MUSICAL RECORDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19892, 10 March 1928, Page 8 (Supplement)

MUSICAL RECORDS.

Two of Sir Karry Lauder's most successful hits, " The Pirate," and " Oh, Hiw I Weary, Dearie," have been issued at popular prices.

The Coldstream Guards have recorded " 8.8. March," and " East and West March," two fine marches vigorously played and realistically recorded by a fine band.

Tho remarkable Rumanian tenor, George Metaxs, who appeared in musical comedy in England not long ago, has been recorded for the first time in Tosti's " Ideale," sung in French, and " MandriTiita," by Stefanesco, in Rumanian. He has a remarkable voice.

Percy Homing, baritone, in " The Devout Lover " (M.V. White), and " Joggin' Along the Highway " (Samuel), sings with fine directness and simplicity. He has given two very popular little ballads for this record; that by Maud Valerie Whit© is an " old stager," and dear to an audience possibly numbering millions.

Two sumptuous operatic finales, by Eva Turner and La Scala Chorus, have been brought together on one disc. They belong to Act 2 of " Aida " and Act 3 of "La Traviata." lu both numbers tho electric, recording has retained in a remarkablo way the " bigness" of tho scenes, and Eva Turner's yoice comes out magnificently.

The release of " Waiata Poi " and the lovely Maori lament " Tangi," played by thq Mayfair Orchestra, conducted by Alfred Hill, met with a conspicuous success. Now, under tho composer's direction, tho Mayfair Orchestra has given a fine rendering of two striking works by one who has made a lifo study of Maori music.' They are "Waiata Maori," and " Lake Music."

Hina Spani, who will bo one of tho principal sopranos during the J. C. Williamson, Ltd., grand opera season in Australia, has been recently heard in the duet from " Pagliacci," with Granforte, Her superb voice and dramatic singing have since been admirably reproduced in tho cemetery sceno from " Ballo in Maschera," and the Cavatina frpm tho first act of " Trovatore."

Tho irrepressible and much-imitated " Monty" (Milton Hayes), is back again in better form than ever, and there is hardly a gramophile, highbrow or lowbrow, who will not welcome his return. This time he tells of his researches into the discovery of America with a pendant narrative on " How America wak Found Out." Quite in the original Monty vein is his quip about how Columbus cried " Dry Land," when he flighted America.

Wagner's smaller works, which are but few in number, arc often overlooked, so the recording of " Huldigung's March," by tho London Symphony Orchestra, under tho composer's son, Siegfried, should be welcomed. The work represents Wagner *dt tho full height of his powers attempting to writo a inarch. It is rather like a mountain torrent being mado to turn a child's toy watermill, and every now and then Wagner " overflows" beyond tho narrow confines allowed him. But the result is a magnificent march, and as played hero, compels admiration.

Wagnerites will be delighted to hear of the latest venture which is due to be issued somo time next month. It is nothing less than a complete recording, for the first time, of the Bayreuth Wagner Festival. Bayreuth, the Mecca of all opera lovers, is the one centre where Wagner is played with a cast, orchestra, and production regardless of cost,, with one single aim. , The recordings include extracts from " Siegfried," " Rhinegold " the greater part of Parsifal and and "The Valkyrie," and the Festival Orchestra by Siegfried Wagner, Dr. Karl Muck and Frauz von Hoesslin.

Appropriate to tho Beethoven centenary, the trio in B Flat (op. 97, No. 6), played by Albert Sammons, W. H. Squire and William Murdoch, has been issued complete in five records. Termed tho greatest of all pianoforte trios, it was written in 1811, eleven years,after Beethoven had first felt the bitterness of deafness. Tho Scherzo is not only one of the favourito movements from Beethoven, but one of the best known and most popular airs in music. Tho performance is faultlessly balanced and at every phase of the playing the listener is treated to really distinguished tone and phrasing.

A new tenor, Theodore Ritch, makes his bow tc gramophone lovers in " E lucevan lo Stelle," from " Tosca," and the " Dream Song " from " Manon.', The two sides might have been sung by different persons, so unlike are they in almost every detail. In tho first, Ritch's manly, unaffected style and easy, powerful command of the loftier passages are definitely redolent of the best modern Italian teaching. His French accent in the " Dream Song," is as good as his Italian in the Puccini piece, but his diction is not quite so good, and his tone is slightly nasal.

Some wise counsel in tabloid form has just been issued by a leading gramophone company. It is worth reprinting: — "Do's ": (a) Have your gramophone attended to by an experienced mechanic twice a year, (b) Find out the playing capacity of your gramophone and see that it* plays the full number of records at each winding. (c) Play records at correct speed; to test speed, wind up machine, place record on the turntable, and insert a piece of white paper under the edge of record, and then play in the usual manner, counting the number of times the paper passes a given point, namely 78 or 80 times per minute, or adjust as necessary. "Don'ts":' (a) Don't forget all machinery requires lubrication periodically, (b) Don't leave the spring wound up when not in use. (c) Don't wind after each record, except in single spring machines, (d) Don't run machine too fast and then complain about blast and screech, (e) Don't use sted needles more than once; needles are less expensive than records, (f) Don't interfere with the sound producer, as this is the soul o? the gramophone and . has been assembled and tested by a specialist.