The Week's Music...

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 819, 7 April 1955, Page 10

The Week's Music...

by

SEBASTIAN

T long last we are to hear the onetime prima dona of the Ellice Island Opera-Anna Russell: parodist without peer, mistress of scalding satire, evoking ecstatic reviews from the hard-est-boiled American critics. "British Singer’s Longhair Takeoffs Wow Audiences" was one typical banner, which describes what she does and how it is received, but the full impact that her voice makes can’t be described to those who have not heard its protean manifestations and doubtful charms. At the risk of being accused of anticipating the event, I must condole with anyone who misses her Art. From the sublimely ridiculous to the purely sublime, and Maurice Clare’s series of Bach’s unaccompanied violin works (NZBS). In the first programme, he showed that at least the remainder will be worth the hearing. He gave an enlightening introduction explaining his use of the bow and style of the time, and leaving us in no doubt as to his intensive study of these works over a long period. His playing of the G Minor Sonata was accurate and assured, being in the best Bach traditions with certain personal overtones, and in no way as

"scratchy" as so many string players make the solo works. Perhaps this was due to the bow-I prefer to believe that it was Mr. Clare. In particular, the fugue was masterly, with the parts clearly distinguishable and smooth. In between movements Gerald Christeller sang a Bach aria, a practice that I’m afraid is going to be continued for the remainder of the series: not because of the singing, which was restrained and iin keeping with the whole atmosphere of the programme, but because of its disrupting effect on the continuity of the sonata. Though the latter is indeed almost a suite, I can’t agree that it is boring enough to demand an intermission; those who think it is will probably not listen to the programme at all. For something unusual, I can recommend Borsari’s Quintet-Concerto for woodwind and harp, which is being heard at the moment in one of the FBS programmes. The style is contemporary (whatever that means), and the playing impeccable. In this case, I take "contemporary" as implying glightly more discord than most of us are used to; but here every method is employed to make this palatable, even to the conservative listener.