ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

Evening Star, Issue 22452, 24 September 1936, Page 1

ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY

THIRD CONCERT OF SEASON A DISAPPOINTING PERFORMANCE Jt is reasonable to assume that a programme of such transparent simplicity as the one performed by the Orchestral Society at its third concert last night should not have contained the inconsistencies it did. The presentation was clearly below standard, and the society’s subscribers who attended the Concert Chamber in force must have been disappointed that the orchestra did not play with the purpose that has distinguished its music at more difficult concerts. There were definite sectional weaknesses. The brass section was shaky, and the ’cellos and violas failed to reproduce that important tonal background that should emphasise the richness of the strings. In point of fact, the impurities of tone registered by the strings were mostly responsible for the lack of interpretative colour that characterised the majority of the numbers. However, some good playing was heard, especially in the second half of the programme. the orchestra partly redeeming itself. The orchestra’s introductory work was ‘ Torok Magyar,’ a Hungarian march arranged by Louis de Reeder. Hero tone was sacrificed for a too strongly emphasised l martial rhythm, which was incoherent and cloudy. After essaying that imperishable gem, the intermezzo from Mascagni’s ‘ Cavalleria Rusticana,’ the ensemble turned to the orchestrated version of Chopin’s ‘ Polonaise in A Flat.’ The rhythmic values of this celebrated pianoforte show piece were not adhered to, and there were some very weak braes passages. The major work of the concert was Mendelssohn’s ‘ Concerto in G Minor,’ in which. Miss Ethel Gardiner was associated l with the orchestra. Miss Gardiner is a fluent tonalist and an able technician, her playing being stamped with vigour and finish. Unfortunately, the same qualities did not apply to the orchestra, which failed to back her up until the powerful last movement, when it assumed some semblance of co-ordination with the soloist (whom it had frequently drowned in the preceding movements). The andante especially was very uninspiring, due mainly to the ■ raggedness of the violas and ’cellos. The final movement was repeated. A decidedly more impressive rendition was heard in ‘ Tally-ho,’ a rollicking overture embodying hunting melodies skilfully arranged by Ansell. It f was presented to the society by Mr H, Adams, a vice-president, and,, ushered "in the second part of the programme. There was also more vigour and cleaner interpretative shading in Bohm’s robust ‘ Sarabande,” even if balance was occasionally shaky. The orchestra was at its host in a bracket of descriptive scenes in which the “ musical brogue ” of Ireland was colourfully conveyed. They were also given by Mr Adam and constitute an interesting acquisition to the orchestra’s library. The expression of grief in ‘ The Sligo Maid’s Lament ’ was finely conveyed; ‘ Down the Ennis Road ’ was skilfully embellished; and the jaunty air of 1 After Limerick Races ’ was given with confident verve. This lively fragment was repeated. The prelude and mazurka from Delibes’s ‘ Coppelia ’ ballet was indecisive and contained a melodic roughness and several shaky brass entries. The concert concluded with selections from Sullivan’s. ‘ lolanthe.’ The-vocalist for the evening was Mrs W. Hall-Masters (nee Miss Noni Davidson). She sang the lilting ‘ Over Hill, Over Dale ’ (Cook) with rare interpretative skill, and invested * The Bird of the Wilderness ’ with sensitive shading. Mrs Hall-Masters has a purity of enunciation that should be an object lesson to many other vocalists in this city. Her concluding number was ‘ The Princess,’ by Grieg. She responded to the insistent calls of the audience with two encores. The accompanist was Miss Sybil Baker, who played with her usual sympathetic insight.