COLUMBIA NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12549, 11 September 1926, Page 14

COLUMBIA NOTES

It would not be easy to find a more suitable starting-point for the study of chamber music than Schubert's delicious Unfinished Quartet—Sat* in C Minor, in two parts (Columbia 1,1679). This lovely fragment is very finely played by the London String Quartet, and is full of character and tone-colour. There is a fairly strong family resemblance between this Quartet Movement," as it is called, and the first movement of Schubert's far better known "Unfinished Symphony. While this had two completed movements, the quartet had only one—the subject of this entertaining and melodious disc. What truly delightful music is Wormplay, "L'Enfant Prodigue," delightfully played by the New Queen's Hall Light Orchestra under the leadership of Eugene Goosens. - n lg , ’ , fresll > and always graceful, it is full of tone-colour effects. An especially beautiful number in these selections * a that at the beginning of Part 2 Pierrot at the Window." This is chiefJy a violin solo with harp accompaniment, most seductive in tune, playing and recording The numbers included ui this Columbia production, which one into more than the three sides of two records it occupies (L 1646-47), ?t 0: Part 1, overture; M. and Mme. Pierrot; Phrynette; the dinner. part' 2; the ., Window j Pierrot and phrynette; minuet (entr'act); madrigal Phrtn»4 and the Necklace; » e i?P®a with the baron; Pierrot s farewell (march). The issue is completed with Meditate? !f, om , (Massenet), a beauti-fuliy-played viohn solo by Bernard Reillie, with the orchestra’s association. It differs very little in its origin,! orchestry* dress as given here, from the usual solo viohn arrangement, for the bulk of the work is given to that Capable violinisi, with hart> •accompaniment. The J. fl. inquire Celeste Octet is comEosed of musicians whose finished art nds graceful expression in their latest Columbia record—one holding a fascinating rendering of Jarnefelt's piquant Praeludium" and a varied and effective selection of Scottish songs arranged bv Muledr. Beautiful strong tone and eleven balance are big features in this record, which reproduces with unblemished fiedlity. Many collectors will have enjoyed the Octet's fine "Rustical} 0 records which preceded the Jarnefelt. After Elgar had found himself, and before official honours had found him, he wrote, in that interesting period of his career, his famous 'Enigma Variations," the most widely known of all jus larger works. It was first played in 1899, and did much to firmly consolidate the composer's growing reputation It forms four 12in Columbia records (LIC29-1632L and is a remarkable example of the straight "matter-of-factness" of Sir Henry ,T. Wood*, who conducts the New Queen's Hall Orchestra in this production.

Each of its 14 variations is dedicated to "a friend pictured within," and each is preceded by the initials or nickname of the friend concerned. Elgar has said of this»matter: "I have sketched, for their amusement and mine, the idiosyncrncies of 14 of my friends but this is a personal matter the variations should simply stand as a piece of music." This is a set of records that, if only from a technical and reproducing point of view, should be acquired. It is enormously interesting and instructive, and gives a wonderful idea of the difficulties, the aims and the aspirations of to-day's recording experts. It is not at all the "last word" in a recording sense, for there is sometimes a lack of definition and delicacy where it is required, but for all that these are records the real music-lover cannot afford to be without. One way, simple and speedy, of curing warped records, is this : Hold the record