GRAMOPHONE NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 7 March 1925, Page 8

GRAMOPHONE NOTES

Top tliiu a noodle will cause tylasl by its inability to deliver to the diaphragm, at the correct speed, the energy imparted to it by the record. It may also develop secondary vibrations, which in themselves are stiliuient to cause unwanted noises, mute apart from diaphragm sounds. Too large diaphragms may otleiid similarly and blast in these may occur from tlu-ir undue inerua, that js ilu-ir inability to start delivering energy received and their reluctance to stop vibrating once they start. 1 hits a second note is being delivered beiore the first has tally expended itself, arid the effect is similar to bad pedal work at the piano. "Lag" is the technical name. A loose needle bar will cause blast : see that, the centre screw and pivot points do not rattle. Needle loose in the holder is another cause and

usually the result of a seuti-sntpptd screw. A loose fit between sound box and tone-arm will cause blast. A loose adapter will have similar teudemie.-i. A loose tit at the swing point ol the swan neck or main ..bearing of the tone arm will ahn cause rattle—-remedy, thick ml or grease. Loose horn joints or connections or ton flimsy construction of horn, wilt cause buzz or rattle. Remedy, insulating tape tightly wound. Shellac varnish is also useful.

Cramophonieis who are anxious to embark on the adventure of chamber music should begin with sonatas. Everybody will have listened some time or another to a violin solo, and perhaps ho will have wished sometimes that the ghostly tinkle which in most cases represents the piano accompaniment migTit be made a little mere prominent. Thai is what given the charm to a good sonata for violin and piano. One is not surfeited with either instrument. The Bach ".Sonata in E major." for violin and piano: Second and Fourth Movement, Maud Vowel), is a charming record, and the sordid movement ir a delicious little tune as easy as walking down hill on a fine spring morning. Then there is the Elgar "Sonata. Op. 83." Third Movement. “Allegro non troppn" : Hayward and Bourne, and Purcell's “Golden Sonata" for. two violin?:. Isolde Menges and Wtl 1 lain Primrose—perfect music, perfect playing, perfect recording. Amongst the March records is Lite

"First Piano-Concerto in E Flat’’ (Liszt) by that exceptionally successful recording artist. Arthur de Grief, associated with the Royal Albert, Hall Orchestra under Sir London Ronald. This brilliant concerto is presented in three 12-inch double discs, and imist be acknowledged to be. a remarkable piece of recording. The music is very florid, almost dazzling, and most impressive. Several replayings, of course, are necessary before the listen-

M,: „ er can hope to grasp the full perspective of this* rhapsodic conception, but- the study is well worth while. Thert' is more of sheer beauty in the music of Schumann's piano concerto (says a London critic, writing of the new records to arrive here shortly) than in nearly all the other concertos, and. though it may be said that Cortot, who plays the solo with utmost brilliance, nas an orthodox French view of the matter, yet nevertheless lie has made a very beautiful record. It is ineffably lowly music, anti it is played with a rare beauty. There is no more to be said. save, perhaps, thanks! Then (he continues) we come to Albert Coates, the Symphony Orchestra, and Mozart's "Jupiter." A colossal thing, 'this. I suppose that Richard Strauss s reading of tiiis symphony is that chiefly accepted here: it certainly made a great effect when Strauss played it many years ago— the reading. I mean. But though I 'have, a char recollection of the Strauss performance. I have a strong fancy for that of Coates, although 1 can well understand that many Mozarteans will dislike his extreme robustiousness. To me that is justified by Coates’s keen sense of proportion. Each ol these, works, by the way. is recorded on four double discs, as indeed is Beethoven's Quartet in F. the first of Opus 18, though ihe last side of the last of these discs contains the Scherzo front Tchaikovsky's Quartet in F. In the Beethoven the Catterall Quartet of Manchester are hoard at their very best, and that is very, very good. It js a lovely performance.