A BRILLIANT RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 162, 5 April 1921, Page 8

A BRILLIANT RECITAL

There was a very good and highly enthusiastic audience present at the second recital given by Miss Ray Eox and Mr. Gordon Short in the Concert Chamber last evening. Were the music-loving people awake to the quality of these artists there would not have been a sent to spare. Tn Mr. Gordon Short Web lington is fortunate in the possession of a solo pianist who approaches the virtuoso class, whose variety of tone and touch is a lesson to all aspirants to nmnirtic glory, and whose personality makes all music interesting, Massing over the Beethoven-D’Albert “Scottish Dances ” in which there is nothing very characteristic of “Caledonia Stern and Wild n ever-beautiful Moonnsfht Sonata,of Beethoven was played in a manner that emphasised its inherent loveliness. At his. second appearance/ Mr. Short introduced a charming bouquet from brilliant modernists. From the garden of exquisite music left to the world bv the American composer, MacDowell.' two graceful posies, fragrant with the breath of spring, were selected in “To a Wild Rose” and “To a Water Lily,” each played with delicate refinement of touch and tone. “Noel” (Balfour Gardiner) is a charming little niece in the Christmas spirit. Bert of nil was "A Highland Lament” (Edgar Barrntf), a noble fragment of music in the form of a sombre march, strong, dignified, and proud. Mr. Short was acclaimed, and as an encore plavcd with dainty /grace and ferlinp Debussy’s “Reflets dans I’eau.” Bis final bracket was Chonin—the “Impromptu in A Flat” “Prelude in D Flat,” and the exquisite "Ballade in G Minor,” played with bewitching brilliancy. As a final recall, the recitalist played again the showv paraphrase by Liszt of Verdi’s “Rigolctto,” which roused a veritable storm of applause. ( Miss Ray Fox played the all-deninndihg Max Bruch "Concerto in G Minor” very well indeed, the charming adagio being very beautifully intoned. She also played the first movement of Lalo’s "Spanish Symphony” (which is not so attractive as tho third movement), the Schubert-Wilhelmj "Ave Maria” (played with deep reverence and fine tone), and Sarasate’s lively "Gipsy Aire.” which redounds with the Spanish master’s talent for pizzicato trickery, beloved of audiences. As an encore she, nlgyed the ouaint and difficult "Goblin Dance” of Bazzini with surpassing skill and rhythmical abandon. Mr. Short played with Miss Fox in the “Concerto” and Mr. C. Fry ably accompanied her other numbers,