Finlay's Trio

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 496, 24 December 1948, Page 8

Finlay's Trio

NE of the most interesting broadcasts ~. I have heard for a long time was'that of the Trio in G for flute and two violins by H. J. Finlay, of Wellington. The composer has given himself a difficult combination to handle in that the ranges of the instruments are so alike and so much in the treble. This means that unless the instrumentation is handled with skill we will be always conscious of ‘absence of middle and bass parts. Dr, Finlay’s placing of the music was done So neatly that the lack of bass was not felt at all in the first and last movements and only in the slow second movement did the ear sometimes long for a deeper chord. The harmonies were such as would not shock any ear accustomed to music of the last part of the 19th Century. The first movement was delightfully light-hearted, in divertimento mood. The second, and more emotional, slow movement aimed at a higher plane. That it did not entirely reach: that plane I felt was due somewhat to the nature of the combination. The flute is an ideal strument for displaying the shape of a phrase; it is not so adept at infusing that phrase with emotion. It was this, I thought, that made the movément seem a little long; were it scored for string quartet, or quartet and clarinet, for example, it might give the music more scope. The last movement was a sparkling little fugue and canon, full of deft touches, admirably suited to the instruments. The whole trio was a really first‘class piece of work, and Dr, Finlay is to be congratulated. James Hopkinson’s limpid flute tone has never been heard better. I thought that the violins, Francis

Rosner and Mary _Hopkinson, sounded rather matter-of-fact, but it is -difficult to know whether or not this was the style of playing ‘which the composer wanted.