Music from the Disc

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 141, 18 June 1927, Page 24

Music from the Disc

"Messiah" Numbers.

' There is an inescapeable charm about music well sung. In recent ', months there have been quite a number of really excellent achievements in this ,;, branch of recording. One of the most ;'striking of recent times is, of course, ;the Koyal Choral Society's "And the .Glory of the Lord—"Amen Chorus" bracket from the "Messiah." "Belovjed the Lamb of God"—"Hallelujah Cnorgs;" fron> the same immortal work. tie Triuitv flhojr has given us a good moderate priced record of the "Hallelu<jah Chorus " bracketed to a fine rendering of the famous "Gloria" from Moz■j art's "Twelfth Mass." In lighter choral ; work of a religious character tho Ji.se containing the impressions'of the singling of the choir of. the Chapel Royal in the beautiful "O Love That. Will Nut j.L'et Me Go," and the inspiriting ["Ov : ward.Christian Soldiers." On the secu--,lar side, what: could be sweeter than 'the Gresham Singers' "Meeting of the ■ Waters" and "The Shepherdess/ : tho •Peerless Quartette's "Good-night;'? or, <the Shannon Quartette's "Carry M?j Back to Old Vjirginny," on the samp ;disct And this is to say nothing of numerous concerted vocal recordings in -the field of light and grand opera.

Emperor Quartette. " \. Quartette in G Major Emperor [Quartette)-, Hadyn. flayed by the London String Quartette.. Though the, musical taste of the present generationJseems to move more .and more towards, jover-complication, it is.illuminating to note that the : popularity of, Haydn has never .once-been ■assailed,"-and is stronger to-day than ever'it has been. And yet Haydn's /work is fundamentally the'most simple of any great •music It is,-however, a.simplicity that never grows threa'dbare—itn. exquisitely charming simplicity. Thß Emperor Quartette derives its name •from the fact that Haydn based it-'upon the Austrian National Anthem ("God Preserve the Emperor"), which he had composed just before. He. was so-fond-of the tune that in his last days he played it on the piano when he' scarcely had ■strength to move from.his bed. It.col.ours the whole quartette, and the •charming second movement is fraiikly based upon variations of. the anthem. The opening Allegro movement is full ; of rich and varied music,' happy in- its general effect and ending with a spirited and exhilarating dance. In the second movement we hear the violin in some lovely chromatic passages. The third movement: is a. brief-minuet of great charm, while tlie fourth. shows Haydn in a grander, more impressive '.' mood. The London String Quartette plays with much understanding of Haydn's clear idiom." They are specially good, I thought,, in the last movement, and in tho variations, while the dying-away coda is delicious. The newprocess recording. gives the strings au astonishing fidelity to life. ,' : •'Barber of Seville." . J /' It is not generally known that there ; is an excellent complete" version of: Bossini's '' Berber of Seville on fifteen twelve-inch and two ten-inch double-sided discs at plum label prices, the cast being as follows: Almaviva, Edoardo Taliani; Figaro^ Ernesto Badini; Bartolo, ,Ca'nevaliD^yide;--Basi- tlic, DiLelio Urr" ;'to; Koirina; Malvina Pereira; ehorv , id orchestra of La Sc'ala Theatre, - an; conductor, Carlo Sabaino. (See .; O.pera atfHomp" for full details.) Thesefine -artists caused! a considerable sensation' when' they appeared in Paris about four.years ago; and Badini also appeared at Covent Garden on 28th May of last year. JV all who desire to have a complete "II BarbiereJ 1' in the best Italian style these iexcellent records-V will strongly appeal (says a London.reyiewer). „

Selections,' v rj \ ','Florodora" Selections, Leslie Stuart Prince's Orchestra.—"Florodora"i-Vocal Gems, Columbia Light Opera Those who; " have been delighted with the 'fresh ;and:, lifting music heard in the recent '^toro-' ddra" revival: at the Grand,,, Opera House, Wellington/ will no doubt welcome these excellent selections. On one side is heard a comprehensive .orchestra selection very well rendered .by the Prince's Orchestra, and on the other we; have some of the best songs in the piece .excellently sung by the Columbia Light Opera Company. Leslie ■ Stuart,' -*. the composer, is of the 1 Gilbert and •Sullivan school. His melodies are typically English—clear and refreshing— , and some of his songs, notally "Tell Me, Pretty Maiden," and "I want >to be a, Military Man,"., are worthy .to -rank with Sullivan's best. Altogether this is a very tuneful record. ■

: "Gipsy Laughing Chorus," "V Delya Aur"; "Men of Harlech.V "H<-n wiad ]?y Nhadau." These are excellent examples, well recorded by;- the Bhondda -Welsh. Singers,; oJC. representatives of "Britain 'a only• ■.principality.,i All folk music has that simple^appeal; which conveys .thp impression of voices! pf the past, arid;: although of '.special' interest to;;the people'of,their' particular voice, have also the^charin- of novelty for others. • . : . ■'•':• : ■■■■■ The quality of the captivating music In this bright musical comedy can well be gauged by the readiness with which so many bands, pianUts, ' and' singers' have seized upon it. Among the records w? have to hand are some by the Astaires, who made such of the comedy in London, and'these, we think, aTe.the best of the'lot. But the'band records are better for dancing to, and all are beautifully clear and remarkably good rhythm. "•• - . ' ..-.•: ' Throughput all the changes in the fashions of the-dance, the:one-step retains much of its popularity, and ro cordings are still in demand. Amongst recent 'successes may be mentioned Ui«- ■ Savoy Orpheans. "Bobadilla," bracketed to" A Nightof Love,?' by •■•: tho Goodwieh Orchestra; the Rio Grande Tango Bands; "Maryetta," "Troubadour"; "My Carmenita," and "Sea Songs Medley," by the Savoy Orpheaii?. Variety of time is the essence of the Jure of the dance, and in these records we have no lack of it. <!J;6u.i'orget to Bemember," "Wildflower," and "Bambalina." Sung by Layton and Johnstone.—Layton and Johnstone seem to be invariably good as far as their vocalism goes, but it is seldom that we-get three such good numbers on one record. They are all three familiar—but does that matter? The two selections from "Wildflower" are amongst the tuniest bits of music in recent-years, and are the pick of the very good "Wildflower" music. "You Forget to Bemember" will linger for many a day; and it will be a long time before this pleasing record grows stale. The-voices are remarkably well reproduced, from a technical point of view, for which the new Columbia process is to be thanked. The latest musical comedy success in Sydney is "Sunny," described to be, tunefully and otherwise, as good as its name. There is a very good recording of this by the Light Opera Company and Melville Gideon in characteristic selections. "Hello, Little Girl of My Dreams," "I Can't Keep You Out.of My Dreams": '' Tenderly,'' '' Thinking.' '■ Art. Gillham, the Whispering Pianist.—Art Gillham is good, and for that reason alone these songs of his will be popular; but, frankly, we have heard much better material.TJp to a point, "the more sentiment the merrier'^ has been the motto of the buying public, but beyond that point it gets a wee bit sickly. Let us hope that Art Gillham will show better taste in his choice, for he has technique worth listening to.

Scenes form "Faust."

Since the introduction of the new electrical process of recording a great many enthusiasts have been wondering about the re-recording of past successes, under the old process. This is, .of course, a task which had to be faced, and is being faced. Owing, however, to the necessity of supplying entirely new recordings to an expectant public, there-recording of old numbers has so far been & somewhat slow process. Still, something is being done. Take "Faust" tot example. We have a fine, recording of the '' Church Scene," in which Chaliapine (bass), Florence Austral (soprano), with chorus and orchestra, give us a fine display. f Unfinished" Symphony.

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony, Court Symphony Orchestra.—lt is almost a blessing that this fragrant, begun by Schubert and forgotten by him, an<" discovered and published some years after his death, was never completed. Schubert, alas, with perhaps the greatest gift for lovely melody of any young composer, had one weakness —ra deplorable tendency <to prosines3. ,whie,h.marred so much of his work. As ■a ■ fragrant this has' become perhaps his' most' popular composition; as>a completsd symphony, who knows to what dreary amplitude it may have been drawn out? In the hands of the Court Symphony. Orchestra it is a thing of . joy from beginning to end. One discovers new beauties in the old familiar theme each time it is heard. How it epitomises the finaj definance v of a beaten man. And that long sight-of the .violin, towards the end of the first part —is there anything I'more fragrant or more appealing'in music? '''his is as good a rendering of the "Unfinished" Symphony that we have -ver heard, and since some interpretation or other, of it should ;be in! every: gramqphonist's collection, we unhesitatingly, recommend it. The Columbia reproduction is superb. Figaro's Great Aria. r One of the most famous songs in the repertoires of bass-baritone singers is "Largo al Factotum della Citta" ("Boom for the Faototumy"). Sung by Figaro, in Bossini's opera, "The Barber .of Seville/ It has. been recorded by Pasquale Amato, Titta Kuffo, Emilo de Gegorza, Guiseppe de Luca, Apollo . Granforte, Lewys James, by Pet V Dawson, but the beat recording is that by Bfcardo Stacciari.

As is well known, Mascagni entirely failed to equal the spectacular, success of his famous "Cavalleria Busticana," and although he s?rote severV other operas each was, admittedly, a failure. I must' confess, however^ (notes a critic of ■ records), that to a certain extent I like the duet "Va nelia tua Stanzetta," from this composer's "Piccolo Marat," and sung by de Muro and "Vigano, which, in one passage at least, rises to a height that is quite equal to the duet between Tariddu and Santuzza in'"Cavalleria.". . ."•■'■

"Tie a String Around Your Finger" and (with George Baker) "Honey, I'm in Love with You," Kathlyn Hilliaid, soprano. This, isn't what one would call a "high-brow" disc. But neither is it a "low-brow," for it has a definite allure all its own. "Tie a String" is eminently a song for tho singer, as the singer is for the song-. Of its kind this is an excellent disc. . ■

Codrie Sharpe's arrangements of old English*- folk .dances- may not have a very wide appeal, but they should certainly be heard rather than passed by for many of them are really delightful. Amongst them aro: "Nancy's Fancyj'—" Tink-a-Tink," "Flowers of Edinburgh'»—'' Christchurch Bells,.»' '' Childgrove' V' Sage Leaf," " Mr. Beveridge's Maggot—"Jacks Maggot," "Galopede"—"We Won't Go Home Till Morning," "Lads a Bun- . chum"—"Beau Setting," "Glorishears"—^'Shepherd's Hey," "Country Gardens" —-"Bobbing Joe." ,

"L'Apres midi dun Faune," orchestral tone poem, Royal Albert Hall Orchestra. This celebrated orchestral piece presents at once the charm and the mystery of its composer. The charm is in the delicate tracery work of the orchestration; the mystery lies in what he is trying to tell us. If one must subscribe to the modernist one had better not ask too many questions, but be devoutly thankful to be accorded the privilege of mere listening. At all events, "L'Apres midi" is an enjoyable feast of colour. If you are looking for sheer melody, then back to Beethoven.

Although the tango, as a dance, has never succeeded in capturing popular taste in this part of the world, so much of a delightful kind has been written in. the music of this dance that there has always been a certain demand for the recon by music-lovers who do not dance at all. Amongst recent attract tive discs may be mentioned •'Adela" —"En trus Brazos" (Rio Grande Tango Band), and "La Mantilla"— "Por Ti" (Varaldi's Tango . Band). Musically speaking, these are highly attractive and worth hearing:

"Persian Song" (Glinka)—" Waltz in G Flat" (Chopin). Zimbalist makes a ■ \\ welcome reappearance on our lists, after a considerable absence. He is one of the famous group of pupils of Professor Leopold 'Aver, a group which,. to-day, nearly monopolises the list of great violin, virtuosi. Zimbalist possesses every attribute we should ex^ectein an Aver pulpit, ri "■ s auous tone and phenomenal agility, in addi-tion-to; the purely personal gift of unusual- interpretative intelligence. His triumphant progress through Europe after his debut in Petrograd just before the war is possibly remembered by many, though'he has for some years past'l: resided in America. Both the pieces he has played for this record are decidedly piquant, particularly, perhaps, because it .is less familiar, . the "Persian Song" of Glinka. Glinka, one of ' the ■ founders of the Russian School of Music,.was (like most of his fellow countrymen) always strongly attracted by the music of the East, and it is possible that this is an authentic Persian; melody. Its langaus chromaticism and its curious cadences are decidedly attractive. As a contrast, the r .ore sophisticated brillian- of Chopin's "G Flat "Waltz" 's very effective:

"Travelin r. to de Grave" (negro spiritual), arr. W. Beddisn,." 'Tis Me, O Lord" (ndgro spiritual), arr. N. Curtis Burtin. The two spirituals "which the De Beszke Singers have given us on this record-are excellent examples of their kind,.,and, contrary to -what might be ■expected, are enhanced by! their arrangement in four part harmony. " 'Tis Me, O Lord" is especially delightful, ■