RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 20149, 13 April 1929, Page 19

RECORDED MUSIC

[By Erato.l

The Chopin Nocturnes.—'Chopin’s Nocturne’s,'' First Series, with introductory talk by Ernest Newman. Pianoforte solos by Leopold Godowswy. Pecording h no longer a matter of prviding sweetness. We are demanding banquets nowadays and getting them. 'This month Columbia are releasing the first series of twelve Nocturnes, played by Leopold Godowsky, and as a first course we have a most helpful and illumimii ing mlmdm ' iou by Ernest Newman, tho doyen of English critics. To the records themselves, what can one give but nils'-, uled praise? Chopin is'always in season, and a host ot Chopin lovers will lap up these Nocturnes and anything more that can be given. Godowsky’s reputation guarantees (ho excellence of the playing. Godowsky is a poet in his interpretations; the fulness, the tenderness, the romance that_ Chopin wrote into these masterpieces is faithfully preserv d in Hie playing. The haunting melodics and. their delicious embroideries alike arc given uith dignified sincerity. And reproduction too is well nigh perfect, it will be a long time before these pianoforte records are betterec. Schubert’s Famous ‘Erl King.’— (H ‘The Erl King’ ('Schubert); (2) •Death and the Maiden’ (Schubert). Sung in German by Sophie Braslau, contralto ft is safe to say that this recording of Schubert’s first published, _ and in many ways his most dramatic song, is the finest that wo could ever hope to hear. It makes us realise that 'Erlkonig- is no baritone’s song—only a contralto of unusual range and power, coupled with perfect control of every register, can adequately give ns Hie Voice of tho shuddering boy with the same conviction as the voice of tile disquieted father. And in addition

Sophie Urasla.' gives ns llic honied miolt.v of Hie I'ir King in contra-dis-tinction to both, whll her narrative verses provide- ;i’ i'ourlh separate inflection of vobe Brilliant Russian Music.—‘ Stcnka Razine’ (Glazounow). Desire Del'auw conducting the Brussels Royal Conservatoire Orchestra. The recording companies have a duty to gramopliiles beyond making a profit, and it is good to sec them shouldering their responsibilities from time to time. One of these duties is to familiarise ns with modern works hy foreign composers. ‘ Stcnka Razine’ is licit -t known on the Continent than in English speaking conntries, hut that is a fault which this recording will help to repair, for nobody could listen to this_ entrancing tone poem without failing in love with it. Clazounow tells a vivid and enthralling story, a barbaric narrative of Old Russia whose plot it is easy to Jill in with the imagination. Tim music itself is a riot of colour, full of glamour and variety, and interesting to the connoiscur for the extraordinary subtlety and inventiveness of some of its orchestration The famous Brussels Orchestra has given another' splendid performance, full of dash, and sweep-, ingl.v bold. Zimbalist.—o) ‘ Zapateado ’ (Sarasate). (2) • Liebosleid ’ (Kreisler). Violin solos hy Efrem Zimbalist. Zimbalist was never the man to indulge in the spectacular for its own sake, but lie shows ms again and again that where dazzling technique is called for lie can provide it, ‘ Zapateado ’ makes demands that few violinists could meet, but Zimbalist impresses ns not by bis achievements so much as the consummate ease with which he reaches it. This brilliant fragment has never been belter played. On (be reverse side wc have a nei' rendering of an old favourite—Fritz. Kreisler’s ‘ Richeslied, an old Vienna waltz, invested with utmost romance and fragrance. Zimbalist plays it with a smooth, round tone of velvety texture. A GIPSY OVERTURE. ‘ Clml Romano,’ dipsy Overture (Ketelbe.v). A. W. Ketelbey and Concert Orchestra.—-This concert overture is little known in A'ew Zealand. a-ncJ is indeed a fairly rscent work. ‘.However, it will not remain little kuowr for long; this admirable recording oi a fine performance will be added tc thousands of record collections throughout the dominion onto it is heard. The music itself is strangely fascinating and much of its charm is due to Ketch bey’s faithful recreation of the rhythmic and tonal idiom of the Romany peoples. The recording of this number, ns with all the Ketelbey album series, is the nearest thing to perfection yet heard on popular orchestral records. THE, BUDAPEST ORCHESTRA. /J) ‘Hungarian .Rhapsody, No. 1 (Liszt), in three parts; (2) ‘ Rakoczy March ’ (Berlioz). Ernest Dohnanyi

< »imllit:t.i n<s the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra.—London is still stirred by memories of one of the most notable musical visits of recent years—that of Ernest Dohnanyi ■ and the Budapest Orchestra. 'Che result of their visit promises to be an infusion of sparkle and colour into the stodgy, il very meritorious, level of English playing. So say English critics, and with some justice, if there is anything communicable in the almost gipsy wildness that informs the Budapest’s first record. Liszt’s famous ‘ First Rhapsody ’ rc- ' ceives a superbly temperamental and , impulsive treatment. Every; note has an edse—a lustre; the music attacks, not merely content to state plain lads; and it stirs a response that quickens the pulse. The playing is clean and decisive and the orchestration and tempo exhilarating in the extreme. On ' the jast side we get an altogether nsw I version of Berlioz’s famous ‘ Kakoczy 31 arch ’ —a truly great tonr-dc-iorce. j THE GRENADIER GUARDS BAND, j Sir Harry Lander’s Medley, in two parts, played by the Hand of H.M. Grenadier Guards.—Sir Harry Lander's songs, as everyone knows, are far above the average music-mill standard--splen-did tunes as shapely and vigorous as the folk songs - by which they are in-

spired. Ton of the best have been arranged and played with great effect lor flu’s new record. The Grenadier GHarris Baud excels itself in crisp, clean playing. in which some remarkably good solo pieces stand out. THE ACTUAL TI LE TROT. (J) ‘The Tile .Trot’; (2) ‘ Wylie Avenue Blues.’—-Having heard ‘ CJialita,’ the Columbia Tile Trot record now famous for introducing this new dance step into New Zealand, it is interesting to compare with it the original ‘ Tile Trot ’ played by the Piccadilly Players nncler the syncopated baton of AI. Starita, The same fascinating rhythm and exact tempo as distinguished ‘ Chalita ’ now carries with it an equally entrancing melody. ‘ Wylie Avenue Blues ’ (ills up the other side, and introduces Albert Brunics and his Halfway House Band—hut not the vocal chorus that the label leads us to expect.