MUSIC and RECORDS.

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 171, 7 April 1923, Page 20

MUSIC and RECORDS.

By

C.J.M.

Cerardy in Sydney. Joan Gerardy arrived in Sydney •asl month, from America-, after an absence of long years. This period has carried on his career from a youth as brilliant in actual achievement as any living artist can boast to an assured position of established eminence throughout Europe and America. This great ’cellist is accompanied by Madame Gerardy, who will be remembered as a Sydney girl, Amelia McQuade (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry McQuade), who was of note as one of the show of pupils of the late Sydney .doss (pianist); and by John Stewart McManus, an American pianist, principally trained at Berlin, where ne studied for six years under Godowsky and others, before the war. •‘Thank God, my Strad is safesafe, safe —and alive I” he exclaimed when he unpacked his matchless in strument. “Why, did you think it would come out of the box dead? * “Well, of course, one never knows what happens during a long voyage, and string instruments, especially the ’cello, are very delicate affairs and temperamental,” he said, as he stooped over the case in which reposed his £lO.OOO Strad ’cello. . The Belgian ’cellist and his beloved Strad had arrived at the where it was impossible to get the artist to say anything till he had satisfied himself that the ’cello was all right. . “You want to know the history <>», the ’cello. 'Well, it belonged to Lord Norton, and had been in his family for ever so many years. It had not been played upon for 80 years when I got it. It is a priceless - instrument, and its date is 1710. Harland Son, of London, made me a re plica of it. This I use on sea voyages and at other times when H would not be wise to expose the original. “I think it a tragedy for you> musical life that you have lost Verbrugghen. He is my countryman, of course, but it is not for that I say so. It is because he is a great artist. Ido not suppose that you yet quite realise what you havo losi ■ “And as for your orchestra, ot course, I am deeply disappointed tha* it is not hero for me to play with. All I you should not have allowed that to go. Before 1 went on my last tour to America I was in Poland, and at Lbdz, a city of 500,000 inhabitants, they havo a fine orchestra. They give five concerts each week, three of big music and two popular. “Then in America I found a splendid orchestra in every city. These orchestras are kept going by rich pen pie, who recognise the orchestra as tlie mother of musical education and a tremendous force in culture.” Stray Notes.

Next year Mme. Tetrazzini is visiting Australia, where she has not before appeared—a fact quite accountable when it is remembered that Australia has produced its own Queen of Song in Dame Nellie Melba, who still reigns and is likely to reign. MmeTetrazzini’s Australian terms are £lOOO per concert for thirty concerts. The American figure is a little lower —a trifle of £9OO a concert. At tho present moment she is in Italy on a visit to her sister Luisa Tetrazzini, widow of Signor Campanini, the conductor, so well known here at Covent Garden. Mme. Luisa Tetrazzini, who is a mezzo, appeared at Covent Garden- in the eighties.

A musical competition was recently hold in ono of thv Pennsylvania prisons, with the result that two of the prisoners, or rather “inmates” as they are called in, America, submitted compositions. so much superior to those of their fellows in misfortune that ‘.hey were awarded the prize jointly. One by a negro was aptly called “Ungewohnlich,” the other, more sentimentally, “Fate.” Both were played by the prison band on Labour Day and were “wall rreeived. '

The tense drama of certain Biblical stories has often made them excellent subjects for opera. Saint-Saens, for example, did great things musically with tine story of “Samson and Delilah.” Tho legend of Noah and his family, however, does not appear to hold many possibilities for operatic treatment, yet from New York comes the news that Carl Brandorff’s latest composition is a grand opera, “Noah.” AU Noah’s family appear in the cast, the building of the ark is shown in the action, and likewise the embarking of Noah and his household and the animals, two by two I

A few years ago it was considered bad form to adapt classical music to dance purposes. If a waltz was asked for, the orchestra was ready with “Druid’s Prayer,”. “The Chorister,” “Destiny,” or some other popular composition of tho hour. Better than all these was the beautiful “Blue Danube” waltz which delighted at least two generations of dancers who were just as appreciative of a good dance as those for whom a “jazz” is rapture. But those to whom a music of the finer kind is a serious cult must ba prepared to have their sensitive feelings lacerated, for not only has the delightful “Chanson Indoue,” which Dame Nellie Melba sings with such exquisite expression and under standing been set as a fox-trot “rag,’’ but the lovely “Madame Butterfly’’ music has been used, a piece here and a piece there, in a lilting waltz. Another musical mutilation is the adaption of tho aria “Softly A’jakes the Heart,” from “Samson and Delilah,” which has been “ragged” to meet the insatiable demands of the moment for something new and unexpected.

•Mr. Andre Skalski, the young Polish pianist, wdio arrived at Auckland iroin Sydney on Monday last, was born m Warsaw. Andre Skalski is 26 years of age, and is said to be the youngest pianisi conductor in the world. After a successful debut m Germany, he conducted grand opera in the Ducal Theatre at Sondershausen. He has travelled through Siberia, China, Japan, Korea, Java, and Australia, .and, after his present visit to New Zealand will return to Sydney. He will give recitals at the chief cities of the Dominion, and one phase of his programme that will doubtless appeal to many is a matinee of music written solely for children. An appreciative reference to the Australians’ love of music was voiced in an interview by Mr. Skalski (says the “Herald”). The development of music in Australia, he said, was expanding. It was a country with a wonderful musical promise, but for the full development of its musical genius it would be necessary to establish music conservato’res. He looked forward to the creation of a purely Australian musical atmosphere which would express ■ the wonderful spirit of +hat vast country.

On one occasion Siloti had heard Anton Rubinstein play the “Moonlight Sonata,” and seeing Liszt shortly afterwards could not disguise his enthusiasm at the Russian master’s performance. A lady pupil happened to be present who had a copy of the ‘Moonlight” amongst her music. “My dear child,” said Liszt, looking at her, “this piece must not be brought to the lessons; I allow no one to play it, because when I was young it was my specialite. But as ‘we’ are in a good humour to-day, I will play it to you.” Then; Liszt began to play, and the effect, Siloti says, made him hold his breath. “Rubinstein had played on a beautiful Bechstein in a hall with very good acoustic properties; Liszt was playing in a little carpeted room, in which small space thirty-five to forty people were sitting, and the piano was worn out, unequal, and discordant. He had only played the opening triplets, however, when I felt as if the room no longer held, and when, after the first four bars, the G sharp came in in the right hand I was completely carried away. Not that he only accentuated this G sharp; it was simply that he gave it an entirely new sound w-bich even now, after twenty-seven years, I can hear distinctly.”

Wellington music-lovers are looking forward with much interest to the recital to be givgn in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Wednesday, April 11, by Misses Frances and Endora Henry. The principal programme items are the Mozart Violin Concerto in D, with beautiful and elaborate cadenzas by Ferdinand David, and Grieg’s Piano and Violin Sonatae in G. Groups of shorter pieces include Ballade No. 1 (Brahms) and Jeux d’Eau (Rardi, for piano solo; “Chant du Nord” (Chaminade). Dragonflies (Zsolt), Mazurka (Zarzycki), and others for violin—altogether a most enjoyable programme. The box plan is now open at the Bristol, where tickets may be obtained.

Wellington next week will become quite up-to-date (in the fox-trotting sense), with tho opening in Willis Street, in the rooms formc.rlj occupied hy the Stafford Restaurant, of a local edition of Auckland’s “Dixieland”—— in other words, a cafe cabaret. To the uninitiated, it should be explained that a cafe cabaret is a place wnere you may eat and dance. You may, if you please, cat and look on —if you are aged or shy—there is no compulsion about it. Or you may, and it please you, dance without eating. A first-class orchestra .has been engaged, all the very latest genius of jazz composition will be played, and patrons may look forward to many pleasant afternoons and evenings (mornings, too, perhaps, for the ioxtrotter knows no resting place or hour). It had to come, of course.

Not long ago there was gossip at Queen’s Hall when a composer . of twenty-six years found his way into a Philharmonic programme. Never before had youth been so privileged, said the wagging tongues. What will tliev say (asks a London critic in the “Morning Post”), when the same lo'uth, Mr. Eugene Goossens, conducts a wliole programme, as he will tomorrow week? Mr. Goossens, by the way, is busy putting the finishing touches to his Sinfonietta. The new work, as its name implies, is of moderate length only, consisting of three movements and lasting about fifteen minutes. RECORDED music The April Zonophone List. There is a strong flavour of the two-stop about the April zonophone list. The Peerless Dance Orchestra presents a lii-mch bracket, Moon Lute” (valso) and “Buddha.” (foxtrot), which should make a welcome addition to dance programmes.

In 10-inch brackets, there is a Black Diamonds Band valse offering, Rainbow” and “Golden Dieam Boa., m conventional dance tempo. The Instrumental Quintet (violin, cello, harp, organ, and celeste) presents a very prottv bracket, “Dance of the Blue Butterfly” and “Air of King Louis XIII.” This you should certainly add to your collection. Of the straight-out fox-trots, for dances, there are: “I Want My Mammy,” “Stealing” (Smith’s orchestra), “On the ’Gin, ’Gin, ’Ginny Shore” —“Mario,” and “Jimmy”— “After the Rain” (Whiteman’s orchestra). Hylton’s Jazz Band presents “Roaming” (fox-trot) and “Ma!” (ono-step). The standard of _ all is quite good, as fex-trots go.' You will like “Marie,” “I Want My Mammy,” and “Jimmy.” The first two of these three are genuine ticklers, and inclined to haunt the memory. For those who still have a lingering liking, Hawaiian string melodies, Helen Louise and Frank Ferera, in guitar duets—“Ynddio Kaddie, Kiddie Koo, and “Kamehameha” (described as King Kamehameha’s favourite melody) —will please without unduly exciting. ■For old-fashioned tastes, there is a very acceptable bracket —“Hymns of the Old Church Choir” (Herbert Payne, who sings a melody of favourite hymns very pleasingly), and “By the Old Cathedral Door” (Peerless Quartet—this is quite good). The United States Marine Band presents as a bracket, “The Messenger March” and the “March T'urque.” The record is worth while for the firstnamed, a rousing motif, played with spirit and precision. The 1 March Turque” is after the style of Michaelis’s celebrated “Turkish Patrol”—a long way after? Lovers of negro minstrelsy will like tho Peerless Quartet’s “Mammy Lou” and “Pick Me Un and Lay Me Down in Dear Old Dixieland” (the latter a medley of old-time favourites). We are hearing a good deal more of American revue stuff —as sung in the best New York East Side manner —than is really good for us. For example, from tho “Spangles” revue (Ada Jones and Billy Murray) we have in a 10-inch bracket, “When Francis Dances With Me” and “Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes.” Ihe first of those is tying as if spelt “when Frances dences wit me-ee. There is also an Olive Fox-Clarkson Rose bracket of pretty much the same kidney—■“! Do Love You” and Ve d Better Put the Banns Up Now.” If vour like to hear “girl” pronounced ’“goil,” and “hurt” pronounced “hoit” ; to hoar music sung with that appalling strident feline nasal twang that could only come from the classic precincts of the Bowery, then run along' and buy these two~ records. Afterwards, proceed with nil “haste to the backest’ of the backblocks and immure yourself till the things are worn out. One of these days we may have to have censorship to preserve, the English language (written, spoken, and sung) from the influence of New York revue hits.

Orchestral Records —Columbia, I have had an opportunity recently of running through some verj’ fine orchestral records from the Columbia studios. The principal of these is the “Siegfried Idyll” (Wagndr), in four parts 12-inch double-sided blue label records These are as played by the London Symphony Orchestra under Albert Coates, and are undoubtedly fine productions. I can hardly reccommend them to othei- than students of instrumental music and keen enthusiasts of tho kind which rallies regularly to high-class orchestral recitals. To be thoroughly enjoyed ono should devote some time to the studs’ of the score—an injunction, by the way which applies to recorded music in arCneral if ono is to treat the business as an artistic hobby. To understand the “Idyll”, one must know the story of the opera, and understand the motif of his particular interlude. The new Queen’s Hall Light Orchestra presents on a 12-inch double-sided record. Coleridge Taylor’s “Petite Suite de Concert” —the “Nanette Caprice and “Question and Answer”—like the “Siegfried Idyll”, a trifle “highbrow,’ but to bo enjoyed by most people to whom really good music always appeals. There is also quite a good ..orchestral record of selections from “La Bohetnc” (Puccini), and two really delightful double-sided records of Edward Gorman’s “Nell Gwynne” and Heniy VIII” Dances. All of the foregoing are in tho “blue-label” series, 12-mch. What ever you do. get these two Edward German records. If you have

any soul at all you will find them a constant source of pleasure. There is and old English flair, a daintiness, an elegance of phrase, that captures the senses and makes one thankful for the recognition of the composer s genius. Another Man’s Opinions. Mr. Archibald Marshall, writing on “The. Gramophone” in the London “Morning Post,” thinks that the very robust operatic singers are not agreeable) to all ears on the gramophone, however much they may be admired on the stage. They certainly make a great deal of noise, but the best of them sing so magnificently that one has to have them, and a soft needle wiil reduce their volume if it is too overpowering. I do not find Stracciari so in the Prologue to ‘I Pagliacci,’ and he is one of the finest baritones that, can be heard.” Heifetz (he says), is a phenomenal violinist, still hardly more than a boy. have chosen Wilhelmj’s arrangement of Schubert’s ‘Ave Maria’ to represent his wonderful playing rather than ono of his more fire-worky pieces.” “One may say now that with the best of the later records there are practically no allowances that have to be made, except for the scratching of the needle, which is gradually being eliminated. You can have the real music, and not a more or less imperfect echo of it, just to remind you. You can get it in Wagner’s lovely ‘Sica-fried-idyll’ (Columbia), in tho wonderfully coloured ‘Till Eulenspiegel’ of Strauss (His Master’s Voice), and in Grieg’s Piano Concerto (His Master’s Voice). All these are on two double-sided records, and would each occupy tho gramophone for about a quarter of an hour. Of shorter pieces, I get much pleasure from the March out of Borodin’s ‘Prince Igor’ (Columbia), Rimsky-Korsakoff’s ‘Dubinushka’ (His Master’s Voice), and tho Overture of Sir C. Stanford’s ‘Shamils O’Brien” (His Master’s Voice), as well as his ‘lrish Rhapsody’ on the other side.” Mr. Marshall submits the following programme, which, he says, is sure to afford music-lovers unalloyed delight:— 1 and 2. Unfinished Symphony, Co. L 1360 and 1361 Schubert. Sir Henry J. Wood and his Orchestra. 3. “Pagliacci,” Prologue, Col. 7224 Leoncavallo Riccardo Stracciari (Baritone). 4. Ave Maria, H.M.V. 2-07980 Schubert. Jascha Heifetz (Violin). 5 “Perle du Bresil,” Charmant Oiseau, H.M.V. 2-033062... David Amclita Galli-Curci (Soprano). 6 “Hansel and Gretel,” Overture, H.M.V.' D 591 Humperdinck. Adrian Boult conducting British Symphony Orchestra. 7. Valse in D flat major, H.M.V. 5653 Chopin. Sergei Rachmaninoff (Piano). 8. Motet, Ave Verum Corps, H.M.V. D 337 Mozart. O Salutaris Hostia Klgar. Westminster Cathedral Choi' 9. Clair de Lune, H.M.V- D 59 Bebusstf. Jardins sous la pluie. Benno Moiseivitch (Piano). 10. Ballad from “King Olaf,” H.M.V. D 614 Elgai. ’’ Fugue in C minor ... Bach-Elgar. Royal Albert Hall Orchestra, conducted, by Sir Edward Elgar, O.M. [Previous articles by Mr. Marshall bn the gramophone have appeared on October 4 and 11 and December HI last.] Here and There.

In reply to a correspondent, who states that he finds it impossible to procure a number of records listed in the English catalogues of His Master’s Voioe studios, I may say that as the result of inquiries I find that any of these may be procured on order through any dealer. One often hears inquiries for Victor records- A little while ago T mentioned that these were not sold in New Zealand on account of international territorial agreements between the American Victor Company mind the British Gramophone Company (HJ.s Master’s Voice). Arrangements have i«*.v been made, I understand, whereby Victor records which have not been duplicated by the British makers may now be procured through local dealers. One hears quite often such questions as* “Which are the bettor —Victor, or His Master’s Voice records?” As, a matter of fact, there is no difference, and so far as the material of the records is concerned, Victor, His Master’s Voioe, and Zonophone are ail alike in wearing quality. Zonophone records are cheaper because the fees paid to the sjngers and musicians are not so high, though this is not to say that in many cases they are not so good as those engaged to perform for Victor and His Master’s Voice records In the previous note I observed that the most celebrated singers do nol always make the records —a point worth remembering when you feel inclined to scorn a Zonophone record because of its cheapness. So far as I understand the position, the system adopted is something like this: When a Victor classic is made, the “matrix” is sent over to England to the British Company (His Master’s Voice), and records for the British market impressed -from it. Records by artists and musicians whose performing fees are not so high are sent to the Zonophone Company. The reverse process takes place by way of reciprocity from the British side. His Master’s " Voice “matrices” are sent over the Atlantic to the Victor Company. And so it goes on. The famous fox-terrier appears on the records of all ’ thnrte. By way of illustration . Paul Whiteman’s orchestral records, which are made exclusively by tins. Victor Company in America, come to New Zealand as Zonophone records. The 999th man who claimed that he owned the original fox-terrier depicted on 'His Master’s Voice records turned up at the Hayes office in England the other day, and was shown the names of the other 993.