MUSICAL RECORDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 8 (Supplement)

MUSICAL RECORDS

Two Viennese waltzes, " Gold and Silver " (Lehar), played bv the International Concert Orchestra, and " Emperor " (Strauss), played by the Novelty Orchestra, are worthy successors of " The Blue Danube." Lehiir, it will be remembered, composed " The Merry Widow," and his latest piece is as good as anything he lias written.

Walter Collins, composer of that recent dance success, " Moontime," has created an equal furore with his newest fox-trot, " Laughing Marionette." " Rag Doll " is by the composer ot the phenomenally successful " Doll Dance. and bids fair to outdo it in public favour. Both of these little gems of dance writing might be classed as descriptive pieces in dance rhythm. Handled by Debroy Somers, they are brilliant numbers.

Two splendid songs, " Wanderlust " and " The Hurdv Gurdy Man," are assured 01 an exceptionally warm welcome. Not often heard now in public, Sir George Henschel's records are eagerly looked for by thousands all over Europe who have had, m the past, opportunity of hearing him in person No doubt there are many music lovers throughout the Dominion who are unaware of this famous baritone's unusual interpretative qualities, and to these folk especially these two numbers are warmly recommended. The treatment of each of'the songs is original and vigorously real. The recording is exceptionally fine.

Hugo Kreisler, although not so well known in New Zealand as his distinguished brother, is one of the great concert artists of Etirooe. lie is a voilin'cellist of unusual powers, and his playing reveals a tone of remarkable beauty, fluent, elegant, rich and varied. The brothers give us their second record this month, and their playing is again marked bv sweet tone and sympathetic playing. Their two numbers are " Sanctissima (Corelli. arr. Kreisler), arid Arlesienne —intermezzo (Bizet, arr. Kreisler). Lhev approach both the sacred subjects with reverence and dignity, and understanding between the brothers is perfect.

Lomanto, it will be remembered, married Toti del Monte last year during the MelbaWilliamson Opera season in Australia. His early training was for law, and his vocal career has been confined to the last few years. But in a few short months, from'a barrister in Naples he became the idol of Italy—acclaimed the finest operatic tenor discovered in recent years. The Bellini aria '"Take the Ring, is a masterly piece of singing, and Massenet's " The Dream " ; s sung with ar intensity of feeling that makes this record one of the finest operatic excerpts heard for a very while. Introductions and accompaniments to both arns are worthy of special ment'on.

The orchestra of the La Scala Opera House in Milan is continually performing before perhaps the most critical audience in the world, and this must in a way account for its brilliance. Its temperament is essentially Italian, and full of vitality However, tone is never sacrificed. There is true wood-wind intonation, and keenness in the strings without the slightest suspicion of " edge " The orchestra plays the light-heartcd overture of " Secret of Susanna " [W alf-Ferrari), a Mozart-bkc composition. There is laughter in this music, and the La Scala Orchestra subtly appreciates the humour. Pocrv and sensitiveness of expression marks their pla\ing of •' The Son',' of the NieUingale." from "Don Juan" (Nanravnikl. The two pieces make a notable orchestral record.

Some of the new dance records are worthy of special mention. Gradually it seems that jazz is finding its level. Ihe reign of ear-splitting apologies that shrieked through our dances in the days following the war appears to be over. Out of maze there has issued some very enjoyable music «nd of this tvpe one singles out the following;— lh.\t s Just My Way of Forgetting You" (fox-trot) and " Memories of France. " (waltz), by Jean Goldkette and his orchestra: " Beautiful Ohio" (waltz) and "Three O'clock in the Morning '' (waltz), by Paul Wh.ten;an and his orchestra; 'Neapolitan Nights " (waltz) and " Some Day. Somewhere We'll Meet Again " (waltz) by the Troubadours"; "Baby's Blue (foxtrot), bv Nat Shilkret. and his orchestra, and "Old Man Sunshine" (fox-trot), by George Olsen and his musi' 1 : " Flower of Love" (fox-trot), by Ted Weems and his orchestra, and " Lonesome in the Moonlight " (fox-trot), by Nat Shilkret and his orchestra.

The first records made by the \ ienna Philharmonic Orchestra lia.e recently been issued. Vienna lias the reputation of being one of the most artistic cities in the woild. The Viennese Opera is famous as setting what is probably the highest standard in the world, and the Philharmonic Orchestra is on the same high level. All the great German composers from Gluck. Mozart, Beethoven. Schubert (a Viennese bom and bred) to Hugo Wolf, Richard Strauss and many others, have found their spiritual home in that gay city. The standard of excellence set must necessarily be extraordinarily high. '1 he " Pastoral "—the sixth of Beethoven's symphonies—has beer chosen for the new record. Beethoven's passionate love of Nature has been the subject of much comment. The title, " A Pastoral Symphony " is his own, and on the original manuscript was supplemented with the words "or recollections < f the Country Life." Each movement bears a little title of its own, but the music is not real I v completely descriptive. Beethoven himself was anxious to maintain this, for on the title page he placed the words " MclrAusdruck der Empfindung nls Mahlerei (More an expression of tin emotions than a painting).