MUSICAL RECORDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20306, 13 July 1929, Page 10 (Supplement)

MUSICAL RECORDS.

A wonderful new rocording of Verdi's " Aida," with Dusolina Giannini as Aida, Ar.reliano i'ertilo as Rhadames, and oilier famous La Scala artists, will shortly bo availablo on 19 double-sided His Master's Voice records.

Debroy Soiners and his danco band contribute for Columbia this month ono of their best danco records to date. On one sido is a " Nautical Fox Trot " with a smack of tho sea and tho nursery about it. On tho reverse a catchy littlo tuno of the " Dull Danco ' typo makes very effect ivo use of tho zylophono.

A'most satisfying record has been made by Lauri Kennedy, 'cellist, who has recorded Brahms' " Cradle Song," Dvorak's " Songs My Mother Taught Me," and Popper's " Hungarian Rhapsody " on a new J lis Master's. \'oice disc. Jle has a tine broad tone, and gives excellent interpretations to all three numbers, two of which aro snllicicntly popular to bring (he record all the success it reserves.

W. 11. Squire, tho veteran English 'cellist, is in excellent form on his latest Columbia disc, on which ho gives an excel lent contrast in arrangements of tho favourite sea-shnnty, " Shenandoah," and Wagner's masterpiece, Hans Sachs' "Prize Song" from " The Meistersingets." His tonu colour glows with subtle lights, while his phrasing is as expressively modulated as ever. In the " I'ri/.c Song " especially his mellow smoothness of touch has never been more enjoyable.

Jones and I Lire, the Happiest Hoys, are responsible fur a clever skit on broadcasting, which should appeal strongly to those who like comedy records. Some startling performances aro to be heard, following tho announcements made from the " stoodio," but these add materially to the humour of the disc, which should become ono of the artists' most successful efforts for His Master's Vioce. Every ono will enjoy " Twisting the Dials."

Tho famous Columbia Grenadier Guards Band has made a capital record of selections from that delightful comic opera, " Merrie England." This work is of most tuneful and melodious content, and the numbers presented by tho band will prove thoroughly enjoyable to every hearer. Included in tho selections aro the following eluded in tho selections are tho following well-known melodies: —"Hornpipe," " English Hose," " Yeomen of England," " My Troth is Plighted," and " Robin Hood's Wedding."

Master Ernest Lough, the remarkable boy soprano whoso first His Master's Voice record really started tho present vogue for sacred music, contributes another fine disc this month, associated with M.-tstcrs D. Horton arid It. Mallett. They have combined Schubert's " Coronach " with Brahms' " Come Away, Death." Tho Schubert piece is most expressively sung, and both selections are enhanced by a sympathetic pianoforte accompaniment by G. Thalden Ball.

A topical hit is made by tho English comedian, Leonard Henry, in " Tho Tale of the Talkies," one of his own compositions, which ho has recorded for Ilis Master's Voice. Henry gets slightly mixed, and in attempting to extricate himselfs gets moro mixed. " Tho Tale of the Talkies " will bo greatly appreciated by nil who have heard the new entertainment. " General Post " on tho other sido of the record is a clever pieco of humour, llenry has the real art of making people laugh.

One of the most brilliant and fiery " show-pieces " in music is Herold's " Zampa." and an interpretation for Columbia by Sir Dan Godfrey and the* Bournemouth Municipal Orcestra is excel lent. He makes tlio very best of its dynamic play of light and shade, and makes the brass vibrato with sonorous effectiveness. This is a pieco that never fails to thrill even the uninitiated listener, while the moro serious musician will find much to delight him in the flow of boldly invented themes and the masterly construction, It is a record that should enjoy the widest popularity.

There-is at present a remarkable vogue for church music, and among the latest His Master's Voice records are two such selections by the choir of Salisbury Cathedral, " Yea, Though I Walk." from Sul livan's " The Light of tho World," and '•'.IIo Shall Feed His Flock," ono of tho finest pieces of choral music from the entire wealth' of Handel's " Messiah." It is a most, effective recording, tho organ accompaniment -to both selections being exceptionally good. In tho Handel pieco there is heard some of tho finest massed contralto singing that has ever been recorded.

The great negro bass, Paul Robeson, takes tho solo part in a series of plantation songs, recorded by. His Master's Voice, and is assisted by a fine chorus. Thoro are many eternal favourites on this record, including " So Early in the Morning," " Carry Me Back to Old Virgiuny," "Old Folks at Home," " Good-night Ladies," " Away Down South in Dixie," "Poor Old Joe," "Oh! Susanna," and " My Old Kentucy Home." Apart from tho popularity of these pieces, the big coloured bass lends distinction to them by reason of his effortless production and the manifest sincerity, which marks all his renderings. •-

Paderewski is still one of the outstanding artists of the pianoforte. Tho passing years have not lessened his marvellous interpretative powers, and ho has lost none of that majestic sweep, which so many pianists have tried in vain to imitate. For his latest His Master's Voice record ho has, played again his own delightful .Minuet, and has given a brilliant performance, crystal-clear in all its minute detail. Coupled with this is the first inovement from Beethoven's famous

" Moonlight Sonata." Once again the great: pianist astonishes by the perfection and delicacy of his touch and tho wealth of pontic feeling, which lie reads into tho music,

Having exploited thoroughly and to the | great satisfaction of a world-wide audienco I the gav dance tunes of his native j Hungary, Fritz Kreisler has now turned [ to tlio rhythmic dances of Spain and is arranging them for tho violin. Ilis latest Ilis Master's Voice record is a bracket of Albeniz' " Tango " and Do Falla's "La Vida Breve." Kreisler captures all their langurous beauty with an undercurrent of firo beneath it all, and makes a most satisfying record. Ho is an artist, who chooses carefully his material and this coupled with his great genius has made him tho greatest violinist of tho day and certainly tho most popular on the gramophone.

Ono development in recent years has been tho growing affection of the general public for string quartet music—once, as far as tho man-by-tho-grnmophono was concerned, tho Cinderella among musical forms, Much of this is due to tho steady output for Columbia of tho Loner String Quartet —four Hungarians with great reputations as virtuosi, who have sacrficod their individual brilliance to give us what are amongVho greatest masterpieces in music, the pirk of chamber music. This month they offer ; U1 electric re-recording of an old favourite, tho Ilaydn Quartet in F. ho work can bo particularly recommended as an excellent introduction to chamber music. Full of naivo and delightful melodies, simple and direct in counterpoint. irresistibly light-hearted in spirit, its compact little movements—thoro is ono on each side-radiato a kindly happiness. I ih:s is Ilaydn at his best.