RECORDED MUSIC

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 116, 12 April 1930, Page 7

RECORDED MUSIC

Delightful Chamber Music.—Virtuoso String Quartet, in introduction and Allegro for harp, with strings and woodwind accompaniment (Ravel) and “Novelette—No. 3” (F. Bridge).—Maurice Ravel, the greatest of. contemporary French composers, was born in 1875. Although always spoken of as the “Ravel Septet,” the score of this work, of which this is the first electrical recording, bears the heading “Introduction and Allegro for Harp, with accompaniment pf String, Quartet, Flute and Clarinet.” The writing for the harp is particularly effective. On the fourth side is an extraordinarily attractive Novelette for String Quartet Ifcy Frank Bridge—a gem of British chamber music. A Lively Comedienne.—Ann Penn (comedienne) in “A Dicky Bird Told Me So” and “That Monte Carlo Song.” This clever little lady is endowed with a very charming and alluring personality. This she manages to infuse into her records. “Rainbow Man.”—Salon Orchestra in “Sleepy Valley” and “Chinese Lullaby.” Anything done by the Salon Orchestra is bound to be good. Three of tho above numbers aro from films unprecedented in their popularity. They are played with all the charm wo look for from them and clever instrumentation is again a feature of these particular records. A Laughter-Maker. Henry Hearty (comedian) in “I Ain’t Never Been Kissed” and “Where Did You Get that Namo’ ?’ Hearty is one of the best modern comedians and ho certainly “puts it over” in theso numbers. A New Clarkson Rose. —Clarkson Rose (comedian) in “Single and Married” and “Better than Nothing at All.” Single or married, tho men will enjoy this. And the ladies will enjoy tho other side. Two Rousing Marches. —National Military Band, in “Belphegor March” and “Forward March.” Rc-reoording of a great favourite. A real “nugget” for tho band-lovers. Star Cornet Playing.—Sylvester Ahola (cornet) in “Absent” (Metcalf” and “The English Rose” (German). How the cornet should be played. Delicate Numbers. —Concert Orchestra in “Minuet” (Boccherini) and “Sous bois” (In the Forest) (Staub). Two delicate little orchestral numbers., An admirable record for those who are fond of light musio attractively rendered. The minuet is tho famous Boccherini, and tho sylvan motif from Staub. Hungarian Folk Songs.—Keith Falkner is one of the finest pf-England’s young basses, and he has done a real service to lovers of vocal music by adding to the gramophone catalogue two Hungarian folk songs arranged by Korbpy, whose researches have enriched the store of song. It will bo rembered that Liszt made use of Hungarian folk music for many of his finest works. Falkncr’s two numbers require greater vocal treatment than is usual for folk songs, but he is equal to tho task, and gives us vivid pictures. Both “Shepherd, See Thy Horse’s Foaming Mane” and “Had a Horse” are sung.with due dramatic intensity, for there is a note of tragedy in each, and the pianoforte accompaniments by Gerald Moore add to tho effect.

John McCormack.—-Two re-recordings by the Irish tenor, John McCormack, are to i hand this month. They are Schubert’s i “Serenade” and the same composer’s “Ave Maria,” and the singer has the assistance of the Salon Group (male voices) and a - beautiful orchestral accompaniment. No ' singer to-day has a greator hold - on the publio than this remarkable tenor. . The beautiful, sympathetic quality of his voice, : tho almost miraculous light and shades are 1 given to the lifo in theso two lovely songs. “The Serenade,” which has boon called “a dream of passionate tenderness,” is perhaps the most popular of all Schubert's ' songs, and the haunting melody of the 1 “Avo Maria” has never been more elo--1 quently sung. 1 A Record by the Zurich Orchestra. —Was 1 any music ever more refreshing than Mo- ‘ zart in a happy or pleasantly thoughtful vein ? Superb examples of this great genius at his best aro hoard on a new record by the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, tho leading l Swiss organisation, conducted by Dr Volk- ' mar Andreae. There is a delicious littlo “Gavotte” from one of Mozart’s operas, “Idomeneo,” which was first produced in Munich in 1781. The melody is entrancing in its gentle simplicity. The other fragment is an Andante for flute and orchestra, ! in which the flute solo is taken by the celebrated Jean Nada, who plays the lovely air with a simple, direct line, with none of the little flourishes that a flautist usually has a weakness for. The orchestral accompaniment is charming. From “The New World” Symphony.— Dvorak is one of the few compiosers who. ha 3 a'universal appeal. We all respond to tho simple and joyous melodies in which ho delights. “Consummate artist as he is in all the niceties of construction, of tone creation, and novel as he is in harmony, the result always remains a sheer delight for the non-technical inind. The “New World” Symphony is a direct result of Dvorak’s visit to America, and is. suggestive of old nigger tunes and traditional American folk-songs. Tho First Movement especially enchants with its simple melodiousness from the very first note. Sir Hamilton Harty is admittedly one of the most poetic interpreters of the day, and this imaginative music suits him down to the ground. Especially convincing does he make the glorious Cargo, in which tho ethereal quality of the Halle wood-wind shines out with a soft luminosity. The finished suavity of the strings, full of body and impulse, comes out in the sprightly Scherzo. Memories of a Waltz King.—A safe prophecy would put Herman Finck’s latest record well in the forefront of recent “bestsellers.” It is called “Waldteufel Memories, Fantasia.” Many of Emil Waldteufel’e waltzes were more beautiful and more popular than those of Strauss, and of these Herman Finck has made a happy selection, some jolly polkas being included. The playing has all the brilliancy and perfect balance that we have learnt to expect from this orchestra, and the reproduction is well nigh faultless. The delicious tunes tumble out on top of one another until we are amazed at the composer’s richness -of invention, and Mr I’inck has strung them together with the eureness of a master. By the Milan Symphony Orchestra.—ln the true Mozart vein, polished and witty is “111 Matrimonio Segreto” (The Secret Marriage) tho overture of which is now recorded by the Milan Symphony Orchestra. Though composed by Cimarosa in the 18th century, the work has been revived frequently 6inc© then, for its racy imprudence had always a fresh taste. Tho Milan Orchestra, under Cav. Lorenzo Molajoli, works up the sport boldly, drawing clear lines and moving with purposo on ite way. The Pagliacci Prologue. Riccardo Stracciari, one of the greatest of all operatic baritones, has set himself an . arduous programme in re-reoording electrically nis old records. He turns the Pagliacci Prologue from a single 12-inch side to both eidee of a 10-inch disc, and with this wider scope gives an altogether fuller, completer reading. One can notice that he works in an extra chuckle. Not only in recording is this an improvement on tho • older disc, Btracciari’s voice has matured, and gained, in range and richness, while his phrasing baa far more shades of meaning in it. The “Nigger” Quartet. —“Quartet in ™ (Dvorak— Op. 96). Played by the London String Quartet. Dvorak wrote this delightful piece of music during his brief year or two in the United States towards the close of the last century. H 6 dia not actually use negro tunes, but the basic idiom he employed is the same as that used unconsciously in the plantation _ melodies that take the place of “folk musio” \n young America. . For the Easter Festival—The following ie a list of some of the beet Easter musio that has been recorded. —Enrico v Caruso, “Hosanna” (Granier), “Les Rameaux (Faure), The Palms. “Stabat Mater” (Rossini)—Cujus Animam, “Requiem Mass (Verdi)— Ingemisoo. Enrico Caruso and Marcel Journet, “Crucifix” (F*ure); Pol Plancon (bass), “Lee Rameaux” (Faure). Herbert Dawson (organ), (a) Alleluia The Strife - is o’er” (Palestrina), (b) Alleluia —Old Easter Hymn” (Koln, lo 23), (c) “All People that on Earth, a) “Christ the Lord is Risen To-day (U Elvey), (b) “Jesus Lives ! No linger Now (Gauntlet), (c) “Jesus Christ is Risen (Davidica). Marcel Joumct (baes),’ Defi Rameaux’' (“The Raima”) (Faure), ‘0 Salutaris: Hostia” (Luce).. Rosa. Ponselle (soprano), “Ave Maria” (Gounod), “Elegy” (Massenet). . Gatty Sellars (grand

organ), “Lost Chord" (Sullivan), C. Whit-taker-Wilaon (grand organ), “Largo" (Handel). Choir of the Temple Church, London, soloist, Master E. Lough, “Hear My Prayer” (Mendelssohn), “O for the Wings of a Dove” (Mendelssohn). Royal Choral Society, “Behold the Lamb of God,” “Hallelujah Chorus” (“Messiah”). York .'Minister Choir, “God is Gone Up” (Gibbons), (a) “0 Lord, Increaso My Faith,” (b) “O Clap Your Hands” (Gibbons). Peter Dawson, “Jerusalem,” “The Palms.”