MUNICIPAL ORGAN RECITAL

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 245, 11 July 1921, Page 5

MUNICIPAL ORGAN RECITAL

a — LARGE AUDIENCE LAST EVENING. Them was a large attendance at the Town Hall last evening on the occasion of the first of the new series of Municipal organ recitals, by the city organist (Mr. Bernard Pago), which will in future be given every Sunday evening. The balcony of the hall was completely filled, and there woe a fair number of people down stairs. The Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P.), addressed the audience prior to the commencement of the recital, and spoke of the council's new decision to hold the recitals on a Sunday evening. He felt sure, ho said, that there wore many lovers of good music in the city, and the council wished to do what it could for them. No charge was being made, but he hoped the collection boxes would be well filled each Sunday. Mr. Pago presented an excellent programme. His Overture, “Coriolan,” (Beethoven), which ho played a couple of weeks ago was not as well played os previously. A request item, “In Passing Moods” (MacDowell), qutts charmed the audience. It consists of four movements- -prologue, an old love story, a deserted farm, and told at sunset showing the composer in the colours of the romance that ho loved. All four movements possess beauty, the beauty of moods. Especially well played and much appreciated was a little "Romanza” by Wolstenholme, at no time more than a whisper. There is direct appeal in the tuneful little work. Karg-Elert’s air and variations upon -a theme of Handel, is a favourite of Mr. .Page, and he played it in a manner that brought prolonged applause. The rollicking variations upon the old theme (portion of a suite written by Handel in .Tune, 1720, during a. visit to London), very difficult, were handled in a most artistic. manner by the organist. Two of the most fantastic yet beautiful of Debussy’s works, the preludes from "La Demoiselle Eluo” and. L ’enfant Prodigno found favour with tho audience. Music lovers have le-arnod to appreciate the work of one of tho most brilliant "moderns.” The finale was the f<imon» finale movement from Tchaikovsky’s sixth (Pathetic) symphony, one of the last, and most beautiful works, of the composer, of which he is reputed to have snid. "T have put the whole of my soul into it.” Mr. Page gripped his audience by his splendid playing. ~