Music from the Disc

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 18, 22 January 1927, Page 20

Music from the Disc

■Wonderful things have been done of late in the reproduction of large masses of players-and .singers, but. there still remains very real and intimate character in the playing of the smaller combinations. Some recent issues, for instance, include several:very attractive specimens of this'class of music, all of the first clasß in their respeetive'ways. The Jacques Jacob's: -Ensemble play with delightful finish "and tone-colour. Amy Woodforde-Finden's ever-popular "Indian Love Lyrics"; the J. H. 'Squire Celeste Octet have effective arrangements of. what are probably the i best-known operatic airs in existence, "Scenes that I..are Brightest"- and 1 "Then.Youj'ir.Eemember Me." This, by the way,; replaces an old and popular instrumental recording of these titles. ■ Finally, Jean Lensen and his orchestra play two very charming songs by Eaynaldo Hahn, "L'heure Bxsquisse " and '' Paysage,'' works by a composer that Mr. Lensen is happily doing much to popularise with his very delightful records. la all these the faithfulness of the new recording preserves the individuality of the artists to a remarkable extent.

Included in coming records are two samples-of the records-made in Coyeat Garden Theatre during the recent grand opera season. One of these, recording, a few minutes from Melba's farewell performance on Bth June last, will' acquire, with the passing of time, an ever-increasing value> not .only as a document of great historic interest, tut as an addition to the catalogue'of, things which ..men eolleet. Itiinightibe: worth their while for recording aonipanies to provide, in such-a case as this,' some equivalent of a book first edition. There are in existence (states a London reviewer) a limited number of Paderewski records, signed by the great pianist at the time of his first broadcast, and sold "for charity at a special price. So far as ■ I know, nothing has been done in connection with the Melba record to add scarcity. to its other attractive qualities, and I presume there is no reason why reprints should,ever become impracticable—perhaps even cheap reprints; but nothing will satisfy your true collector short of being able to say, "Yes, my grandfather, as a young man, was in the audience at Melba's farewell and bought this disc soon after. One of the first 500, you see. Only two' left now. The other's in.the British Museum." 'If,we try to realise what would have been the value of the present generation of life-like records of the big singers of the past we may form some notion of the value of this Melba record to those who will cpme after us. I can vouch for its lifelike qualities. In addition to the accoustical advantage of recording in a natural auditorium, we have in this case all the added subtlety that comes with a genuine public performance under specially, inspiring circumstances; The gramophone has caught it all. making of the «'Addio" from-"La Boheme"avery finished and remarkably natural record. I am'almost prepared to say that the reproduction includes that almost audible hush in the audience during quiet moments on a great night. The other side of the disc gives Melba's speech at the close, and a generous sample of the thunders of applause which followed it.

All who have admired the 8.8 C Orchestra's brilliant playing of Drigo's exquwite "Les Millions D'Arlequia" and Booeherini's as lovely "Minuet," to^say nothing of their two part "Semiramide," will welcome their contribution of two numbers from that extraordinary fantasy of Rimski-Kores-: kofl"s "The Golden Cockerel." The Bussian master was peculiarly in sympathy with tales of a fantastic nature, and he lavished some of his most interesting and individual music on this story.of the doddering old King Dodon, whose only wish was to go to sleep on all occasions and his infatuation for the beautiful Queen Shemakha. The "Bussian Dance" that occupies part 1 takes place in the Queen's Tent, and is given for the edification of the old' King., It begins slowly and langorously, but gradually works up to a most exciting finish as the King and soldiers and the company generally all join in. The "Bridal Procession" music accompanies the wedding procession of King Dodon and Queen Shemakha on their return to the capital. The march is first heard in the distance "off stage," heralded by trumpet passages echoed by strings and woodwind. The music works up to a forte as the head of the King'a procession enters. More and more barbaric grows -the march, and then about'the middle of the record the Queen's: procession appears to a new and eveii-stranger theme. The cortege consists b£:giants, dwarfs, men with two heads, men'with three eyes or with one, and weird animals to match, and the music is thoroughly in keeping with the Arabian Nights atmosphere. The scoring is wonderful and the record' preserves every touch of scintillating colour. Specialmention shouldbe-made of the fine playing of the intricate trombone passages and the phrase for two flutes just before the entry of the Queen's procession, but original tone-colour effects will be found in almost every bar. A recent suggestion, by Lady Sholto Douglas to the British Museum Director that examples of jazz should be added to the collection of gramophone records locked up in the archives of the British Museum may be expected to reopen the floodgates of; controversy. 'Jazz or syncopated music has upon many people of some musical taste" a maddening efeet, and if, it were possible to take a vote, it would be found that the minority, who would exclude jazz from ■ the archives on the ground that it is not music at all, include a big proportion ■of,well-known names. If it be admitted that jazz is music, then it cannot consistently be shut out of a representative modern collection of musical recorda. Indeed, its enemies might welcome such a "means of affording posterity the opportunity to pass a personal judgment on the barbaric strumming that appealed to many ears when a quarter of the twentieth century was spent. Possibly the anti-jazz party might be strong enough to carry an amendment whereby jazz records be admitted to the museum, but placed in the section devoted to toms-toms, bull-roarers, and kindred aboriginal noise-producers. Headers should keep a look-out for a really genuine novelty in modern recording—the record of the Guisappe Verdi Mandoline Band, of Leghorn, whose debut in thiß sphere of music has proved at last that it is possible to reproduce the mandoline with a fidelity that almost defies detection from the original This combination plays—and plays with intense artistry and beauty —a serenade by Costa and a Spanish serenade by Margutti. Those who believe mandoline music is rather feeble —and the playing of the average amateur is in this class!—will be amazed at the sonority and expression produced by these Italians. Listeners will' find, too, that the mandoline is an instrument of great possibilities, that its value gains enormously in concerted form, and that past failures to genuinely produce- this instrument maynow be forgotten in the success of this brilliant production. At times the likeness to harp; and "violin is very striking. "I consider," affirms-a London critic, "that Galli-Curci's records of the 'Mad Scene,' from.Thomas's opera 'Hamlet,' is one of the best she has ever made. It is, I believe, the first one of, hers to be issued, made by the new process, and I consider that the new process makes her sound mose tape to yfe?^- "~ -. •■

The care of a mother for her child, of a connoisseur for his cellar, are as nothing to the tenderness lavished on his records by the true, grainophile. I met' one the other day who absolutory forbade his friends to approach his precious discs, and who never touched one himself with his bar ( e hands. Such heights of devotion are not for the ordinary mortal, perhaps, but even he is aware that records must be treated with respect. Before lie puts one on he will wipa its surface, and he will not uae the same needle twice. One of the commonest causes of deterioration is warping, and the prudent man will keep Ms gramophone library fin a fairly equable temperature, and wiil avoid exposing it to damp or to the direct rays of the sun as far as .he can. These are common-sense precautions; it is not, perhaps, so widely known that a record will sometimes warp if kept for long in a vertical position. The cases for storing records vertically are very convenient, especially if one's library is large, but the life of a disc will probably be longer if it can be placed flat—always provided that it is not allowed to rub its surface against its fellows. Some popular song discs have been singledl out by a J-iondon gramophone paper as being above the average and worthy of addition to any gramophone record shelf, with the proviso that they are used with fair frequency. The Singing. Sophomores, one of the foremost: combinations before the gramo>phone public, are at their very best in "Honey Bunch" and "Hello Aloha." Lay ton and Johnstone, as always, or nearly, manage to sing the same songs as most other professional entertainers in a totally individual and charming way. Their version of "Dreaming of a Castle in the Air 3' and "Headin' for Louisville" is a fine instance of their unique style and high attainments. In the realm of lighter music, one should get the Jean Lensen Orchestra's playing of two favourite Reynold Hahn melodies—"Le Heure Exquise" and"Paysage." The pick of scores of dance discs is the syncopated version of "Maritana," a real novelty to the credit of that enterprising spirit, Bert Ralton, whose fine Havana Band is augmented for the occasion. Even those who are surfeited with "Maritana" on records will find delightful freshness in the tone colour, the new treatment and abandon of this unorthodox combination.

The recording of one of Greig-'s "Lyrische Suiten," that known .as Opus 54, and of the delightful overture to "The Merry Wives of Windsor," the one by the Boyal Albert Hall Orchestra conducted by Sir Landon Bonald, and the other by the Light Symphony Orchestra conducted by some person unknown^ or, at least, unnamed in the catalogue' lying before me as I write, are really-admirable example's of the improvement referred' to above, and_ it is easier to detect finesse in the dainty music than in that-as complicated as in Wagner's music. The same dictum, applies to the 'records made by De Groot and.his Piccadilly orchestra. If'you are;-hardened to deep sentimentality, these discs 1 of •'Only For Yon" .and Schubert's Serenade" (Leise flehen. meine Lieder) will please you mightily. There is a new and very loyely;!disc which contains "The Swan"' of Saint-Saens f?& ihe xaost fan»ilißr,of 'Schubert's ''Moments Musical,*' as played in perfection by Casals and recorded no les3 well, a statement {Hat applies with equal,, truth to .'the performance by Thibaiid of Leclair's "Tambourin" and Debussy's "Gollywdg." Of the reproduction of „the organ tone one haa for long been unable, to speak in the highest terms, but I am thankful to say that here we have again a vast improvement noticeable in the discs made by Eeginald Goss-Custard and Herbert Dawson. The former here plays the two familiar solos, "Question" and "Answer" by the sightless organist, Wolstenholme, • the latter a Marche. Pontif acle by Widor and a Prayer-and-Cradle Song by Guilmant. A welcome recording by the Aeolian Orchestra is the Mozart Symphony in G minor (No. 550), which has been made under the directidn of Cuthbert Whitemore. Tour'records go to the work, the Allegro Molto and the Andante bo£h covering a disc, while the third is devoted to the Menuetto-Alle-gretto,.and to the first part of the fourth (AUegro-assai). This is.;'completed on one side of the remainingiiecord, while for good measure we y are^given Eameau's "Eigodon deDardaaißs," a delightful little sketch. The; Symphony No. 550 is well known my the concert halls, and has always beem a great favourite with composers. ."•You-can hear-the angels singing in it," was Schubert's comment on the ;work,- and Beethoven is. reported to have scored it for orchestra from a piano edition. The kaleidoscopic Allegro with which the work opens, the; restless, and unusual Andante, so different from the customary cantilena of the time, and rising to great heights of sheer beauty ia its marvellously skilful finale, the clear, beautiful third movement and Allegro-assai full of life and energy make this a monument of

orchestral writing. Yet the work is lightly scored, the instruments, besides the string quartette, consisting of only two horns, a .flute, two clarinets, two oboes, and two bassoons. It is a rebuke to the "weight-of the modern orchestra, and one delivered with Mozartian freshness and grace. Th.c playing h sound, and, probably because of the fact, that a small orchestra is being recorded, the recording is distinctly above tiie orchestral average. Two/ numbers with the' stamp of Kreisler :have been selected by ; Albert Sammons for a new recording. They are the "Caprice Viennois". and the equally famous "Tambourin Chinois." Sammons shows that the English critical opinion which- ranks him with the famous trio Heifetz,. Kreisler, and'Kublik is not exaggerating.. He is a perfect artist- for the gramophone, because of his clear intonation and supreme style. On the platform his personality may be less than these others, on the disc he i 3 always their equal. Frank Titterton makes a welcome return in two Wagner numbers, Lohengrin's Narration and Lohengrin's Farewell. . His ringing voice comes through well in both these declamatory songs, and he sings without any tendency towards . the two, too frequent bellow of the Wagnerian singer. It was good judgment which stamped him as one of the best.operatic men in England. Both songs have orchestral accompaniments.' '

George Baker has sung two pleasant songs for the: machine in " Joggin' Along the Highway" (Harold Samuel) and "Red.. Rose." from fMonsieur Beaucaire." Baker, it will >be remembered, sang in "The Beggar's Opera" on its production in , Australia, and afterwards was a tower of strength in the London Gilbert and Sullivan season. He ranks with Peter Dawson and Robert Eadford in the matter of voice. This is a record to be coveted by lovers of the lighter music.