Music from the Disc

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 24

Music from the Disc

irionzaley. Quartet. , Ono of the biggest blows to music in it-ho last few years has been the disjbnndoniucnt of tho JTlonzalcy String Quartet, aiid thcro is no doubt Unit, •'their recordings ivill increase in value as the years roll on—for these alone iwili show how four masters who ■blended into one brilliant united interpreted the great works of ancient and modern masters. Their Litest recording is one of. the • most arresting they havo yet given us. It is \ho Quartet in D Flat Major, Op. "15, by Dohnanyi, who is one of tho most interesting of modern composers. This work is in three movements, andanteallegro, presto acciaccato o l'istcsso tempo, and molte adagio, and is without a flaw in the purity of its style and its complete, freedom from artificial effects. However, Dohnanyi flacks neither drama' nor humour. In his Works'there is' no stroke of form without its'dramatic .value, and no stroke of drama that does not serve to completo that form. The question of tonality is' intimately connected with that of movement, and from the outset Dohnanyi's sonse of tonality is classicalVon other than conventional lines.: The scoring of this quartet is rich,"but economical, and conveys the composer's;, ideas 'in tho fewest notes with, the fewest sounds and the most, practical •te^hhiqii.e. The Plonzaley Quartet haa so long been famous for its devotion to its artistic ideals and the perfection of its achievements that it is superfluous to dwell on its wonderful .performance. It. is sufficient to say that, the recorders have done them justice. (H.M.V., D 81135.) The Great Norman Allin.

Allin is one of the greatest bassos that England has ever produced. His wonderful singing of Loewe's ballad "Edward'? (Columbia ; 05008) rivals in interpretative ; genius that; of | his prototype, '. Ahdresen, 'in the /item reviewed above , Bemember also liis stirring..rendering with Harok} liams of the two' Purcell duets, "Sound the Trumpet I" and "Awake, Ye; JJead!" (Columbia 01555). Both of these Allin records that have been quoted rshould. be heard at least once by all'who love good singing and fine dramatic music. "Here, again, we have two more songs by the great Purcell—greatest of all English-bom composers. These are from Purcell's incidental music to Shakospear's "Tempest." "See, the Heavens Smile" is: Neptune's air. it is paired with that .ievcr-popular 'war-horse .of great bassoa,,.■■'. "Arise, Ye Subterranean ■Winds."; There is. all tho' contrast you could wish for in;these, two airs. •They■•both, represent Purcell. at his best; and-recorded here,. Allin at his best, too. "(Columbia 050815.) Graceful Musici ■, ( The National Symphony Orchestra has been making some valuable contributions to orchestral music lately. :Only recently they.,gavo fine recordings of tho "Fra'DiayoloV- overture and the "Zampa" overture, and this ■month they have added the two light, graceful intermezzi from WolfFerrari's opera, "jewels of the M»-. donna."••■; Thcro, is a fascinating charm about these two pjeees, which iare brilliantly played. The. tone ;of: the orchestra is excellent. (Zqmophone,1 EF3I.) , , Hubert Eisdell. • "• teio'rS.ls'an. old stager.. He has been recording for Columbia for •: goodness knows how long now, and, : here ho is, in as fine a voice.as ever; ; and singing admirably Irivd seuti- ■ mental trifles by Leslie. This is Eisdell's;; true- metier—the lyric- touch*: and the ■ nostalgic; vein that must ncjt bo .. overdone. "Best 'of All" and '"' ,"Mary, My Mary" are charmingly sung, and m tho resultant record is a work of real art.. Both of the songs are accompanied by an entirely adei quato orchestra. . (Columbia 01913.) Puccini Duet, .' The issue of the big duet from the second act pf Puccini's "Manon Leseaut" is no doubt due to the successful revival of this opera at Covent Garden lasV,summer. ■ The'singers are Margaret Sheridan and Aureliano Pertile, wha sustained the -oles off Manon. and Dcs Grieux in'the Co vent. Garden performance;V They make the most of the eminently lyrical phrases so characteristic of the composer with whifijj this early work/is lavishly,provided. The recording itself is excellent. H.M.V., DB 1281.),', 'M' William Heseltine, Tenor. Hero is another ' pairing of .tenor I and orchestral' accompanied songs. The- .'celebrated lyric - writer, ' Weatherly, is for tho words of ■both.-. And what a host o£ good .'. popular song; verses he has written! "Mountain Lovers," by Squire, and "Ailsa. Mine," by Newton, are both good songs in their own limited way. Hescltiuc certaiuly does them justice, and no doubt there is 'a largo public for such items. (Columbia 05081.) Hislop's Tame. . Everi. though it has been said that few British singers have achieved honour iii their own country, Joseph Hislop enjoys as wide a reputation in Britain as in Europe and America. His versatility as an operatic tenor is extraordinary. lir Italian opera he is one of tho great exponents of Puccini, and in Gorman opera he has niado a name in "The Alastersingers " # and "Lohenjrin." Prom the two Wa*jer operas ■omes one of his best-records. He has ust rerecorded "The Prize Song" j'om, ''The . Mastersingers" and "In distant Lands" from "Lohengrin." ■lislop makes a superb Walter, and in Clio- "Prize Song" his rich tones ring :jut in the ecstacy of Wagner's great inspiration. There are no reproduction troubles, and the orchestral accompaniment comes through in all its detail. Tie long phrases in tho "Lohengrin" iria are taken smoothly and cxpressivey, and the number is a splendid cximple of artistic singing. (H.M:V., 1B1351.) Idgar Coyle. "For Ever and For Ever" and 'Beauty's Eyes" (words again by . /Vctherly). The first has an or■hestral acepmpanimeiit. Tho second ias piano and 'cello. It is doubtful f songs like theßO will ever be writ- ■ ton again—at least, not until tho ; Great Cycle brings round again such j i combination of emotion and style. ! And as Tosti's songs are likely to be ?touo dead in another fifty or sixty years, it is "well worth while ;hearing hem once again. In most of us they ■ecall tender memories—if nothing else. Columbia 01916.) 'Merchant of Venice" Suite. Roose's "Merchant of Venice," Suite tands in the. same relationship to that >lay as' Mendelssohn's music does to the ;'Midsummer Night's Dream." There is no doubt that Shakespeare's theme inspire Bosse, for he has provided a truly beautiful setting to the drama. The tender strains of the "Portia" Intermezzo, the colour of the "Oriental March,", :ahd tho rhythm of the ".Doge's March" are among the groat things of;light modern orchestral musje. Pianoforte.'1; students arc no: doubt t'amiiiaiv;witji_ the: pianoforte transcription of the tho suite, which is now played for the gramophone by John Barbirolli's Chamber Orchestra, The coni

ductor shows flue craftsmanship, in orchestral playing, developing all the dotail in beautifully ahadod tone colours. I (H.M.V., C 1731-32.) . , j Raymond Newell and Choms. "Tlio Little Grey Church on the Hill" (Loi)gstafifc) presumably trades on its "suggestion of "A Little Grey Homo in the West." . However, it is a pleasant'little song, and includes a -humming chorus.', and bells. "Jus1 Keepiu' Oii" (Carter and Phillips) is a straightforward, piece in an accepted popular style. It is well sung, with good voice ■ and quite adequate diction. {(Columbia 01914.) Famous Conductor and Brahms. ' In the record of Brahms' Hungarian Dances Nos'. land 3 yet another famous conductor is /added to the H.M.V. ' recording Jist. Clemens Krauss, the hero of many Munich festivals, and director of the Vienna' State Qpera, has the reputation of being the man. to get the best outl of an orchestra.' The gloriously rich massed, string tone in thaso cleverly orchestrated arrangements of .Brahms' Hungarian Dances will help you to ap predate that1 here he more than justifies tho high esteem-in wiiichiie is held by German and, Australian music lovers. :(h.m.V; ? 83i|5.),;■ ;•'• - '■■•'•■•■■■■ ./• . "The Man Who .• Broke. the Bank at , Monte Carlo." . ■ Well, here's a record that will please everyone, from grand-dad downwards. Charlie Cobovn—tho oruginal one and only man who broke tho bank at Monte Carlo. Not many music hall items of the early 'nineties are remembered tcu-day, but that veteran comedian, Charles Cobcirn, reminds us that at least two—"Tho Man Who Broke ' the Bank", and f Two Lovely Black Eyes", are still as fresh as ever. Wo do not expect Coborn's voico to bo as fresh as ever, but it has 'aged..;singuarly little.. Put this item down' : as-a real best-seller. Few records- -off the month have ,■ so universal an, appeal. (Columbia 11905.) Spanish; Ballet Music. . To a power of obtaining the subtlest orchestral effects with the simplest means, of seeing' whero the point is and going straight; towards'it tho Spanish composer,, de Falla, adds a sense of. poetry. .In^ his 'works ~. for orchestra, he shows clearly that he thinks of music in terms of instrumental texture; a melody or a rhythm is not a thing in itself, but something individual belonging to a particular instrument. This is strikingly shown in" the Suite from the Baljfit, "The ThfeeCornered Hat," which is played by tho New. Symphony Orchestra under Dr. Malcolm Sargent. Here his mental background is strongly influenced by the dance, by the conflicting rhythms of the castanets, and the harmonic peculiarities of the guitai\ The suite shows .that passionate : sincerity which is characteristic of .all Spanish art. Dr. Sargent's reading is full of vitality and vigour, and at times the listener is whirled'away in tho .spirit of a gay Spanish dance.' Tho orches-; tra plays with enthusiasm, and excellent tonal quality.' I(H:M.V., 82721-22.) Classical Dance Music. •Will Hay and His Scholars. '.;llere are Parts 3 find 4of the Fourth Form at<St. Michael's: Everyone civjqycd Parts 1 ami 2 (Columbia 02S52)—a twelve-inch disc. Nowhere aro even more laughs packed on to a ten-inch l'ecord. The inimitable Harbottlo who had been at school for threo generations and still was a bit of a dunce. The Bright Lad of the class; and the other bright lads'. And Will Hay himself! All fun of the richest and most infectious kind—and not to be missed on any account. .(Columbia 11915.) Recording Difficulties. . Though hundreds of thousands of gramophone records arc sold every week, few of tho j, people who enjoy them have any idea of the immense difficulty of obtaining such perfect musical reproductions. s'A "Daily Mail" reporter' watched Nthe/.reeording for the His Master's Voice Company of part of Gilbert and Sullivan's opera, "The Pirates of Ponzanee,"j?in a room at the Queen's Hall, RegenJ street, W. The orchestra., the*chorus, aiid the soloists were gathered in a large room with specially deadened, walls to prevent any chance of an echo. On a raised platform stood the conduc-' tor, Dr. Malcolm Sargent, who for weeks had rehearsed the various parts separately and also together. A red light showod, ajid Dr. Sargent brought down his baton .£or the first bar of the music. It takes ii minute's to make a 12in record. The music glided, and then a tragedy occurred. Someone coughed while the rod light was still showing! That meant that the record would reproduce that cough, so the whole thing had to bo done- again. Tho next time the soloist made a mistake, in one of the last bars. ' Nine attempts were made before fhc record was considered satisfactory,! and it will have to pass a.further test by music critics before it. is released. Sometimes as many as 30 attempts have to'be made. The .principals engaged were Miss Elsie Griffin, Miss Nellie Bricrcliffe, , Miss Nellie Walker, and Mr. Derek Oldham; An Orchestral Thriller. This month's list gives us a re : , minder of the thrilling orchestral performance released a month or so ago-jthe "Spanish Caprice," played by ihe Halle Orchestra under Sir Hamilton Harty. This recording.' of one of Eimsky-Korsakov's most colourful works is possibly the finest effort of tho year. Here are real thrills for the man in the street. Gorgeous orchestral colourings, rich tunes, and sparkling rhythms. If you miss all the other records in this list/ you should make a special point of, hearing these two discs. (Columbia 02912-02913.) The Ever-popular Albert Sandier. " Albert Sandier, brilliant violinist and loader of the celebrated orchestra of the Park Lane. Hotel, London, this month makes a concert hall recording. His talented, band of players give a most musicianly rendering of Elgar's often played but yet unhackneyed "Salut D' Amour." On the reverse side is a delightful salon morsel, "For i'-You Alone," by Gcehl. Such' a pair.ing of titles has all the earmarks of •wide popularity—and a well-deserved popularity, too. (Colunibia 01912.) Jean Lensen and His Orchestra. This is indeed a month of light orchestral records! Jean Lensen and his clever ensemble now play for us in quasi-solo form that melodious relic of the Victorian 'nineies, Paolo Tosti's "Idealo." No, the same composer's "Good-bye" is not on the other ■ side. A Valse Apache, "Love's Last Day," by one Benatsky, is the mako-weight, and a' charming thing it is, too. As always, Jean Lensen's happy band are at the top of- their form, and a delightful record is the result. (Columbia 01917.) Albert Sammons. ' ' \ England's greatest violinist—possibly ono of- the first half-dozen virtuosi .of the present day—unbends from' his- greater and more serious ■niopil aijd. gives. us, with that brilliant pianist,' GeriUd ;M00r6,,: two more salon items,,' tliat, arc well chosen.. .Firstly, \"Estrellita" (Star of Love), a fiddle version of the wellknown song of tho same name by

Ponce. Next is that lovely American tit-bit of Gardner, "From the Canebrake," reminiscent of the, composer's long sojourn among the plantations of 01' Virginny.: Seldom have such trifles been, so tastefully and gracefully 'played. '.Sammons's ' masterly playing almost invests these two pieces with greatness—such is his interpretative genius. The recording is as flawless as tho playing. (Columbia 01909.)

! Steinbach 's arrangement of a series of exquisite and graeoful German dances by Mozart is finely rendered by the Berlin Stato Opera Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Leo Blech, who is noted for his Mozart interpretations; and another attractive light orchestral record is furnished by Marek Weber and his famous orchestra, who give Geiger's "Leliariaua" lilting music very reminiscent of Johann Strauss's waltzes. It is a' brilliant fantasia on favourite Lehar melodies. (H.M.V., D 1624 and C 1079.)

The famous war ditty, "Made.moisello from Amentieres," has rarely, if ever, been so well recorded as by Parlophone on disc A. 2692. It is played as a pianoforte solo, wtih a "Diggers' Chorus" given forth with appropriato "zip." On the reverse side of tho disc is the very popular song, "Keep tho^Homo Fires Burning."

A capital exposition of the art of the siffleur is given in a Parlophone disc (A 2876), recording Pryor's wellknown "Whistler and His Dog" and Perry's "The Warbler's Serenade." The orchestra is Frank Westfield's, and the siffleur James Bendon. The recording is good. .

Eaie Da Costa's Ensemble presents on Parlophone A 2861 "Fashionbtte" and "What D'you Say?" two typically modern jazz pieces, brightly played and well recorded.

Rubinstein's lovely "Die Nacht" ("The Night") and Liszt's equally beautiful " Liebestraume " (No. 3), are finely sung by Meta Seinemeyer, a talented soprano singer of lieder. The singing is enhanced by an excellent orchestral accompaniment conducted by Dr. Weissmann, of the Berlin State Opera House Orchestra (A4ISB).

The ever-popular "Tales of Hoffman" (Offenbach) has been drawn upon by the Parlophone ; Grand Symphony Orchestra for a fine disc, on which have been recorded.tho famous"Barcarolle" '*•'.Entr'acte" and "Minuet." -This makes a most "acceptable bracket. The, playing and recording do full jus-tice-.to the, music. (A 4061.- :.:'~

Two of i the most popular ;nuinber.s in the famous musical comedy . success, M'Roso Marie''—"lndian Love Call" and "O Rose ,Marie I Love You"— have, been recorded by Richard Tauber, tenor,, for Parlophone. (A 4142.) The items are sung in German, but that matters little, for the singing is. exceptional. ,','■'