Recorded Music: Notes and Reviews

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12211, 8 August 1925, Page 14

Recorded Music: Notes and Reviews

• An interesting H.M.V. record this week by Robert Radford and Peter Dawson. -Phe sonorous "Sound, Sound the Trumget" .("Saoni la.Tromba"), from Bellini’s I 'Puntani, i© very well sung*. The voices of these tiro uasses blend splcndidly. Less satisfying i s "The Lordls a Man of War '/Israel in Egypt”), where neither seems so happy. But the tone is good. ql2m d.s.). **- * * *

/,Peter Dawson, again, in two entertaining trines, ' Some Crimson Rose” and Here's to the Good Old Days*” They are worth hearing, (lOin d.s.).

The band lovers will purchase two folk songs from Vaughan Williams's "Suite for Military. Band.” The numbers recorded_ arc ''Serehteen Come Sunday” and a Folk s Son# from Somerset,” aud they are played bv the band of the Royal Air Force. Splendid stuff. (lOin d.s.).

•? en /£ awest A. Amorist, occupies two sides of a 12-inch record in giving his impression of exit© in the real and stage world; As the monthly supplement says, even opera as an open hook to him, - ' and hq imitates a baritone, tenor, and soprano quite passably. There are some bright spots hero. * * * *

Foxtrot records are five, and the best of them is a disc containing two medleys. Southern Memories" and "Medley of Medleys." The latter is built up from Scotch; - Irish, and Welsh airs Both are one-steps, plaved by the famous Savoy Orpheans, and thoroughly suceeseful. (J2in d.s.). The other foxtrots oontain nothing th at is above the average. Hoao aTe j Df/Ji-Heartod Hannah” (the pick) and Bye-Bye Baby” (Savoy 2rS he 'l?, s > i Haunting Melody" (waltz) topenbagen" (Sav«,v Orpheans) Eat More Fruit" and “Rose of tlie '47 ac xf iHy'ton’s orchestra); Lpnelv Little Malody’’ and "Tell me Dreamy Eyes” .(Pnuf Whiteman's orchestra). (All lOin d.s.). _ A recent grqat musical event in London was the return of Ysaye to London, inis great violinist, now well on in years, is to be heard in New Zealand through the medium of the gramophone His records for Columbia include his own work "Lointain Passe” (a mazurka), Kieisler s Caprice Viennois,” and Brahms ‘Hungarian Dance in G, No.

Arthur Jordan has just added to his long list of Columbia non-scratch records, two lovely tenor songs-" The Island Herdmaid (from "Songs of the Hebrides ) and the quaint song of the Phlan-qum-bearers, "So Sweet is She.”

In Venice, and "In a Persian Market; graphically descriptive pieces played by the Court Symphony Orchestra, are recommended to those building up a collection of agreeably popular instrumental numbers. The first is composed by Gatty Sellars, and haß a fine male chorus and church organ effect; the second is from the fertile composer, Albert Ketelbey, and is distinctly Oriental in feeling. It also has a vocal chorus of men, singing Borne old-time song of the East. This record is issued by the Columbia Company. * * • • «

. Puccinis popularity continues unabated. There may yet be more of his matchless melodies, his latest work to find their way on the discs, but now that he is gone there is a sentimental as well as an artistio interest attaching to tho record of his works. He would no doubt have been delighted with the rendering by th Grenadier Guards Band of their selection fropi "La Boheme." This has just been freshly recorded oh tlie Columbia non-scratch surface with most satisfactory results. The gems of the opera' so dealt with are "Rodolfo's Song," the duet between Marcel and Rodolfo, nnd "Sohaunard’s Song,", and the Song of Musetta is cleverly welded to the military tattoo, which; closes the seleotion. (The record is 12in. double-sided. Themusio lias tho quality of permanence—-

that is, one never tires of hearing it, it is thus played. • # • • • • - m -- .• The approaching visit of the American r/eet will stimulate interest in the music most popular in the United States. .When Americans ar| heard singing the ?r *he National Anthem, it does not follow that they have "God Save the King in mind; it is the tune to one tif their best patriotic songs, "My Country, tis °f Thee/ Sousa's music is essentially American, and the records of his inarches are preserved . for gjamophonists by splendid performances ior, Cohuntoa; of the Shots Guards Band in Stars and Stripes for Ever,” the Na--55°S a ,i Band records of "Liberty Capitan,” and the evergreen Washington Post” Elsa Stralia, the pmna donna recently singing in. her natiy© Australia, has had recorded the stirring Star-Spangled Banner.” These songs should be memorised before the fleet arrives, and this can be done by means of the gramophone. -*.* * • *

The British Home Office has equipped between forty and fifty of its inaustrial schools with gramophones and records in order to strengthen the i msicai traininv of the ohifdren in those schools. The department is desirous of providing a comprehensive study of musio for children under their , care ? ID |V ar to ’the musical training existing m the ordinary elementary and secondary sohophs throughout the country,” said a ilome Office official to a Press representative. Care, has been taken in the choice of records to ensure an interesting variety, he added. "In my opinion music is the most - Tinman 1 subject through winch the team spirit can be developed and a corporate life stimulA t °^^ c * ren > who. through no fault of their own, are cut. ofl from shaxv ing the normal joys of their more fortun. ate brothers and sisters.” **• ' * *

Mary Lewis, recorded in "Ah! je suis seule! seule enfin’,” and "Te souvient-il i«“-incaux voyage" (Meditation), irom Thais, made her operatic debut m Vienna under Weingartner in 1925. and her English debut at His Majesty’s last year in Hugh the Drover,” is already familiar to the gramophone public from the records of the last-named work. Massenet s Thais" is a slender opera, founded on Anatole Franco’s novel of the same name. Ah Ije suis 'seule!” shows us xnais, .the famous courtesan, alone in her own house. Playfully she begs her “‘‘T? 1 ' S rant her the gift of eternal youth. Then, suddenly appalled by the vision of old age that her fahey conjures up, ehe invokes Venus, and repeats prayer—in earnest this time. The Mediation is, of ccsurse, the most famous melody in the opera. ” Here Thais • S i < y ln 2- She has repented of her wickedness, and now that the end has ca ™ 6 ,?he reflects happily on the events attending her conversion to Christianity. At last, the heavens themselves seem to open, and with an ecstatic cry, "Ah! le cle V vois Dieul” she expires. .The performance of these extracts requires a light soprano voice of exceptional quality. Mary Lewis possesses a good one, and a fifood dramatic sense. <l2in. d.s.)

Splendid pianoforte records are those of Paderewski in two Chopin Mazurkas !?°)* Tnere is a suspicion of twang in the Paderewski numbers, but he atones tor it in freedom and fancy. (lOin d. 8.)

The last gramophone recital given at the Pod Cross looms was a model for enterprising amateurs. Mr T. Lindsay Buick who conducted the recital, 'had chosen a well balanced programme, nicely blending the old and the new, and varying instrumental and vocal numbel’s very dexterously. He confessed that he always liked to open such a recital with «a march, and the item chosen was the March Lorraine,” interesting even without its romantio history. But that history the audience knew, because Mr Buick told them. He illumined every number by ‘description and anecdote, and sent the audience away edified no less than entertained.