GRAMOPHONE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 89, 16 April 1927, Page 28

GRAMOPHONE NOTES.

ARTISTS AND THEIR RECORDS.

(By SOUNDBOX.)

The Metropolitan Opera House Orchestra (New York) conducted by Gennaro Papi, gives us a well-filled and well-played disc in the Prelude and Intermezzo from Mascagni's "Cavalleria Kusticana" (50067).

Mick Lucas, "The Crooning Troubadour," who in genuine troubadour fashion strums his own accompaniments on a guitar, adopts the whispering style that is so much the vogue in his singing of "A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich, and iYou" and "Whose Who Are You" (3052).

An interesting example of the work of Mario Chamlee, a tenor who has made many friends per medium of the gramophone is "Paquita," a Spanish serenade, with plenty of local atmosphere,, and the favourite "Berceuse" from Jocelyn, this having a violin accompaniment by Fredric Fradkin (10126).

A singer of melodious light music, who succeeds in adding a touch of his own to whatever he sings, is Wendell Hall, who is known as the red-headed music maker. In his singing of "Just a Bird's Eye View of My Old Kentucky Home" and "Meadow-lark" (3331), he introduces a series of adjectives (quite nicely) into the chorus and adds the little extra that changes the straight refrain into quite interesting patter.

Rumania's affairs, with an errant heir, a touring queen and a dying king, have been much to the fore lately, so that a record by the leader of Queen Marie's Royal Concert Orchestra has at the moment an added interest. Gica Jonescu plays "Russian Gypsy Romance" as a violin solo, and with Constantine Jonescu plays a piano and violin duet, "My Thoughts" (3181). The instrumentalists display fine talent and the recording is good.

H. T. Barnett, in the 1927 edition of his moat useful and interesting annual, ''Gramophone Tips," gives some helpful advice as to how to get the best from worn records. When a record "goss grey" with age, when those terrible signs of wear appear, that indicate the approaching death throes of an old friend, he suggests the use of a very fine needle, which if shortened will produce a fair volume of tone. It is kinder to the record than the thicker needle, and will delay the decision that at last the scratch of age, where the wave line shows the grey that is the sign of wear, exceeds the music that can be extracted from the bare bones. A valuable hint where old favourites are in danger.

"One good turn deserves another," and the following clipping is interesting as showing how financial support from gramophonists helps:—"The excellent sales enjoyed by the gramophone records of the Westminster Abbey special choir have set it on its feet and will enable it to have a perfectly free choice with its music in future. The immediate outcome of this is that the special choir is now rehearsing Grell's Mass. This has never been heard in England before, although the composer, a German, was born at the beginning of last century. Its intricacy is remarkable, seeing that it contains no fewer than 16 parts, compared with the usual four, and it will not be heard by the pubHc until the summer."

An English gramophone- magazine 13 the source of this clipping, but the "overseas reader" mentioned is not the writer of this poor column of notes, althouga he is in hearty accord with the senti ments expressed:—The following extract from a letter from an overseas reader who contributes a weekly gramophone page to the leading paper in his country deserves quotation and endorsement : '% too, have a habit of telling „ the truth about a record (a rare thing in this country), and although the companies do not relish being told an issue is not good, I must say that most of them have been as sporting as your advertisers. The gramophone trade all over the world evidently consists of broad-minded and far-seeing business men." Readers may remember that last week

in referring to a number from "Sunny," a wish was expressed that more duets by mixed voices be issued. An excellent example of what the writer had in mind is provided, strangely enough, in another song from the same tuneful musical comedy success. Virginia Rea with a good soprano voice, and Franklyn Baur, well known to followers of light music, and the possessor of a particularly pleasing voice, do "D'ye Love Me" in a manner that will surely appeal to all music-lovers, even the high-brow in his hour of ease. The harmony is excellent and anyone who hears this record (3281) will know the style of duet of which the writer hopes for more. Theo Karle, after the fashion of other well known American singers, is equally at home in any class of music. His tenor voice, of a rather unusual but pleasing quality, has earned him a considerable popularity. As showing the wide range he covers, in keeping with the American idea of providing something for all tastes, the following random selection is mentioned: "If, With All Your Hearts," and "Then Shall the Righteous Shine Forth" (13055) from Mendelssohn's "Elijah," "Bring Back the (.olden Days" and "When You and I Were Young, Maggie" (13066), "I'll Forget lou and "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise" (13076), "Little Bit of I Heaven and "Heaven at the End of the Road" (13458), 'TU Sing Thee Songs of Araby" and "Little Mother of Mine" (13060); Blumenthal's "Evening Songs' and our old friend "The BelU „*? St. Mary's" (13063). A bright and c.i-rry philosophy is evidenced bv thp majority of the titles. y he There is unquestlonally a tendency to make light music more musical— to eliminate the loud and jarring elements votal or instrumental. A marked fhr.r."e is also taking place in the style of ; . !L; ,mpaniment being provided foi this class of music. The one-tim< comii.on pi:--i:o and vocal arrangement it now almost an exception. Severa instruments are often used in eombina tion„ instances noticed recently bein "The Prisoner's Song" and "The Bur BWa y Train," with guitar an f'chromonica" as sung by Vernon Da! liart, who sings "The Chain Gang Song fooil) to the same quaint accompan iTcnt; and his "Old Fiddler's Song" wit the popular "Lay My Head Beneath ■nose" (3234), which he does to tl -trains of violin and lute, the latfo In archaic instrument more oft« referred to symbolically taan P lay ( iu «» rlavs: Dalhart and Robison, sin SpIJE W- Away" and «J U iLlodv" (3232), use a violin, 'cello ai