MUSIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20501, 31 August 1928, Page 5

MUSIC.

NOTES AND RECORDS,

By Allegro.

There is a crisis in the opera world, felt at present less acutely here than abroad (says F. Bonavia in the Daily Telegraph), but nevertheless bound to affect us sooner or later. The great giants have gone without leaving behind legitimate heirs. There is no successor to Wagner in Germany or to Verdi in Italy. “ Helen in Egypt,” however admirable its, stagecraft, cannot for : a moment be compared with “ Tristan.” In consequence, the repertory becomes restricted, and we need only glance at the prospectus of the last four Oovent Garden seasons to Eiee how narrow the circle is. Abroad various attempts are being made to enlarge it by reviving works too long neglected or too hastily condemned in an age of plenty. The example of Dresden and Lei psic could no doubt be followed here, and one feels sure that a Handel revival under Sir Thomas Beecham, undertaken with all the resources of the great modern theatre, could not but surpass the very successful revivals of Handel and Purcell in Cambridge. The English composer enjoys one advantage over all others. Since there has been no recent English school of composition be is perfectly free to choose his way; he is neither bound to follow nor to break away from anybody else. In the masque and in the opera of Purcell is the rea]. English tradition, and it is a .tradition towards which others:are making unconsciously—especially towards the masque.. Well, then, it we are gradually drifting .into a revival of the masque, it would seem desirable to examine thoroughly its possibilities. Obviously it-would be foolish to set up the old form, as a model to be closely imitated. But a revival in a modified form might take place. Ballet, which formed an important part of the old masque, has never reached to the perfection of our own time—why should it not be given a more prominent part than it baa in modern opera? Let the composer enter into the writing of a masque with open eyes, taking full advantage of every modern contrivance; of the improvements in dancing, in stage machinery, in lighting. Compromise cannot help. It is useless to write opera if our hearts are yearning for s change. It is far better to'recognise It openly and see how that change can best be brought about. Richard Strauss is reputed to have beaten all the world’s records in the price he is said to have obtained for the score of. his new opera, " Toe _ Egyptian Helen.” No less than £IO,OOO is said to have been paid, this, of course, entirely exclusive of royalties on_ performances. Next May Pachmann is to revisit the United States for the express purpose of bidding farewell to the American Continent. After America, London will probably hear a farewell recital or two. Sometimes we wish we were Londoners to hear the big players and singers, and it is a sore point that our town is so far south that many visiting artiste come onlv as far as Christchurch. Two European broadcasting stations have their transmitting rooms underground—Warsaw and Eiffel Tower (Paris).

It appears that the plea for more records of madrigals in the correspondence column of the Gramophone was reinforced when the English Singers have a recital at the HSoliat Hall. Nearly everything that they sung so exqusitely would go on a record. Madrigal singing is essentially one of those things which should be done in the intimacy of the home. It is hoped that more records of the English Singers will be added to the catalogue. By way of reviving interest in Caruso's remarkable records, a musical correspondent says;—The following Caruso records are interesting since, apart from being 'very good doubles, they include a number of anas that have not often been recorded; —“ Ma se m’e forza perderti ” and “ Quando nascesti tu,” “Com’ e gentil ” and “M’appari,” "La Partida” and “El milagro de la Virgen,” “In terra solo” and “Un di all’ azzurro spazio.” Caruso’s robust Italian style did not help to make him an ideal interpreter of roles in French operas, from which I have so far i not recommended any selections. The best are “ 0 Paradise ” and “ Bianca al par di neve alpina,” and “ O souverain, o juge, o pere.” Caruso recordings paired with less attractive items are “Angelo caeto e bel,” “ Mag’cbe note,” “ Ingemisco,” “ Fenesta ca lucive,” Rossini's “La Danza,” “ Celeste Aida,” and three which have met with rather tragic fates. First and foremost is “Ombrai mai fu,” tied to “The Lost Chord”; then Tschaikowsky’s dainty “Pimpinella ” wedded to “ Vieni sul mar,”, and lastly Toeti’s “ L’alba separa dalla luce I’ombra.” | Grand opera chorus and orchestra have ' frequent opportunities for noteworthy I performances. For example, there is the I opening chorus of “ Cavalleria Rusticana ” by the La Scala Chorus and Orchestra. To ■ this is bracketed - the “ Bell Chorus ” from “ Pagliacci.” Then there are the “ Pilgrim’s Chorus ” from “ Tanuhauser,” and the" Anvil Chorus” from “ II T-rova-tore.” by the Victor Chorus. Quite a gooa opera chorus bracket also is the La. Scala combination, with Anna , Maria Turchetti (sbpran.o), in the “Easter Hymn,” from “ Cavalleria Rusticana,” and “La Vergine Degli Angeli,” from “La Forza del Destine.” The one record of recent issues that has impressed me, says a Loudon reviewer, is a ten-inch from John Brownlee, which is a gem. Brownlee has a grand baritone voice, and we hear too little of him. These two songs —Purcell’s “Passing By ” and Maud White’s “ King Charles ”■—suit him to perfection, and what a fine rendering he gives of the latter! There is an attractive 12-iuch disc by Barrington Hooper (tenor), who has finely recorded “ How Vain is Man,” from Handel’s “ Judas Maccabeus,” and “ Sing Ye Praise,” from Mendelssohn’s “ Lobegesang.” The singer here is heard to excellent advantage in numbers suited to his cultivated styleFor those who like songs of the popular type, Maurice Elwin’s two baritone numbers, “Do You Mean It? ” and “ Forgive Me,” should, make an attractive couplet. Amongst the European stars engaged for the season of German grand opera at Covent Garden last winter was Madame Maria Olczewska, whose first gramophone record was issued a few weeks ago. Her songs were the Habanera from “ Carmen ” and “ Printemps que Commence,” from “ Samson and Delilah.” She was accompanied by the Berlin State Opera Orchestra, conducted by Dr Leo Blech. The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Albert Coates, has recorded the third movement of Mozart’s “ Symphony in C major, No. 41,’ and “Minuet Impressario.’ The “Jupiter” is the last of Mozart’s symphonies, and was com- - posed in 1775. The record should be of interest to conductors who wish to I study Coates’s style. ■ •. ■ I Charles Hackett makes a popular choice i for. his latest record, pairing “ La donna j e mobile ” (“ Rigoletto ”) with the favou- | rite “ Siciliana ” air from “ Cavalleria. ; On this record, at least, hia voice has lost much of its tremolo. “The Barber- of Sevil’e,” the duet, ’ “ Can it Be? Dare I Believe Thee? ” from “II Barbiere” (Rossini), has been recorded as sung by Miriam Licette and Dennis Noble. This duet is an English i version of the famous “ Pronto io Son,” | heard recently in Dunedin. The voices j combine well, though the soprano voice is superior throughout. Miriam Licette has never done anything better as rega’-da either charm or facility of vocalisation. “ Dance of the Hours ” (Ponchielli), is a disc on which Norman O’Neill conducts the Court Symphony Orchestra. O’Neill is a deft conductor, and he gives a charming lilt to PonchielliV music. Admirable points to observe are the big but never coarse tone and the good line drawing | that delineates the melodic content. The Twelfth Rhapsody of Liszt stands next in popularity -to the second. It makes even more demands on the executive skill of the pianist, and though Murdoch is fully equal to the proposition, the result is a little cold in his disc, as though in making a success technically, the artist had forgotten its emotional side. | For sheer technical accuracy alone Szi-

getti would be hard, to beat, for his two latest violin records Rive an astonishing exhibition of double stopping. m ht items are Debussy’s Minuet ” and Kreisler’s Ttimbourin Chinois.” Schubert’s “ Symphony in B minor,” with Sir Henry Wood conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. makes a fine disc. Sir Henry Wood gives a beautiful reading of sheer beauty. The basses are used most impressively, and the playing is artistic.

A good humorist is worth following up. Will Gardner has recorded “ A Little Bit of Heaven ” and •' That’s Another One Gone.”-