MUSIC OF THE WEEK

Radio Record, 19 August 1938, Page 34

MUSIC OF THE WEEK

There is no art without life, >There is no life without growth, femere There is no growth without change, There is no change without contird-versy.-Hrank Rutter,

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SCHERZO

T seems curious that sopranos engaged by the NBS should generally lack tonal power. In recent weeks I have heard several whose range and command of volume not even the witchery of radio could flatter. And last week ever. Madame Margherita Zelanda revealed a curious lack in her recitals from 2YC. Power in soprano singing after all does not necessarily mean leather-lunged effort. But it does mean that a soprano enn produce as the occasion demands a note of some volume, controlled and effected in a way to grip her listeners--the sort of note that lifted half the andicnce from their seats when Lina Palinghi, in New Zealand half a dozen years ago with the Williamson opera company, took the top note in "Caro Nome." Such singing had the quality of inspiration. Though New Zealand may take ‘decades to produce a singer as good as Paliughi, something of her gift is necessary if a soprano is to be remembered. To be just, that was about the only fault I could find with Madame Zelandan’s recitals, though I did have a -guspicion once or twice about her breath control. But her clear conception of the melodie line and its delivery in a delighifully fresh voice of pure tone made her songs pleasant. And Y cannot commend too highly her excellent enunciation, even if much of it was

wasted on the sundry adventurings of butterflies and elves. "PHE lack of robustness in all registers, demonstrated by Miss Audrey Holdgate’s singing of Verdi’s. "A Fors KE Tui," from 3LA, soon made it evident that she had not the bel canto style, Consequently, though her attempt was not hopeless, it was not inspired. And [ still believe that Miss Holdgate, like many of her kin, would exploit her talents more suitably by the choice of songs not so much to her taste, which is relatively unimportant, as to her voice, which is all-important. ‘yiss MEDA PAINE (to harp on the soprano motif) did suit her voice py the choice of the Kashmiri love song "On Jhelum River," in a recital from 4YA. But there was no disguise of atendency to harshness on some of her notes, Nevertheless, her enunciation

was good and the lower and middle registers were well-formed. In the upper register, she was not quite as good. But the recital was interesting and the accompaniment splendid, SOME fine ‘cello work was a feature of Mignan’s "A l’Heure Ensoleillee," played by Hamilton Dickson’s string orchestra from 2YC last Wednesday. Whoever the ‘cellist was, he or she played well and dominated, in a comparison of technique, the violins. In spite of the strictly tuneful reading by the conductor, the violins often failed him by a thinness of tone. And more polish is needed there hefore the orchestra develops to a soemnd combination. CRITICISED the Woolston Brass Band a week or two ago for its attempt at Tschaikowsky’s "Pathetique." Last week, the band tackled the "William Tell" overture and the work was coloured infinitely better than the sym: phonie movement. But there were still weaknesses, the worst a tendency by the cornets to untunefulness and a muddy note-texture. In the storm sec tion, the tempo was fine, rousingly exciting. But the eornefs were again at fault with a suspicious "peepiness," and the counterpoint which followed was not clearly develeped in the second melody. More form to the work was generally needed, though there were sections capitally done. Another work played by the band was the "Southland March," apparently, if my understand- © ing of the announcer was-correct, a work played for the first time and the fruit of honest fabour by a Mr, Trussell. At any rate it was dedicated to some Masterton man. The band gaye it n lively rendering, exploiting its

tunefulness and "marchability’ with skill, F my newspaper reading is precise, Miss Therle Oswin, who gave a Te cital from 2X¥C iast week, has had the benefit of a good deal of English training. Her choice of Parry's "Shulbrede" tunes indicated an acquaintance with lesser-known works. But I cannot. truthfully say that my interest degenerated from the well-bred; the tunes, simple enough in all conscience, were seareely gripping and Miss Oswin’s playing at the start lacked the nedessary unity to be fully convincing. Later she came into her own much hetter, and her pedalling in "Bogies and Sprites that Gambol by Nights’ was uniformly good. I regret, however, that even the introduction of the "Three Blind Mice" tune failed to rouse me, (IRCUMSTANCES over which I had ‘no control-which is about the politest way I can talk of statie-made my reception of the Christchurch Maie Voice Choir’s concert anything but satisfactory, though the noise cleared during the time I heard Miss Holdgate in her grand opera number, From what I heard of the choir, I judged it to be a capable. well-balanced body, yery good in the softer passages, but not quite so convincing in full voice. More than likely, however, the fault was the radio's, for Dr. Bradshaw's choirs have the general merit of soundness, Mx criticism of six numbers played by an instrumental trio from 2X¥C last Thursday was consistently of the violin playing by Miss Olga Burton. Five of the six numbers were by Popper, and the other was Drdla’s "Sere. nade." Mr. J. Rodgers, the flautisi, improved from an indifferent start, though in the top notes of the "Serenade" he oeeasionally came pretty close to 4 squeak. And Miss Lalla Vondersloot was capable throughout, though the piano was coming through too heayily at times, partienlarly from the left rind. But Miss Burton’s bowing was consistently uncertain, and the furriness of her note in piano passages was almost as bad as the quaver at the same time. In the "Serenade" her pitch was not precise, and the tone was often too shrill. The trio combined well enough, and its best moments were good. (COLERIDGE-TAYLON’S "Ballade in © Minor" for yiolin, opens in. dirgelike style, and its heavy air requires a deal of concentration for correct playing. Lapses in concentration were, | think, the chief fault of Miss Hthel Wallace when she essayed the work from 4YA. Consequently, there were times when she wandered from pitch. Otherwise, her bowing was firm and her technique not without its splendid moments.