After a long paragraph of philosophical
speculation on ‘beauty unobserved’ and genius unrecognised, the English
composer Ernest Austin (1874-1947) begins his review of Thomas Dunhill’s first
chamber concert. It was held at the Queen’s Hall recital room as detailed in my
earlier post on this event. No additional notes or commentary are required for
this review.
Austin writes:-
The endeavour of Thomas Dunhill
to bring to public notice the gifts of his countrymen in musical composition
merited a better response than his first concert obtained and it is to be hoped
that better attendances will be accorded his concerts on June 14 and June 21.
The attendance on June 7 was scarce, not because of any demerit in his
programme, but because our days are branded by the curse of indifference to
mental pastimes. The mind’s enjoyment appears to be one of the last things to
engage public attention, but entertainments that provide by subtle artifice, sufficient
charm to engross the more animal senses, are quite certain of success.
Thomas Dunhill brought forward a work
of absolute genius, a Sextet for piano and string by Joseph Holbrooke, ‘In
Memoriam’, op.32 ‘To the Memory of Frederick Westlake’ The first two movements
of this work were charged with that indescribable power by which men’s minds
can respond to the infinite beauty and mystery of existence. The perpetual
questionings of the spirit regarding the anomalies of human life will always be
first thoughts to high-minded musicians and poets, and in this work under
consideration I found the tension of great emotion and powerful utterance. My
opinion regarding the third movement is that it is out of place in an heroic
composition. Musically, it has vast claims, but its gaiety is not of the heroic
type, it is too gracious to be accorded its present companionship. This is
probably a fastidious opinion, but the sheet power of the first two movements
removes one’s outlook to such high ground; and there is nothing in Art or
Nature which can afford to despise environment- environment gives force and
value, it is the measure of Beauty and Beauty is agreement
Messrs. John Saunders, H Waldo
Warner, E.Yonge, J. Preuvners and G. Yate were in charge of the strings in
Holbrooke’s Sextet, and they gave it a performance sufficient to satisfy the
highest wish of any composer. The work was played with real sympathy and affection.
I did not hear the entire evening’s
programme but mention must be made of some excellent piano pieces by James
Friskin, Intermezzo in C sharp minor, Prelude in G major, Caprice in A major.
There is much first hand beauty in these, but a flavour of Mendelssohn was here
and there noticeable.
Ernest Austin: The Musical Standard 15 June 1907
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