RECORDED MUSIC

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 140, 18 May 1925, Page 10

RECORDED MUSIC

i .THE WEEK’S NEW RECORDS. Old dance favouritos and new confections are represented in the latest recordings by London’s famous dance orchestra, the Savoy Orphes.ns and the Savoy Havana Band. “Dream Daddy” is an old favourite, and in the new recording it is more enchanting than ever. Other good recordings, as bracketed, “Why do you caJL in© Wonderful iOne?” i“Go ’.long Mule” (fox trots); “All Alone” (waltz), “Hum a Little Tune” '(fox trot), “Chaliaginata” —“Just Like a Beautiful Story” (fox trots), “Driftwood” (a fox trot bracketed to “Dream Daddy”), and “Childhoods Memories” (onerstep, in two parte).

The London Times reviewer, writing of the latest recordings by the Savoy Orpheans has this to say : Among them is an excellent 12in double-sided record, containing two medlies of tunes arranged in dance time, one called “Southern Memories" and another “Medley of Medleys.” Both of these sides contain many familiar tunes, and the whole selection is ingeniously dovetailed together. The remainder are all lOin records, and include a number of familiar “fox trots,” such as “Hard-heated Halmah,” “Copenhagen,” and “Sunkissed Cottage,” together with a waltz, “Haunting Melody.” In addition, there is a record containing two fox trots played by the Savoy Havana Barid, “Back to Colorado” and “1 Loved; I Lost.” It is obvious' from this series of examples that the playing of modern danco music is not only improving rapidly, but that the recording is keeping pace with the improvement.

Soveral liners have recently acquired for U 36 at sea gramophone records of the Church of England service, which have been, made by Rev. Dr E. H. Followes and a choir from Saint George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle (states the London Times). The service, which consists of four large double-sided records, opens with a short Introit, a setting by Thomas Weelkes of the Collect for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity. Then follow the Pieces (“0 Lord Open Thou Our Lips”) and the Venite set to a chant by James Nares. The second record contains a chant for the 23rd Psalm by Garrett, the Walmsley chant for Psalm CXI., and the,Te Deum. The third record has, on one side, the Benedictus, set to a chant by Janies Turle, followed by the Apostles’ Creed monotoned by the choir on the other, the Lesser Litany, the Lord’s Prayer, the Versieles and Responses sung to the Ferial setting. Then follow three Collects —the Collect for All Saints’ Day; the Second Collect, for Peace (at Morning Prayer); and the Second Collect at Evening Prayer. The last of the gramophone records has an anthem by Henry Purcell, the Westminster Abbey organist, followed by the Prayer for All Conditions of Men, a Prayer of St. Chrysostom, and the Grace of Our Lord. On. the reverse side of thie record is the Magnificat, sung to a chant by S. S. Wesley, and it concludes with a chant for the Nunc Dimitris by Jonathan Battishill.

There would seem to be some difficulty in America of producing a repertoire of recorded music of the highest class that in any way can compete with that which we possess, remarks a London, writer. Philip Hale, writing in Boston, recently commented upon this act, and . has expressed his surprise that the leading newspapers of London have allotted so much space to them—a proof, says Mr Hale, ot their superiority. Then Mr Hale gives a long list of records which have been commented on, a very long list, and ho then proceeds to recommend these records—ail made in England-to everybody concerned in music in the U.S.A. for the sheer beauty of the recording. “The wood wind instruments were as if they were playing in Symphony Hall, Boston, to an audience,” is one of his remarks. Surely we may take off our hat to Mr Hale for these remarks, albeit Mr Hale has never been one of those American critics, now mostly gone who took a somewhat fiendish delight in olden days in deriding everything musical that came out 'of England 1

Here aro a few interesting notes on the latest London reviews of recordings: Stravinsky’s “The Fire Bird : Jhe star turn is the wonderful recording of Stravinsky’s “L’Oiseau Do Feu, otherwise “The Fire Bird,” winch, conducted by Albert Coates, is played by the Symphony Orchestra. These two records are very fine all through, but especially so in parts. For example, that in which is depicted the nlayino- of tfie Princesses with the golden apples is exquisite. While I can recuß nothing so infernal as the Danse Infeinale of all the subjects of Kastchei as a picture, by Gustav Dore, I think, of all the pothers of-tho physical hell we Victorians were brought up to try to realise.

Paderewski’s playing of a couple of Chopin’s Mazurkas, which, very delicate and homogeneous, are amazingly delicate and natural—without any parlour tricks—and quite delicious in their subtlety ot rhythmic. Finely rhythmic, too, is Frederic Lamond in his playing of the Waldstein Sonata, while his tone is superb, and his reading has that sense of authority which is getting rarer and ever rarer as authority wane.,. A great deal might bo written nowadays about this authority, because of its comparative rarity; and it well may be that a time will come when, the gramophone will be regarded as the custodian of the real tradition in the matter of the playing of the real classics. Tradition cannot die. There will always remain a few who take cognisance of it. But in the future it may quite conceivably be that the true tradition will be found enshrined in the mixture of which gramophone discs are made.

Chaliapine is full of characteristic fire in his performance of Alnae’s “The Last Voyage” and Tschaikovsky’s “Nightinga e Song,” but I loved the singing, for its purity and neatness, of the Australian Evelyn Scotney of the dainty ‘ Histoire Amoureuse” 'from Auber’s Auber s, please note—“ Manon Lescaut, and tne neatness of Ophelia’s Ballad from Thomas s “Hamlet.” , ~ _. • This quotation from tho Music Trades Review will show many correspondents that I am right when I repeat that the gramophone is still in its infancy. the number of patents registered last year indeed, for some years past, indicates that the ideal gramophone and record are not yet evolved.” in spite of the fact that recording has improved by lea-ps and bounds in the past few years, it is hardly an exaggeration to say in this connection what I .have repeatedly said in tho “syncopated orchestral music, but the other way up, as it were. In the caso of tho “jazz band,” so called, tho music is vastly inferior to tho means that exist to play it, that is to tho jazz band, the efficiency of which is marvellous. In the case of the gramophone itself, the music is now recorded magnficently.

The following London review notes, by tho Daily Telegraph critic, refer to recent recordings : . John McCormack’s singing of two familiar songs by Brahms seems to suggest that he is not so familiar with the German language as with tho Italian, but his phrasing is excellent. Mary Lewis has developed her voice largely since she sang hero in "Hugh tho Drover.” Indeed, her singing of two airs from ‘'Thais,” including, of course, the Meditation, is very good indeed. For keeps are the duets sung by Joseph Ilislop and Dinh Gilly from “Butterfly.” Here we have Hislop at his recorded best, and the voice of Dinh Giliy is not often heard in the land, alas ! in these days. George Baker might conceivably make more of Peel’s “In Summertime on Bredon,” but he does justice to Harold Samuel’s charmingly open-air song.of “Tho Top of the Hill.” Liam Walsh’s Irish pipes are superb—there is no other word, in his recorded solos, for that delectable instrument. Of a very largo selection of dance mu3ic [ select for recommendation “I Loved, I Lost,” and “Back to Colorado”; “A Haunting Melody” (incidentally Rubinstein in F), “Let me be the firet to kiss you,” and “Hard-hearted Hannah,” old, maybe,

but good. The fact is the fox trot is written out, and I repeat that nothing worthy will happen until the composers nave the efficiency of the players who have to play their lucubrations.

A correspondent says: “I have been much impressed by studying tho various degrees of success with which famous singers have reproduced their voices on the gramophone,” and asks for the general consensus of opinion on the matter. “My own opinion is that amongst women Patti and Galli-Curci have a slight lead in hutmanness of expression over their nearest rivals; that amongst men Battistini reproduces his marvellous voice with a faithfulness which is far and away ahead of anyone, not excepting Patti herself, whom 1 am old enough to remember in her prime. What is the explanation of this phenomenon? These artists are all Italians. Is it then a question of nationality Or is the timbre of the voice tho determining factor?” I welcome any expressions of sound opinion baßed upon something better than, merely a personal idiosyncrasy.

It would seem that the scholastic philosopher and physicist, Albertus Magnus, whose real name was De Groot, is the only true begetter of tho first gramophone (says a contributor to Tho Gramophone). Isaac D’lsraeli, in his "Curiosities of Literature” records the story that Albertus spent 30 years at the “curious labour,” probably in the first half of the 13th century. Unfortunately, the inventor demonstrated his machine’to his pupil, Thomas Aquinas, who though even more famous than his master, does not seem to have had the courage of tho familiar fox terrier. Aquinas was so terrified when distinct vocal sounds emerged that he struck at the machine with his staff, thus annihilating the labour of many years. As D’lsraeli says, the learned aro not victimised by the ignorant only ! Wo had to wait 700 years for another Albertus.

Are you a lover of Shakospeare’s songs ? Hero are some recordings of the most popular:—“As You Like It”: “Blow, Blow, thou Winter Wind" (Sargent). Robert Radford, bass, with orchestra. ((Quitter), George Baker, baritone, with piano. “It was a Lover and Ilis Lass” (Morley), duet. Doris Cowan soprano, and Herbert Payne, tenor, with piano (Zono). “Cymbeline” : “Hark, Hark, tho Lark” (Schubert). Evan Williams, tenor, with piano. Alma Gluck, soprano, with orchestra, Frieda Hampel, soprano, with piano (in German). “Measure for Measure” : “Take, Oh Take, those Lips Away” (T. C. Stern-dale-Bennett). John McCormack, tenor, with orchestra. “Much Ado About Nothing” : “Sigh no More, Ladies” (W. A. Aikin). Gervose Elwes, tenor, with piano. “Tempest” : "Full Fathom Five” (Martin Shaw). Robert Radford, bass, with piano. "Twelfth Night” : “O Mistress Mine” (Quilter), George Baker, baritone, with piano, (Tarpey). Duet, Ernest Pike, tenor, and Peter Dawson, baritone, with orchestra (Zono). “Como Away Death" (Quilter). George Baker, baritone, with piano. “Two Gentlomen of Verona" : “Who is Sylvia?” (Schubert). Emma Eames, soprano, with piano.