RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19776, 28 January 1928, Page 18

RECORDED MUSIC

[By Erato,]

'PAGMACCr IN ENGLISH,

1 Pagliacci ’ (Leoncavallo), Columbia 4317-4358; twelve records in‘album, Miriam Licette, Frank Mullings,. Harold Williams, Heddle Nash, and Denis Noble. ' Accompanied by Eugene Goossens conducting the British National Opera Company.—ln the welter of “colossal achievements” that every gramophone company is bound to advertise from time to time, none stands out more strikingly than this monumental production of Columbians. As Sir Raymond Bartlett remarks, “When the gramophone can give us a reproduction so comprehensive, so vivid, and so perfect in detail, one must consider the possibility of it eventually superseding the actual stage performance.” To us in New Zealand, whose opportunities of hearing a firstclass production, of grand opera are so rare. Sir Raymond’s words are already truth. To us, such a recording as Columbia now gives us is a godsend. Recorded in the great Scala Theatre, Loudon, it has all the resonance, the volume, and that indefinable sometfiiug that we call “personality,” of the actual performance. It is truly a delight to listen to.

Each record has its own beauties, and all the singers seem to have taken inspiration from the greatness of the occasion, but if I were asked to single out any for special praise I would mention Columbia 4351, in which Mimm Licette as Nedda and Harold Williams as Tonio sing the great duet, ‘ J Know That You Hate Me,’ and Columbia 4,352, where the quarrel scene is continued. But these are personal preferences, and every record is a masterpiece. Perhaps the best vocalist is Frank Mullings as Canio. The orchestration is superb, and Air Goossens is to be congratulated on his share in this noteworthy production. Recording is just as good, almost every word being clearcut and distinct. PURCELL. ‘A Trumpet Voluntary’ (Purcell), 1 Colemu Melody’ (Walford Davies), Columbia 04020. Hallo Orchestra, conducted by Sir Hamilton Harty.— We want more Purcell on the gramophone. This great English composer, whoso melody is always so refreshingly clear and direct and lias all the elements that make for universal popularity, is scandalously under-represented, on records. Let us hope that this Columbia recording heralds a wider lepreseutatiou of this remarkable genius, whose work is as redolent of the spirit of England in music as Hogarth’s paintings are in art. It lias been left to a Frenchman to s6und his praises most loudly. Says M. Henri Dupre: “Few musicians have anything like his melodic sense. Purcell sings as naturally as a bird. His melody lias Lully’s limpidity and elegance together with something moire distinguished, more aristocratic, and at the same time more homely.” The rare combination of brass and organ is thrilling. Alex. Harris is the trumpeter, and Sir Hamilton Harty plays the piece with vigor and straightforwardness. On the reverse of the record we hear an impressive example of the best modern English music in Sir Walford Davies’s ‘'Solemn Meledy,’ which was composed for the tercentenary celebrations of Milton’s death. This piece is rarely heard in its original form (for both organ and ’cello), and this lecord is all the richer for the sympathetic playing of the ’cellist, Clyde Twelvetrees. A FINE ORCHESTRAL PRODUCTION. ‘Danse Macabre’ (Saint Saens), Columbia 04021. Sir Henry Wood conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra.—Leader for many years of the modern French school of music, SaintSaons was chiefly notable for a remarkable lyric gift and for his superb control of the technicalities of orchestration. This latter gift is amply demonstrated in the present record, winch shows also an inventiveness in the process of expression that makes his work of intense interest to the student. The weird symphonic poem is based on a ‘Death Dance’ excerpt from a little-known poem by Henri Cazali, which Saint-Saens appended to ids score. The composition opens with an appropriate symbol of mysterionsness —the striking of midnight. The skeletons begin their bizarre and fantastic revels, represented by the xylophone. (This poem, by the way, was the first occasion on which the xylophone was used in a concert orchestra,) Death, represented by a hanntingly lovely violin solo, stalks through the orgy, which moves to a startling crescendo until the crow of the cock is heard, and the turbulent riot, fades into silence. Sir Henry Wood and his fine orchestra play this piece with a relish for its eeriness, entering into the spirit of the fantasy. Their tone is ample and round, for which doubtless the recording in the vast Scala. Theatre, London, is "much to be thanked.

A BRILLIANT FRENCH TENOR. • Romeo el Juliette—Cavatina ’ (Gounod), ‘ Carmen—Flower Song’ (Bizet), Columbia 0401 f). Sung by Georges Thill.—We hear so many namby-pamby tenors nowadays who warble of love as though they wore frightened of it, that it is a real pleasure to hear a fine manly voice. Nor does M. Thill fall into the other extreme, his voice, for all its robustiousness, is effortless and easy, and free from all affectation. And he is delightfully free from the sickly tremolo that seems to have fallen like a blight on even the best of our tenors His last record was issued about a month ago, and I remember predicting at the time + hat he would be a distinct acquisition to the gramophone. His second record confirms the favorable impressions created by the first. M. Thill is the chief singer at the Paris Opera, and these are the two arias with which he scored his greatest hit. Notice how easily he strikes that glorious top note' in the Cavatina from ‘Romeo,’ and what a contrast he makes of the impassioned ‘Flower Song’ from Carmen. ALFRED O’SHEA. ‘ Liebestranme ’ (Liszt), ‘ Omhra Alai Fu’ (Largo) (Handel), Columbia 04012.—Sung by Alfred O’Shea, tenor.—Most of us are familiar with Liszt’s ‘Liebestranme’ as a pianoforte solo; noiv it has been fitted w'itli w'orcls by G. Dechelette. and an admirable song it makes. The lyric is most appropriate to the haunting melody, which O’Shea sings with deeo understanding. Ho has a. great voice, wdiich is heard to even better advantage in Handel’s Largo, on the reverse side, and the two make a fine contrast—the restrained fervor of the ‘ Liebestranme ’ with the grand and moving dignity of Handel’s well-known work. MORE STRESS WALTZES.

1 Wine, Women, and Song ’ (Waltz) ‘ Kiss ’ (Waltz), Columbia 02523. Johann Strauss conducting his Symphony Orchestra.—We are treated this month to two more of the. famous Strauss waltzes as interpreted by the famous composer’s son. and needless to say the younger Strauss captures to the full the fragrant oldworld charm for which his father’s work was so noted. Though I hardly think these waltzes will ever recapture their first fine blush of popularity, there is much in them that will appeal to a jazz-jaded age, and it is good to have them so authoritatively presented to us. AN ENGLISH SELECTION.

‘The Rose’—English Selection, Columbia 02521. Played by the Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards. —I remember Columbia produced a Grenar

dier Guards Baud record about a year ago. called ’ Tbe Thistle,’ which was a collection of traditional Scottish airs. Now (hey have produced one which promises to he ecmallv successful, based on familiar English tunes, and played with gusto. The arrangement is by Mr Myddleton. who shows fine discrimination in his choice and a most professional skill in mortising them together. Tho selection starts off with ‘Here’s A Health Unto His Majesty,’ and one by one “ Fine Old Englishmen,’ ‘Lass of Richmond Hill,’ ‘On the Banks of Allan Water,’ ‘lsle of Beauty,’ glide into each other. On the reverse we hear ‘Old Fowler.’ ‘Sally in Our Alley,’ ‘Drink To Me Only,’ ‘Haste to the Wedding,’ ‘ Sir Roger cle Coverley,’ and ‘The Farmer’s Boy.’ The band is most capably conducted by Lieutenant Milk '