Generous Noise

The magnificent F minor Schubert Fantasy for piano duet came as a relief afterwards. Though Jenny McLeod and Murray Brown tended to rant and roar in the aggressive parts and their texture throughout tended to be muddy, their balance and sense of architecture was always satisfying.' Treatment of the relaxed moments was often very beautiful.

The evening ended with a group of bass-baritone songs sung by Nelson Wattie, who made an intelligent and generous noise, though perhaps throwing his weight around overmuch. Having struggled manfully with a movement from a Bach church-cantata, brought the house down with a Hugo Wolf comic piece and peered dimly at a Debussy chanson, he riveted all our attention with two ghoulish ballads: one of Moussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death, and David Farquhar's setting of "Lord Randall."

The composer was heard to murmur that there was more Wattie than Farquhar in the latter, but the Moussorgsky alone was worth the price of admission (sixpence optional, coffee included). Why weren't there more people to hear it?