SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

Evening Star, Issue 22447, 18 September 1936, Page 12

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.

ro rm EDITOR. gu- ) —As a subscriber of the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra, I have never missed a concert since its inception. At times I have helped by more than paying my subscription and being a conscious student of music I found something new to learn at every concert. This last concert, however, disappointed me. The programme was not one that could be classed ns a strict symphony programme such as one would meet with on the Continent given by any symphony orchestra of class. Regarding the symphony rendered at last concert—namely, the ‘ Unfinished ’ (Schubert), the first movement is ‘Allegro moderate,’ and the second ‘ Andante con moto.’ In this case the first movement was taken “ Andante con moto ” and the second “ Allegro moderate,” this work thus receiving an entirely wrong treatment, and the word interpretation could not be applied to it. In the actual sense and in the meaning of the composer, it was only a transposition of the symphony. The introduction to the second movement of the concerto was, indeed, up to the usual standard; also the selection from ‘La Boheme.’ It is strange that such a mediocre composition as the latter should find itself on a Dunedin Symphony Orchestra programme. There is one orchestra locally to present music of the lighter and middle class type. I hope in the future that the Symphony Orchestra will still maintain the standard set in the past. At the last concert it. was noticeable that the orchestra was playing out of tune quite frequently—something unknown in the past. This criticism is written with a constructive motive; may it be taken so.—l am, etc., Opus I. September 18.