MUSIC AND RECORDS.

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 57, 1 December 1923, Page 20

MUSIC AND RECORDS.

By

C.J.M.

Wellington Harmonic Society. The final concert of the Wellington Harmonic Society’s 1923 season will be given in the Town Hall Concert Chamber on Saturday evening _ next. The society on this occasion will rely entirely on its own membership for the programme, a feature of which will bo a very beautiful double quartet, “Deep River,” a negro spiritual. There will be nine choir numbers in all solo items bv Miss Myra Sawyer (soprano) and Mr. R. R. Orr (bass), duets and ladies’ trios. Tho choral will include a Cornelius item, “I Can but Love Thee,” Coleridge Taylor’s “Lee Shore.” and the “Bridal Chorus” from Cowen’s “Rose Maiden.” STRAY NOTES. Richard Strauss will b'o 60 next January. and a special festival in his honour will bo held at Amsterdam' to bo conducted bv Muck, and bv Strauss himself. It may s.ecm odd that the celebration should take place in Holland, for Strauss has not lacked honours or admirers in his own country. But the friendship between him and Mongelberg is of long standing; while he has always remembered the enthusiasm and the care devoted by the Amsterdam Orchestra to his works in the davs when dissonances were taken very seriously.

Dame Nellie Melba’s great interest in the movement to encourage singing in the schools has been illustrated in a striking manner. The prima donna has forwarded to the management a cheque for the purchase of 1000 tickets for seats at Miss Stella Power’s opening concert in Auckland, to be distributed among the scholars of the various girls’ colleges, girls’ secondary schools and convents.

The Stadium at the British Empire Exhibition has accommodation for 125.000 people, says an English writer. It would seem right and proper, therefore. to amass a chorus of 10,000 voices and an orchestra of 500 musicians for the “great choral concerts” which it is proposed to hold there next year, under Dr. Charles Harriss. What it is proposed that this mass of sound should exploit in the wav of music I do not know. But folk seem to bo growing a little anxious as to the music at the exhibition, and to ask if a kind of “Barnum mania” is to prevail, or-if the opportunity is to bo seized of giving a series of regular concerts of ordinary calibre of British

Empire music. If the latter, it would be intensely interesting to know if Australia. Canada., and so on would provide each a programme or two of contemporary music which one would like much to hear.

RECORDED MUSIC When one reads of the immense sums paid by the various gramophone companies to the great artists (Caruso, Melba. Butt, Galli-Curci, for instance), for their services nowadays—to say nothing of sums generally paid over subsequently in shape of “royalties”—one receives something of a surprise on being reminded that in the earlier days of the gramophone most of the ecelebrated artists were extremely shy of “the new toy.” An outstanding instance was that of the great Patti. In a life story of the great prima donna it is related that had she been induced to make gramophone records ten years before she did her income from that source would have been very large. But she felt a curious aversion against the new-fangled toy, as she regarded it, and consistently refused to follow the example of Tamagno, Sembrich, Melba and Caruso. The leading gramophone companies tried every available device, even following her to hotels when she went abroad; but she declined to be caught, until at last one day, in sheer despair, she turned to her most persistent petitioner and said, 'Well, if you go to my solicitor, Sir George Lewis, and arrange everything with him, I will do whatever he agrees to.’ The conditions imposed by Sir George were simple. ‘You will have to take your entire apparatus down to Craig-y-nos Castle, has it ready for immediate use, and wait there from day to day until the Baroness says she is willing to sing for you.’ It was done. But many clays passed ere the fateful hour struck and the Baroness declared herself ready. Then, with her accustomed ardour, she threw herself heart and soul into tho business. and did not desist until she had made eight or .ten excellent records. These were the only ones she ever made, and the royalties on them were regularly paid—according to agreement —through Sir George Lewis, whom the world has probably to thank for being able to still hear even so much of the voice that was once Patti’s. Happily her feelings towards the gramophone changed from tho moment when she first heard her own records. This was two ar three days after she had finished making them.

The Baroness was coming down to dejeuner, and descending the main staircase to the hall where the instrument had cunningly been placed), when the tones of her own voice fell for the first time upon her car. One who was present related that she stopped, turned visibly pale, clutched at the bannisters, and remained where she was standing until the piece was finished.”

Some Dance Records. Tlie December issue of new records ig strong in dance numbers, particularly in the ever-popular fox trot. Joseph C. Smith’s orchestra records, the “Three o’Clock in tho Morning” waltz and “Lola Lo.” dtescribed as a Hawaiian fox trot. The waltz has one of those refrains that “get” one. “I’m Just Wild About Harry” is a tuneful fox trot played by the Paul Whiteman orchestra, from the musical comedy success “The O’Brien Girl.” In tho middle part there is some intricate work for tho saxophone, while a trumpet takes up the melody.

“The O’Brien Girl” is also responsible for “She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not” : on tho reverse side is the clamant “Wana.” Zez Confrey—inimitable pianist—and his orchestra have recorded a fox trot made up of old plantation melodies, and on that account is certain to be popular; on the reverse side is “Swanee Smiles,” which introduces “The Old Folks at Home” in various forms.

An outstanding waltz is “Lovely Lucerne,” recorded bv the Great White Way Orchestra. This piece introduces a yodeling voice (a form of art whose popularity I thought had long passed into the misty ages). However, it provides a distinctly welcome novelty. “Romany Love,” on the reverse, played by Paul Whiteman, is good.

Those whose tastes run to accordion numbers will be sure to appreciate a bracket by Jan Wanat, “Wedding Night Polka” and “Talisman of Good Luck” (waltz).

The haunting melodies of Hurtado Bros.’ Royal Marimba Band have achieved a. fixed popularity. A new recording gives us a somewhat unusual interpretation of the intermezzo from “Cavallorin Rusticana” and a serenata, “Fading Leaves.” Both numbers please.

A selection of gems from “The Merchant of Venice,” playedl by the Black Diamonds’ Band, is not the least interesting of the new records. The recording of the beautiful music has been well done. The same combination also give us “Shufflin’ Along” and “I’m Getting Better Every Day.” Lovers of humorous items are catered for by Olive Fox and Harry Fay. Each supplies a bracket —one of the latter’s being “Have You Paid the Itent?” recently heard here in “The Cabaret Girl.”

A rather pleasant recording is that of “There’s a Garden in Old Italy,” sung bv Albert Campbell and Henry Burr. On the reverse side is a number by the Sterling Trio. A New British Gramophone.

Sir George Croydon Marks. C.8.E., M.P,. chairman of the Columbia Gramophone Company, presided at a luncheon held .■ w , the Connaught Rooms recently to meet Mr. William Forse, the inventor of the new British gramophone. There was a gathering of over 400, among whom were men famous in tho world of music and many representatives of tho Press. On the left of the chairman sat Sir Henry Wood,

the Queen’s Hall conductor, and perhaps the loudest cheer of the afternoon was given, to him when he rose to speak. Air. Norman Allin, whoso performance at the Handel Festival in June many remember with pleasure Mr. W. H. Squire. Mr. Frank Mullings. Sir Dan Godfrey, and Air. Alax Pemberton were others present. Air. Allin and Air. Squire, bothjjf whom reeord for the Columbia Company, had the interesting experience of hearing their own performances at the demonstration given after luncheon on the new instrument. We' had . (says the “British Weekly”) selections “old stylo” and “new style,” Air. William Forse himself placing the record on the new gramophone. A song by Dame Clara Butt, in particular, showed how great was the advance made by the new instrument in musical clearness and quality of tone. The voice that was singing “Love’s Old Sweet Song” was unmistakable. Its roundness of volume ,its rich! inflections, belonged to Clara Butt alone.

Tho now gramophone invented, by Mr. William Forse. which is being placed on the market by the Columbia Gramophone Company, Ltd., as the “Columbia Grafonola,” shows undoubtedly an immense advance in music reproduction (says London “Truth”). Not only are all scrape and! buzz eliminated, but the music itself its given in much fuller detail, the lesser harmonies and the delicate tones of light and shade being reproduced in a manner never heretofore attained. Nowadays it is a matter of embarras de richcsse when one starts to buy “deliberately” with the object of forming a first-class collection of gramophone music. Every month new records appear —each successive repertoire seemingly more attractive than the one before. The enterprise of gramophone companies has, indeed, introduced a new standard in recording. There must now be many score of famous musicians recording—-musicians whose wonderful technique, individuality, charm, style, and character must have been lost to all but their concert audiences had they not yielded to the faithful and real rendering which the modern gramophone record can give. *

A contributor to the new journal, “The Gramophone,” edited by Mr. Compton Mackenzie, says: “In my opinion by far the most encouraging product of the first quarter of 1923 is the new material that the Columbia Company is using for all its records. When playing with the loudest needle I possess, there is less scratch on the new Columbia records than there used to be on old records with the softest needle in existence.”

Dancing has come to stay, judging by tho remarkably high level of record sales in this department of recording. Wherever you go—in the country, by the sea, or &t your friends’ houses, there are always plenty of delightful dance records about—and many more are “bespoke” by dance instructors as au economical alternative to employing an orchestra.

Gramophones, as important instruments iu musical education, were praised by Henry Hadow, vioe-chan-cellor of Sheffield University, in an interview with- a representative of the “Sheffield Independent.” No doubt there was nothing that could take the place of a good concert performance, especially if the music was followed with the score. Opportunities for these, however, were comparatively rare, and adaptations for the pianoforte, much used though they were, required a skilled pianist, whose assistance was not always available. In these circumstances a great deal could be done in schools and colleges by the judicious use of the best gramophones. A large number of the classics were now included in the records, and the tone of the instruments —which, in the early days was thin and scratchy, was now considerably improved. Dr. Walford Davies, Sir Henry Hadow recalled, was making great use of gramophones for musical education, and his example might very generally be followed.

Those who heard the recent magnificent concert given in London by the Garde Itopublicaine Band of France compared this fine body of musicains with the “crack” English bands —those of the various Guards regiments. Gramophomists who appreciate the wonderful advances made by military bandsmen, have these days within their reach a most comprehensive selection of records by tho Guards bands as well as of their brethren of the Garde Itopublicaine.