MUSIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20963, 28 February 1930, Page 5

MUSIC.

NOTES AND. RECORDS. By Allegro. Regular church music in some German churches is now being rendered by gramophone records, which threaten to replace choir and organist alike. The full-toned volume of sound is obtained by playing h'o records simultaneously on carefully synchronised machines, the sound being magnified by loud-speakers in tire organ loft. A perfect violin made by a Peterborough artist is four inches long, weighs a quarter of an ounce, and has 99 separa j P ar^s - This delicate 'lnstrument needs surely to be played by an artist or a child prodigy if justice is to be done to it. The Lener String Quartet may be heard re-recorded in Haydn’s Quartet,’opus 76, Ao. 5. The “Minuetto’’ sparkles with good humour, and the “Finale” is rhythmically given. The quartet needs introduction, as it has been associated with some fine work in connection with t»6 SHaiDOpllOtte. The Lener Quartet has a 'so Provided Mozart’s “ B flat Quartet." which has the Minuet ’’ as its second movement. It is interesting to compare tne two minuetto dances which allow us to, peep so kindly into the composers’ minds. The lovely “ Adagio ” in the Mozart is given with deep feeling. The “Finale" to act II of “Aida" teaches a big climax and calls for some impassioned, yet controlled, singing. The concerted “Finale" to act 111 of “La iraviata • also needs skilful chorus work. La feqala Chorus is fully equal to the demands, and is helped greatly by the soloists, Eva Turner Pacoi, Ciniselli, and Alfani Telhni. Eva Turner’s' work is excellent, and she has a particularly telling voice which holds its own against the other members. . e Hungarian melodies set by Brahms into fiery dances are popular with moat people. Their charm lies in their completely foreign character compared with our , own music. The sixth and eighth dances form suitable subjects for the J H. Squire Celeste Octet. A strict observance of tempo is noticeable, and the players believe that a melody should be made the most important factor of a piece. In this way, however, they lose some of the spell of under harmonies which afe too subdued in places. Purity °| }, one ~a nd smoothness are features or Bach’s “ Air on the G string and Gounod’s i quaint little ,I‘uneral March of a Marionette ” form another interesting bracket by the octet. A complete recording of “ La Boheme.” the popular Puccini opera, has been successfully accomplished. At times there are lack of atmosphere and a slicrht weariness through the'loss of interest, but on the whole the set is a good one. / be T. a . ctl , on °. f the Play is given by CompI, nfnu ackc^ < Vru Dd thus every detail may be followed. The artists include Rosetta SffihT {^T } ’ Emm Manfrini (Kodolfo), and Taneredi Pasero (Colhne). The two former give a dramatic version, and the latter inspires the chorus to great musical power. The other performers are representatives of Italian “Drink 6 to V hy n D , ?, et . to the tune °f -unnk to Me Only" i S a peculiar exwordTof “I W^ UaD } the melodv Wo l H the T o,ce ” to this vu He - glve ? Jt in a thoughtful manfifi stm-v u‘ et p f ' a v V -°V r - “ T he Wondercompanion makes a suitable W' sin B er * John Gwilym Griffith helped by a- double string aad a flute. bnngs the full meaning fe" from “ ? e , a W are the xeet, irom The Messiah.” It i a 200 a to hear Ben Jonson’s words for “ Drink t 0 Me Qoy" given-in his clear tones with boyish simplicity . The piece has added chgrm given in this way voice of delicate quality. He is powerful in parts as the other recorded boy singers, nut he makes up for it in St °f „hw intonation. “pj er . u le i: ' opportunities of makF 8 the best of them. The first is +i>„ better 0 f th e two. but the second giv™ more scope to show firm playing anf restricticD. of undue expression, n ® qu,re has a chamber orchestra of one nnAfl any Wl f h P ood understanding of Two sections T)l'aur, l |' Ct “ intermezzo ” are sweetly played. . his orehestr , i wp)? under control, and there is no reason' why octet”? D6t beCOme aS PqPular ‘ as his

Tchaikowsky’s “ 1812 ” overture has been recorded in full by Sir Henry Wood and 1* n f\S n^ n>s Hall Orchestra. ThisTs one of the best of the conductor’s offerings, and is complete on five sides. Sir Efnry takes a big view of the overture p"irasing orChe ° bey ? with big tone and nod’I 8 V Prelude .”' from Gounoas aust, show no great depth of fhe h Ai)i 38 « mtt u n b y fke composer, and the Milan Symphony Orchestra play them }? a nia nner which does not help to find hrfllvvnf lty ’ Urider f-orenso Molajoli, the ]£?« Passages are tossed off by the strings and the brass is well managed. hm | s f , oll< l we , r 8 give credit to the fine disc by Isolde Menges and Harold Samuel of “Sonata in A Major." This came after tlm Fourth and has a melodic line of the Atonal help a PP ea ling. Isolde tliP nSh 8 th< ? most of her part, and the pianist also gives an- interesting readlill n piV e l r n s °ngs, Stuart Robertson is, which lat, 1 at , 1S b ? st The chorus which accompanies him sings with good naft" to ht iL Gianni , n i ta ,h s . , the main-solo part in the complete “Aida” set. Her Dirt S ° P Rl?rt Vo, w- s nitable for the na Mil" Vlncltor and “O Patqna„ h .°l d some artistic phrasing. Ihe other soloists are Irene Minghini-Cat-Aure o nano°Pcrt,?i rk n° f a h m’' standard, „ieiianq, "ertile, Giovanni Inehilleri a Scala Ch r m'us 6 ™H nd Manfrini. ’La background? 8 and orchestra form an effec- “ Edward^’ A Ki n r is ,leard afc liis best in • rVrT • I-oewe, and " The Midg°°d bracket is that of Foster Richtle N’idi’’ e n 6 nH Ct^ S arc “ AII Thr ough tk ttt I, • an d Savourneen Delish ” i ismnc'iS 1 ; ”nr' as nil diymity ot tone end interpretntba h °" bring oTthJ'iwSTetZtei.'iH’:" a Granados-Albeniz set includine “ OHoIf and’ “ Eoncffl'A K rag?m^ •Ell ge TSfe r.°ni;:"Sp.S..‘ he bns ecnpelnr ?byt!lmicC° , J'g.'j™ . , One of the most widelv-recnrriLTc,: is Peter Dawson. His clofr 'Ss cRf/ actense his records. Into u>' Garden of Allah ’’ and Hp. arß ball s “Star of the East” he piits^ppf' 0 # 1 ' 8 larlty. Th “ Sh ° ljld afbl to toVpop^ The Light Opera Company ma v h D heard yet again ,n gems from ''The Cbo rolate . Soldier, by O. ne “ Lilac Domino ” selections’ ?i USS- J n smoothly, but the tone is Opera as played by a band, g ive 9 ' oalrn to Creatore’s Band in musi^] 0 ; 8 udes from “ Aida Grand D male and “ Introduction." and if a - n ? Ballet. The players have alreadv^T*'' 18 !} popularity in their “ Pagliacd ”’ mg. besides “ Cavelloria Rusticana "Tnd ex-cerpts from “La Triaviata,” “rl?" letto, and “II Trovatore.” A singer who reproduces sweet tone io Alma Gluck. Her “ Chanson Hindonp 1 ” is one of the best versions of song we have. Her masterpiece 1R 0 bracket of two songs from the ,f aV a Maiden,’’ by Rimsky-Korsakoff 0n S p ho f given in English and one in French Thf most is made of the simple music. le