RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19002, 25 July 1925, Page 15

RECORDED MUSIC

Debussy has a discerning and competent exponent of his pianoforte works in William Murdoch. This fine solo player will not have been .forgotten by those who heard him when he was in New Zealand. Time flies, but memories remain, and some of them keep fresh and green the impression made by William Murdoch. He has done much recording for Columbia, solus, and as a member of trios and in duets. His latest records to roach the dominion are of Debussy’s ‘Arabesque ’ in E. TJiis is backed by the popular ‘Melody in F’ of Rubinstein, an excellent piece for beginners in formation of a taste for classical music to add to their collection. William Murdoch is rather more successful in his records of pianoforte solos than is usual, his instrument sounding more like a piano and less like a musical box.

Very little is beard of Saint-Saens’s lovely music to his opera ‘ Henry V111.,’ and less still would bo heard of some of the fine music reposing in the dust of forgotten things were it not for tho gramophone. The delightful ballet music from ‘ Henry VHI.’ is recorded by the splendid band of the Garde Republicaine of France lor Columbia. The main theme is the old English melody, ‘ The Miller of the Dee.’ This has been richly embellished in the scoring for the band. Its performance is superb, and, although there is apparent a marked difference between the way a first-class British Army band would interpret the piece, there would be found no inferiority in respect to precision, tone, and expression on the part of the Frenchmen. Leo Strockoff’s most recent Columbia New Process records are of the well-known and difficult Sarasatc solos ‘ Zapateado ’ and Zigeunerweiscn.’ M. Strockoff has a fine rich tone, as the many other records of his playing prove. He is quite at ease in the rendering of the immense technical difficulties of the two pieces recorded, and he is one of those artists whose work reproduces with unqualified success. The piano accompaniment to both records is extremely well played.

Norman Allin’s latest Wagnerian records for Columbia are from ‘ Parsifal, and he is singing as Guruemanz, reproving the hero lor killing the swan, in the reproach ‘ Thou Could’st Do Murder,’ and recalling to Parsifal the magic name of the old hero, Titurel, when he lauds in song ‘Titurel, the Hero Pure.’ Mr Allin finds Wagner quite congenial, and, as his other records of solos from ‘The Mastersingers,’ also sung in English, prove, he is a very successful interpreter of the vocal ideas of the master.

In the opinion of eminent musicians, the symphonic poem ‘Tod und Verklaerung ’ (‘Death and Transfiguration’) of Richard Strauss is the product of his best period, and one of tho most wonderfully descriptive pieces of music ever written. It has been specially performed for Columbia by the celebrated —one might say the most conservative of all—symphony orchestras, the Royal Philharmonic, of London, aud conducted by Bruno Walter, one of the most famous of Continental conductors of the day. The Royal Philharmonic, it should be explained, was founded in 1813, and its orchestra has never once since then been heard except at its own concerts, save when it gave a broadcast performance last ' year. ‘ Tod und Verklaerung ’ is a notable example of musical expressionism, and it describes something of what Strauss himself felt during a very serious illness in 1888. It represents a dying man, just recovered from a terrible spell of delirium, passing into a sleep of utter exhaustion, and dream- . ing of his childhood. This childhood theme is used with superb effect for tho basis of a wonderful structure in music, and it is woven, so to speak, with a theme described as “ the sorrow-laden smile” with marvellous ingenuity. ‘Tod und Verklaerung’ is not a piece for “ a jolly evening ” with the gramophone, but is of immense value and absorbing interest to students of music, for with these five full-sized records they can dissect or analyse the methods of Strauss in obtaining such marvellous results with the orchestra, and learn much that will be found or inestimable value in after years when studying the works of other masters, ancient and modern. Some time ago tho writer recorded his admiration Tor Gota Ljungberg for her remarkable vocal quality, as displayed' in the H.M.V. recording of ‘ Salome.’ Amongst the new recordings just arrived she appears in two numbers from Puccini’s ‘ Tosca ’— ‘ Ora Starami a Seuter,’ and in association with that capable tenor, Browning Mummery, 1 Chi e Quella Donna Riondi Lassu.’ These you will be sure to like. Pianoforte record collectors will no doubt welcome Paderewski’s latest bracket, just to hand—-Chopin's ‘Mazurka in A Flat’ (op. 59, No. 2), and his ‘Mazurka in F Sharp Minor’ (op. 59, No. 3). These are very fine. One of the most beautiful records tho writer has hoard for a long time is the Symphony Orchestra’s playing of ‘Salvo Regina’ (Prologue-Salmodia), from Boito’s opera ‘ Mcphistoplieles, with chorus. The music itself is surpassingly beautiful, and it has been well recorded. On the reverse side is quite an impressive recording of the ‘ Chariot Race ’ from Boito’s ‘ Nero,’ bv the same orchestra, in which the rhythmic thunder of tho hoofs and tho noise of the motley are graphically depicted. • Evelyn Scotney, who has joined the H.M.V. group, is an artist who has already made a great reputation at the Royal Albert Hail and elsewhere. She had a coloratura soprano voice, and tho sureness and brilliancy of her technique remind one at times of GalliCurci. Hor first record is from Auber’a ‘ Manon Lcscaut.’ Tho story of this princess among t coquettes has served also as a basis for operas by Massenet and Puccini, hut the brilliant 1 Laughing Song ’ here recorded is a timely reminder that the work of the earlier composer is not to he lightly dismissed. ‘Hamlet,’ by the gifted author of ‘Mignon ’ was first staged in Paris in 18G3, and at Covent Garden in 1869 (with Nillson and Santley in the cast). Ophelia’s mad scene, which is on the reverse side, is only less brilliant than the more famous mad scene in ‘ Lucia,’ and it is even more dramatic. Tho singer gives a brilliant performance—- ‘ G’est d’Histoire Amoreuse ’ (‘L’eclat de rire,’ Auber), ‘Manon Lecaut’ (sung in French); ‘ Pray Yon Listen, I’ll Sing to You a Song ’ (A. Thomas): Ophelia’s ballad (‘Hamlet’). A new bracket from Mary Lewis; ‘ Ah! je suis seulo, seule enfin!”—Act 2, ‘ Thais,’ sung_ in French (Massenet); ‘Te souyient-il du Inmineux voyage?* Meditation, ‘ Thais,’ sung in French (Massenet). Mary Lewis, who made her operatic debut in Vienna under Weingartner in 1925, and her English debut in London last year in ‘Hugh the Drover,’ is already familiar to gramophones from the records of tho latter. Massenet’s ‘ Thais ’ is an attractive if slender opera, founded on Anatole France’s novel of the same name. ‘Ah! je suis seule I’ shows us Thais, the famous courtesan, alone in her house. Playfully she begs her mirror to grant her tne gift of eternal youth. Then, suddenly appalled by the Vision of old age that hor fancy' conjures up, she invokes Venus, and repents her prayer—in earnest this time. Tha 1 Meditation I is, of comwe, the

most famous melody in t.hje opera. Here Thais lies dying. She has repented of her wickedness, and now that the end has come she Reflects happily on the events' attending her conversion to Christianity At last the heavens themselves seem to and with an ecstatic cry “Ah! Jo cleu Jo Yots Dieu!” she expires. John M'Comack gives us a Brahms bracket this month' —‘ In vValdcseinsamkeit* (Biahms), ‘Die M.ainacht (Brahms). The mood of the two poems is similar in many respects, though one (‘ in Waldeseinsamkcit ) speaks of love returned; the other ol love insatisfiod. Each of them Brahms ha-, wedded to music whose'poetic richness and thoughtful beauty marks it as Ins alone. Finely sung and recorded —a good addition to the collection. _ For violin lovers the new arrivals have some points cB interest, f. e 3 9 is Isolde Menge’s bracket, ’Abend lied (‘Evening Song’), ScluimannJoachim, and ‘Allegro,’ J. H- hiocco, arr. Bent and O’Neill. The Abendlied ’ of Schumann is a piece whoso mood reminds one slightly of that of ‘Traumerei.’ It is not that there is any resemblance between the subject matter of the two—they aro perfectly distinct—but each represents this most romantic of composers in his most romantic vein. The Fiocco piece is one of those charming trifles that aro much more enjoyable than many works of more imposing pretensions, and it leads to some delightfully clear and rhythmic playing. Then we have Cednc Sharpe’s ’cello bracket, ‘ Sarabande et Ailemande—Sarabande,’ J. B. Scnaille, arr. J. Salmon; ‘ Sarabande et Allemande—rAllenmnde,’ J. B. Senaille, arr. J. Salmon. Cedric Sharpe is the ’cellist of the Virtuoso quartet, hut is always welcome as a soloist. A Chaliapine record of great interest features the new list of records which will be available next week. Here he gives us Alnaes’s ‘ The Last Voyage ’ (op. 17, No. 2), sung in Russian, and Tschaikbvsky’s ‘ Nightingale,’ also sung in Russian. This is a fine record.

Hen Lawes, wlio gave us a famous record recently with his ‘ Musical Drama,’ has another scream in the August list—‘Exits,’ he calls it. This is an amusing skit on the dramatic and operatic stage, and though not quite so good as his previous record, is nevertheless worth hearing. Hovers of organ music should make a point of hearing Jesse Crawford’s recording on the pipe organ of Schubert’s ‘ Serenade/ and Tate’s I'me song, ‘Somewhere a Voice is Calling.’