RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19712, 12 November 1927, Page 16

RECORDED MUSIC

[By Ekato.]

GRIEG AT HIS BEST. ‘ Sonata for Violin and Piano ’ (Grieg), Albert Sammons and William Murdoch. —For a serenely happy and lovely recording one could go a long way without finding something to better this sonata of Grieg’s. After all, melody is the backbone of music, as form in art or plot in a novel, and there are tew composers with a finer melodic gift than Grieg’s. There ate snatches here like lovely songs, and the whole work breathes a cheerful philosophy. Each movement is delightful. At first hearing the allegretto vivace appeals most, but the quieter and more reposeful movements hold charms that will develop on repetition. There arc greater violinists, 1 know, than Sammons, but few to whom the gramophone is so kind, for the smoothness and purity of his tone records admirably. It is beautifully true and ample, in the lower register being particularly rich. 'The same might almost bo said of Murdoch at the piano. BEETHOVEN’S “CHORAL” , SYMPHONY. ‘ Choral Symphony, No. 9, in D Minor ’ (Beethoven), Felix Weingartuer, conducting tho London Symphony Orchestra.—Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, begun in 1807, but not finished for another 17 years, takes its name of “ Choral ” from the chorus in tho final movement—a chorus with lour soloists and based on Schillers ‘ Ode to Joy.’ It is Beethoven’s most gigantic achievement in point of size and, in the opinion of many notable critics, in point of merit as well. The recording represents a most commendable achievement. Felix Weingartuer must now be reckoned as the greatest living specialist on Beethoven. His control of his vast orchestra, the grand chorus, and. the four soloists is remarkable. Tho singers are fully alive to the importance of their task. Miriam Licottc, Muriel Brnnskill, Hubert Eisdell, and Harold Williams, all with triumphant seasons at Coveut Garden behind them, make the final movement one of the grandest and most moving of musical achievements recorded tor sonny time. The choral ending was not intended to stand ns if is, Beethoven having in mind an alternative instrumental finale; finally, however, lie decided upon tho choral, and used the instrumental —thrifty man!—for the A minor quartet. The adagio is a particularly lovely movement, built round one of Beethoven's most charming and fragrant themes, which is fascinatingly echoed in tho wood-wind and horns. ’CELLO TRIFLES. ‘Arietta’ (Alcock), ‘Jig’ (Charles Wood), ’cello solos by W. H, Squire. -—Another sugary trifle from Squire. The music is cheery enough, but cannot this great ’cellist give us something more worthy of his matchless-playing? His tone is resonant, his technique round and finished; but these are wasted on flic inconsiderable snippets ■ he serves up to us. Squire has rare judgment in phrasing, too, but neither of these pieces calls for judgment. However, anyone who likes really good ’cello playing will find these records worth while on that score. His cautabilo playing is shown off to advantage in Alcocli’s delightful JiUlo ‘Arietta,’ while by contrast Wood’s -merry jjg <givca ample scope to his executive ability. LA SCALA CHORUS. , ‘Carmen’—Chorus of Cigarette Girls (Bizet) and ‘ Lombardi ‘ 0 Signori she del tetto natio’ (Verdi). I had the pleasure of reviewing a recording by La Scala Chorus a week or two back, arid here is another product ■of theirs/, which is equally good. My -preferer/e is. for the lovely chorus from Verdi’s opera .‘.Lombardi,’ in which the female voices have some particularly effective and fascinating lines that arc as melodious as any tiling that Grand Opera offers. But the Cigarette Chorus, too, is full of charm, and is a song with n wealth of expression and a perfection of finish which tells of infinite care in training. _ La Scala Chorus is a great_ organisation, and gramophilcs will join with mo in hoping that we shall hear more from them bolero long. ELGAR’S ORATORIO. ‘ The Apostles': _ By ■ the Wayside ’ (Elgar).—A pleasing feature of new recording is the prominence given to the greatest of living English musicians, Sir Edward Elgar. Nobody more deserves this attention. Elgar, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday,_ has a stylo thoroughly English and individual, and, though the majority of his work does not smack of the popular, his oratorio, ‘The Apostles,’makes an instant appeal, containing what is, without doubt, some of bis finest music.

There ate three numbers in this recording—a semi-recitative by Jesue (sung by the baritone) , ‘ Blessed are the Poor in Spirit’; a quartet by the Virfin and the Disciples Peter, John, and udas, ‘He Setteth the Poor on High From Affliction ’; and a chorus, ‘Weeping May Endure for Ever.’ The work is rendered entirely by British artists, and :is finely executed, the chorus singing being notable and a credit to Sir Hamilton Harty, who conducts it. It is a tribute to the healthy state of English music. ‘ Tannhauser ’ Overture _ (Wagner). —Wagnerites will find in this Columbia recording something particularly thrilling. The ‘Tannhauser’ Overture is perhaps the most.popular of Wagner’s works, its simplicity of them and the economy with which the composer achieves his massive effects largely recommending it to tho popular taste. Mongclbcrg, who conducts it, is no stranger to London audiences, the first of bis frequent visits there being as far hack as 190.9. This rendering is typical of his style. Dignified and imposing throughout, and particularly in the finale, ho is yet able to invest the intricate passages of tho Vomusbcrg music with a fairly-liko and-glamorous beauty. It is a concert hall recording, and the effect of the great volume of sound echoing in tho roof of tho hall, imcramped and open, is impressive. Altogether this is a very stirring recording, and one that will captivate the most critical Wagnerites. A MUSICAL JEST. ‘ltalian Salad’ (Genee), ‘ln this Hour of Softened Splendor.’—This is great fun. Tho Sheffield Choir, wffiom one would not suspect of such levity, sings with great gusto this jolly joke of Gonee’s. The composer burlesques as grand opera finale, substituting for the “ book ” a hotch-potch of musical terms, such as “piano,” “ pallentaudo,” etc., pronouncing each m the stylo it suggests. The result is most diverting, and so well done that one almost mistakes it for the real thing, for which the high quality of the singing is to bo thanked. Not a bad way, cither, of learning the meaning of some of those musical expressions 1 ‘ THE BELLE OP NEW YORK.’ ‘The Bello of Now York/ selection. Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards.— These old musical comedies seem to die very hard. Thirty years old, and still being revived and recorded! Wo seem to have lost tho gift of writing catchy melodies since that day. This is a recording that will stir up many who have not been charmed by the airy, lilting music that made ‘The Belle of New York ’ all, the rage for so long and in so many countries. The Grenadier Guards play the selection with their usual sparkle and spirit,_ and even thoso to whom the music is not so familiar trill find this a pleasant record. ‘PARSIFAL.’ ‘Parsifal ’ (Wagner). Bruno Walter conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.—Bruno Walter immensely increased his already great reputation by his able conducting of the German opera season at Covent Garden Inst year. Here he is something more than able. This recording has vitality and magnificence. It is _ convincing. It shows that the combination of Bruno Walter and the Philharmonic Orchestra is capable of great things. Wagnerites —notoriously hard to -please—will find no fault with this recording, and that loftiness of interpretation they look for informs every note of the mighty fortissimos. This prelude is constructed from three imposing themes, which Wagner has explained to represent in order—Love, Faith, and Hope. Thq result is one of the most moving pieces of music that Wagner ever wrote. * ST. GEORGE’S CHOIR. ‘Magnificat iu G’ (Stanford), ‘Magnificat in D Minor’ (Walmisley). The choir of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.—lt is certainly courageous to give two settings of the 1 Magnificat 5 in one record, but tho interesting contrast fully justifies them. The contrast is so great that none will complain of a surfeit of ‘Magnificats,’ Stanford’s setting is most original. Where Walmisely, on the other side, treats tho words a-s tho utterings of a body of worshippers rather than of a single individual, Stanford gives the song of tho Blessed Virgin as a solo treble, accompanied by tbo rest of tho choir, the organ meanwhile inlaying a fluid accompaniment. The effect is one of radiant exaltation, Walmisley uses ; men’s voices in unison alternately with tho trebles and altos, and the effect is most dignified. POPULAR DUBTTISTS. ‘I Never Knew’ and ‘Don’t Wait Too Long,’ duets by Layton and Johnstone.—Two numbers well up to tho high Layton and Johnstone standard, and still further proof of how thoroughly these two colored duettists have deserved their sweeping successes at Home. They have a happy touch with the popular hits of the day. One is not surprised to hear that they sell more records than any _ other_ artists. The secret is not only' in their excellent voices, their unison, and the brilliant piano accompaniment; it lies chiefly in their original and artistic treatment of everything they touch.