MUSICAL RECORDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18885, 6 December 1924, Page 8 (Supplement)

MUSICAL RECORDS

A new romance of the musical xror 1 . is the fact that the gramophone or wire less can now create great reputations lo artists. Appearances in the flesh before visible audiences are no longer absolutely necessary to the- making of a name. GalliCurci, who is coming out here next year, had never even set foot in England until quite recently. As soon as her concert was announced, months before, the house was sold out in a day« or so. For six years past the gramophone has proclaimed her, in Britain, as one of the greatest of living sopranos. One may be sure that the 10,000 who flocked to the Albert Hall in London had all an intimate acquaint-, ance with her voice, and they went not to judge, but to confirm their judgment, and to make acquaintance with the personality of one who has often sung to them so bewitchingly out of the gramophone. Amelita Galli-Curci, although still ycung (one has her own authority for stating her age as thirty-four) has had a romantic career. Like Caruso, her fee began modestly, at 255., or thereabouts, per night, and subsequently rose to £500 or more. An Italian by birth, but with Spanish blood in her veins, Galli-Curci began singing in childhood. In her teens she spent the first part of her career in those little travelling opera companies one finds all over Europe. Galli-Curci's New York debut was in 1918, as Dinorah in "La Somnambula." At the end of the famous Shadow Song there was such an uproar in the opera house that the singer at first thought there was a panic. It took her some minutes to realise that she herself was the cause of the "panic." Since that day Galli-Curci has taken the place, with the American public that Patti and Melba held in past times. Selections from the London light opera rage, "Toni," will be here at the end of the month. They were recorded by tho May fair orchestra. Una Bourne has many admirers in the gramophone world, and her latest pianoforte bracket, to arrive hero at the end of the month, should be very wolcomo. It includes Cyril Scott's "Summerland Suite" (two numbers, '.'A Song from the East" and "Fairy Folk"), and the "June" barcarolle from "The Months" (Tschaikovsky). I notice the name of tho venerable Welsh tenor, Mr. Ben Davies, among the records scheduled for release at the end of the present month. His offering is a delightful Brahms bracket—"The May Night" and "In Summer Fields." An Elizabethan song, "Phillis Was a Faire Maide," and an old Irish folk song, "The Lover's Curse," is Carmen Hill's selection for the January sales. _ This pleasing mezzo is very successful in her latest recordings. Sydney Coltman's fine tenor is well suited to the recording of • his January bracket, " Sea Rapture," and "MadeUna."

More Peter Dawson. This time in "Paddy's Wedding," a semi-humorous Irish song, and "Punchinello," a pathetic little vocal concept with a charm of its own.

If you like broad musical farce listen (at the end of the present month) to John Henry's recording of "Listening-in" and "Hens." There are plenty of laughs in each of them, though the latter is supposed to bo the funnier of tho two.

Beit Ralton's famous Savoy Havana Band, which makes its opening appearance before Auckland theatregoers at His Majesty's this afternoon, has had almost all of its wonderful successes recorded by a leading English company. Never have dance bands found such prominence thrust upon them as the regular wireless broadcasting of the famous Savoy Hotel bands has brought them. As a consequence, their standard of dance music is known to all as the highest _of all, and the enormous and world-wide popularity of their records reflects"that knowledge. If. is reputed that the Savoy Havana Band's playing of the latest in dance music found great favour with the Prince of Wales.

Among the most popular recordings by this famous orchestra aro " Horsey, Keep Your Tail Up" fox trot, " Say it With a Ukulele" fox trot, " Some Day in Carabay" fox trot, " Sunshine" fox trot, " Three O'clock in the Morning" waltz, " Dearie, if you Know" fox trot.