RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19841, 14 April 1928, Page 18

RECORDED MUSIC

[By Erato.]

THE ‘CHORAL SYMPHONY.’ ‘Choral Symphony, No. !), in D Minor’ (Beethoven). Felix Weingartner conducting the London Symphony Orchestra, with Miriam Licette, Muriel Brunshill, Hubert Eisdell, Harold Williams, and chorus. Columbia L 1775-82. (Eight records in album, with descriptive notes.) • Beethoven’s ‘ Ninth Symphony ’ is also his last, and is considered by many to be his greatest achievement. Certainly in scope it far transcends anything else that he has attempted, and even though it lacks the overwhelming directness of the immortal ‘Fifth’ it has passages of colossal power. It has peculiar interest for the British in that it was commissioned, for the sum_ of £SO, by the Royal Philharmonic Society of London. One is expected, of course, to bleat “Wonderful! Wonderful! after every note, and certainly it is so; but I am afraid Columbia will find that ninety-nine out of 100 even of continued Beethoven lovers cannot grasp its great beauties without hearing it several times, and will consider it too expensive a production to take on trust. Many, like myself, will be tempted to buy a single movement, like the beautiful adagio, with its charming use of wood-wind and horns, or the glorious fourth movement, in which Beethoven introduces a magnificent chorus and four vocalists. THE GREAT ‘JUPITER’ SYMPHONY. ‘ Symphony in C Major, Jupiter ’ (Mozart). Sir Dan Godfrey conducting the Symphony Orchestra. Columbia 04043-46. (Four records in album.) As these records are in an album, with descriptive notes, I need not go into details about its construction. Sir Dan Godfrey makes a very four-square production of it. Beecham, I think, would have been better because more imaginative, but Godfrey brings at least adequate intelligence to the task of doing justice to Mozart’s finest work —a work that surely comes close to being the greatest in all musical literature. His orchestration is clear and sweet, especially in the wood-wind, and he makes the most of the lovely Mozartean melodies that ripple throughout the symphony. The value of this recording becomes at once apparent when wo remember how many of the greatest critics have hailed this as Mozart’s most important work, and to how many is raozart the favorite composer of them all. ALFRED O’SHEA. (1) Berceuse de Jocelyn’ (Godard), sung in French; (2)_ ‘Agnus Dei (Bizet), sung in Latin. Columbia 04013. And (1) ‘Vale’ (D’Aroy); (2) ‘A Song Remembered’ (Coates). Columbia 03511. Sung by Alfred O’Shea, tenor. Alfred O’Shea provides' us with two more discs this month. The sympathetic quality of his voice is well displayed in all four songs, but sometimes I too a note of drama creeps in, as in ' the ‘ Vale ’ song by D’Arcy. Of the four songs I like best the cradle song from Godard’s opera ‘Jocelyn.’ Its tender mood is admirably suited to O’Shea’s warm and sympathetic tenor, and 1 cannot call to mind anyone who could better his individual treatment of it. This record is interesting, by the way, by reason of i the fact that O’Shea sings one side in French, the other in Latin. His French accent is impeccable; better, one might almost say, than his English, for if lie has one tendency that could be regretted it is that of flattening his e’s. The Latin song, Bizet’s lovely melody ‘ Agnus Dei’ (Lamb of God), has a fine climax, and is sung with just the right fervor. AN APPEALING ORCHESTRA. (1) ‘Le Lettro de Manon ’ (Gillet); (2) ‘Ariane’ (Massenet). Played by Joan Lensan and his orchestra. Columbia OSB2. A certain old-world charm lingers like a. delicate fragrance round the playing of .lean Lensen’s Orchestra, who dig up delightful fragments from the past and present them to ns in a restful and winning mannerlt is a relief to know that such .searching alter beauty is still possible in this jazzridden ago, and there is many a noisier and more ambitious orchestra I would willingly exchange for some of Jean Lensen’s pleasant recordings. The Massenet fragment is particularly nice. HUBERT EISDELL. (1) ‘ All Suddenly the Wind Conics Soft’ (Burr); (2) ‘Do You Know My Garden?’ (Haydn Wood). Sung by Hubert Eisdell, tenor. f have nothing but praise for the Burr song, ‘ All Suddenly the Wind Comes Soft/ which seems to mo to have more true feeling for the words than John Ireland’s more maturesounding setting. And Hubert 'Eisdell does full justice to it, though f should advise readers to hoar it more than once before buying. Ho is not so good, however, on the other side. His accent seems a bit ‘‘precious/’ and when one remembers that Eisdell is a Canadian who first began his career as a fruit farmer near Toronto, that touch of Mayfair must bo affectation. His vocalism, none the less, is splendid, and very reminiscent of the groat Gervnsc Elwos under whom lie studied for so long. TWO VIOLIN SELECTIONS.

Although Chopin wrote his ‘ Nocturne in E Flat,’ op. 9, A’o. ‘2. for the pianoforte, it lias been arranged for the violin by Sarasatc, and in its H.M.V. recording (D. 1288), by .Isolde Menges, it has a wealth of tone, 'flic player’s rendering is excellent, and there is a brilliant display of agility in the cadenza near the conclusion. The other side contains Bach’s ‘ Air on G String,’ and, if anything, this is the pick of the two pieces. The ‘ Air ’ is from a suite in .1) lor orchestra. and owes its popular name to Wilhelm,i, who arranged it for the violin, directing that it should be played on tho G string to give it the richness of tone necessary.

A DEBUSSY AND BRAHMS

Jacques Thiband is undoubtedly a master of the violin, but in Debussy s ‘La Eillc aux chcueux de Jin’ (‘The Maiden With the Flaxen Hair’) he does not seem to give ot his best. A vnlse by Brahms on the other side of the disc is very pleasing, but _ here again the artist does not do hnnscli justice. However, both recordings reveal good tone and are quite enjoyable. ’ The record is an H.M.V. (DAR 66).