RECORDED MUSIC.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 182, 4 July 1931, Page 4

RECORDED MUSIC.

— - | Levitzki ar.d Cicjn:.—3L»'.:.a L%” il *jd has made a rspaole _ i-sccrd »t ’ Strict ! scherzo ksouM a p Ayr mg Astir ■ piece. ''— t Ch'pir-. a? &e did yith hi f zmetcrstes ar-5 baEad*, made hi . 1 v''--rw.s veritable tore ms- L<~.ys.TC ■ the w.-cbie of the work there is a iwel . '•'••;ra-i:ii ;cra over whiti: 'te-c-errm "passages in. the .h:. -rite gent.; : rossting leaves aroma, me tmx c • -.n* rob-ie tree. Leriaz-::. “ho ts tom ■ irr V«r Z-:aland at the present ttne • ram as ere of the m tost: to ho peculiarly stilted to record ing. As- a result the gram sphere ret re r?« realistically ev err sstbriety it gradation of tore._ inis is a rwcrd tea. must rank: vtth Hs smsort) rsco.tit: of Liszt's ‘ e Hm?ariaa Kcapsody a/--iLfCorttn-'-k’.; Cham.—AS too ar i resting charm of .Join. MfCom.sc.-t : • voice is or. felted In nits, recorain g o; “Song or the Night” fYcttr Vfal- ; drot> >. a song Lien is poetic i.t sort: meet and set to a delicate melody I Sceis a number is eminently nitasa } for McComtac-k’s sympathetic- voice - and the great tenor is ai ways art.Lett: in his expressive trtteran.ee or totr j orris and* rnttric. On the same recorc 5 he singe another exquisite little song "The Gateway of Itre-ams'"’ < Caiiagnan- : English ,. ant here again n:s tone shat ; iztg i» aim net Eirzedlvus. Some of Li ■ notes seem to- fade rr.to a me.tir.g ] cirietness which holds one enthralled. ! It, is difhct.t to, define the ft-.-.inttror ‘ of McCormack's art. it is simple, it is f soon tar. eons. and above all complete- •; '■ Beantifcf Violin Tone.—Mischa 32- } man. who recently gave a distirtgtrisa- [ ed performance of the solo part of the j Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto, has now , mete a re-recording of Raff's j "Cavatina''' - and Dvorakls _ be- [ loved “Humoresque.” The “Caya- • -'' with its broad rr.eh> : die line, is played with a beautifully wand tome and depth of feeling. The gov of the melody is eonrirn-vis, and Elman introduces some delicate _ tone : shadings. ‘ If-mere---.nc’ is s. ebamsing little tone poem which was o-rtgm-j ally written for the pianoforte, bat : its violin arrangement has proved so popular that it is seldom now ass-c-rcat-!ei with, any other instrument. The work belongs to the class of pro- ' gramme music pieces in which the me : meaning or the composer's t:t:e :s iert 'Largely to the imagination of the f.’s- ; toner. At one moment the music seems •to bubble over with merriment and i at another one finds touches of _wist- . fulness. It is one of those delicious ; little morsels which arrest the fancy. : and Elman’s delicate touch brings out ■ ai! its charm. The violin tone has been : excellently reproduced, and is nicely balanced by the pianoforte accompaniment. Pianoforte Masterpiece. Cesar : Franck has been termed the “French Bach” because of his devotion to the pure and true in absolute music, and to-day—over forty years after his death —he has never been more popular. A few months ago a recording of lets “Violin and Piano .Sonata.” played by Cortot and Thibaud. aroused wide interest, and now comes a recording by Cortot of Franck’s “Prelude. Choral, and Fugue.” This is one of the great masterpieces of pianoforte music, and its presentation i.s ail tlce more noteworthy because Cortot has become identified with many fine performances of the composers works. The records are not only treasures for the general listener, but wiil.be invaluable to the pianoforte student who hopes to be able to play the work. For those who wish to become acquainted with the composition, it may be pointed out that it consists of a quiet prelude fin which, however, the fugue subject is hinted at; the openings figure of three notes is never ab-j sent for iong>. followed by a hymn-like! theme (given high up over wide arpeggios;, which leads to the fugue. At the! climax of the fugue subject, the choral and the rhvthrn of the prelude are combined triumphantly. Cortot’s performance is brilliant as well as scholarly, and the recording is well above the average in clearness.