COLUMBIA RELEASES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 6 December 1929, Page 7

COLUMBIA RELEASES.

Two Brilliant Woodwind Duets. Within three years Sir Dan Godfrey has turned the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra from a municipal band inio an orchestra of international repute. No small measure of success lie owes to the brothers Gennin, Pierre and Jean, his woodwind experts. Now the brilliant Jean has composed two more of this airy little fragments for our delectation, ami whimsical ami appealing little pieces they are, too. The fir.si, “The Merry Brothers,” is a duet for two piccolos, a prancing high- spirited affair. “Echoes of the Valley” with great realism uses a flute and. an echo-flute, and the effect is singularly rich and sweet. Sir Dan Godfrey supports the duettists with his orchestra. (Columbia 02930).

A “King’s Thanksgiving” Record. St. George’s Chapel, attached to Windsor Castle, is always a ‘Mecca of lovers of good singing, for the Choir is among the most famous in the world. This month Sir Walford Davies leads them in a tine record of the music sung on the occasion of the King’s Thanksgiving. First comes

tho National Anthem, and Mindy it has novcr boon sung with .such tiro and beauty. On the same side follows a “Psalm of Thanksgiving,’ ’ one of the productions of Sir Walford in his capacity of Master of the King’s Musick —a sort of Musical I’oct Laureate. The reverse side is taken up with an Elgar- piece—“Coronation offer to r - iuin”—one of the gems from this grea* composer’s pen. The singing throughout is sheerly lovely, and makes a capital record. (Columbia OUtKUi).

Weber’s “Obcron” Overture. William Mengelberg and Die Amsterdam Orchestra gives an entrancing sympathetic reading of Weber’s famous masterpiece, the “Obcron Overture. bi this month’s Columbia list:-. The 'playing carries us from the first note into fairy realms. E.\(|iiisite tonal colourings, and instrumental effects of the utmost ingenuity, make this recording one of the most delicate and fanciful yet released. Particularly rich i.i sugge. 1 ion are the light movements of the fairies on the clarinets and .Oberou’g theme on Die horn. Mengelbeig has enriched the gramophone’s repertoire with a work that for ethe* real Imanty will remain long unsurpassed. On the fourth side of these two records we are given the Slavonic Dance in G Minor, by Dvorak, splendidly played by Sir Henry \\ oyd and Dm New Queen’s Hall Orchestra (Col nmbia 041147 ’-48). Grand Opera in English,

Few arias from grand opera ar-* more popular ihaii Hie “Barcarolle” from Offenbach’s “Tales of Heilman,” and “Give Me Your Darling Hands,” from Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly.” An English version is highly welcome, (‘.specially sung with such brilliance and sympathy as Isabel Baillie, Nellie Walker, and Francis Russel! bring to them. Bella Bailie- is the find of the Govent Garden year. This soprano lias an exquisite legato,.and has a warm, vital quality very reminiscent of Melba at her best. Particularly fine, too, is Francis Russell, who scored a big success this year. He shares the Puccini duet with Bella Baillie, and shows a manly, unaffected style that dodges all the serious faults of the Italian school. Records like this, capitally sung and capitally accompanied, should be in every collector’s possession. (Columbia 020oo).