Robert Gartside

Today Robert Gartside '50 leaves this country for a fellowship abroad. Before leaving, however, the assistant conductor of the Harvard Glee Club sang a farewell concert which must rank locally as his greatest personal musical achievement. Not only was his choice of program excellent, but he was also in better vocal form then ever before.

In the past Gartside has had a tendency to try to trumpet his rather small tenor voice, producing a loud, shrill, and often unpleasant sound. On Tuesday night, however, he was content to sing much more softly and with much more attention to quality of tone. It is still true that he has few soothing sounds in his voice, but most of the tight, hard quality of past years is gone.

It was a pleasure to hear a concert made up of complete song cycles, rather than the usual recital of individual isolated songs. most familiar of the cycles presented was Beethoven's An die ferne Geliebte. While Gartside's musicianship and sense of phrasing were apparent, his voice did not quite have the richness required for these romantic songs. He was more successful with Le Bestiaire, Poulenc's witty setting of the Apollianaire verses. Gartside sang these with elan and elegance, and wonderfully rendered the sardonic, bittersweet spirit of the music.

The real treat of the evening was a chance to hear two seldom performed and magnificent song cycles, Faurc's L'Horizon Chimerique and Vaughan Williams' On Wenlock Edge. Gartside showed his ability in mezza-voce in the third of the Faurc songs, Diane, which was chillingly beautiful.

On Wenlock Edge was the only cycle not represented in the printed program with complete lyrics, probably because of its English text. The printed words would have been appreciated, however, because despite Gartside's best effort the text was only intermittently intelligible. In this work John Woodworth '32, the fine pianist of the evening, was joined by a topflight student string quarter. Combined with Gartside's finest singing, the result was unusually exciting music.