2 mins
From the ARCHIVE
Violinist Arthur Broadley, a long-standing contributor, profiles cellist Beatrice Eveline, said to have given the BBC’s first classical music broadcast in 1922
IWONDER how many of our native violoncellists have received their training – or some portion of it – under the able guidance of W. E. Whitehouse, Esq., the well-known Professor at the Royal Academy of Music, and violoncellist of the London Trio?
After hearing Miss Beatrice Eveline play at a concert, given by the Countess Brassey in the old-world village of Catsfield, my first words were:– “You studied under Whitehouse, of course?”
The look of surprise on Miss Eveline’s face vanished as quickly as it appeared.
“Yes! I am a Whitehouse pupil! Is it very evident then in my playing?”
Miss Beatrice Eveline is Welsh by birth, and at the very early age of eight years actually won a prize at the National Eisteddfod; later winning the John Thomas Welsh Scholarship at the Royal Academy, and the open Scholarship at the Royal College of Music. At both institutions she studied under Mr. Whitehouse; there is no wonder then, that the clean-cut technique, the refined method of delivery, and the thoughtful, well-reasoned interpretative methods of her master are reflected somewhat strongly in her fine playing.
Miss Eveline is a conscientious worker, and I guess everything she plays in public – even the merest trifle – goes through a keen “sifting” process before it is included in her repertoire. There is much to be commended in this attitude; to those of a more “slap-dash” nature, many fine effects come on the spur of the moment – unfortunately, sometimes they do not materialise. With Miss Eveline nothing is left to chance; she makes it a practice to hear every violoncellist who plays in London, and after carefully weighing the pros and cons of their various methods, then, and not until then, does she reason out her own method of interpretation.
GOOSBY PHOTO KAUPO KIKKAS
It is futile to compare her with Suggia, or even with that fine player, Miss Beatrice Harrison – also a one-time pupil of Whitehouse – and the subject of our sketch would be the last to allow any such comparison, but I can say with conviction that she can play Bach. Her interpretation of a portion of the Bach C major Suite – which she played specially for me – gave me as great pleasure as I derived from hearing the famous Casals. It was a totally different interpretation of Bach to that which the famous Spaniard has accustomed us, but all the same it was pure Bach, played in the real classical spirit.
A.B.