly deserved.