MUSIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21147, 3 October 1930, Page 2

MUSIC.

NOTES AND RECORDS. By Alleqeo. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream ” without Mendelesohn’e music, is a change. At the open-air opera performances at Goet- i tingen, the play was given with Purcell’s Fairy Queen ” music. The popularity of the music shows the growing interest in Germany towards this composer’s works. The .organist and choirmaster at Ely Cathedral has aptly described chords which are not sung together as a case of musical obliquity.” The courageous soprano starts away he says, followed by the equally courageous but -slightlyslower contralto. The hesitating tenor follows, and the modest bass allowing the others to begin first, brings up the rear. This, makes the chord oblique instead of vertical Mr Hubert Widdleton takes tone and rhythm as the most necessary things in the singing of choirs, and holds that the singing of clear chords is a great point in making up a perfect performfance. This could well.be applied to pianoforte and I instrumental performances also. A record has been made of “Sylvia Ballet, by Delibes, arranged by Kappey, Valsc Lente ‘Pizzicato,” “Barcarolle and Marche,” and have been chosen by the Grenadier Guards. Captain George Miller again conducts what is one of the finest military bands in England. The transcription of this music is splendidly done, and the playing is colourful. One of Beethoven’s most popular sonatas, the Appassionata” (in F minor, OP- »7), has been re-recorded by Harold Bauer. So far Bauer has not made many records, but hie performance in the ■ir"?? £i anof ? rte Quintet in F minor,” with the Flonzaley Quartet, was greatly admired. The Appassionata ” was composed at the same time as the “ C maior Sonata, Op 53” (“ Waldstein”). Harold Bauer s-interpretation is notable for its nobility. A recording has taken place of Gounod s Romeo, and Juliet,” with the tomb scene, eung by Georges Thill and Mile, heraldy, Gounod’s nearly forgotten ■hhakespenap opera contains one or two fine, moments. This episode from Act 5 is,, in artistic, hands, capable of being raised to considerable heights of drama, the artists ar e experienced, and equipped vocally beyond the average opera “star.” , Silvia Cecil in I Heard You SingInf” { fPh?ir i) 'i and “? ar] y in the Mornmg (Phillips) records clearly. She is new to the gramophone. Her singing is so fuli of naive charm that she disarms criticism with her opening phrases. She is Messed with « pleasing vSice. Mark Hambourg and Symphony Orcheein cnneert U n Ct V V- Sar B e “t Malcolm, in concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 by Beethoven, has recorded one of the loveliest and most easily appreciated of Beethovens works. Dr Sargent Malcolm gives , a delightful performance artifit* " or “’ accoin Panying the clever «fef l >j™ d B a >’ ove “Nonesuch” and r Maggot folk dances with StanFolk fc°n conducting the National i oik Hance Orchestra. The growth ■of i lsk F - o!k , P ? nce Society, and its euccessfu! revival of what a short time ?s+ir«v aS * an almost vanished art. is due largely to the tireless energy and brilTLnV n ! at -, V , e - of the late Cecil J - Sharn. W + bl i‘- dlne erect ® d recently and deiz&sst T, » & m oJA P c t n” ce VOCaI , gems from Gilbert and Sullivan, sung by the Light Opera Company, with orchestra, add to the fight tfnm VA™ tbou ßlit at one time that Edward German would have been a successor to Sullivan in the realm of comic opera, but time’s slow lapse onlv seems to prove that Sullivan the genius of a lonely post. There must he niany who will welcome this vocal fana, bn,li antly sung. The numbers in“Prlthl p A Silver Churn,” Piithee, Pretty Maiden,” “Love is a St*! «m ong> i oruß uiaffiens rom On’’ ■■ T V M U 1 f, n ’ 6t J P y t Thia Uniform X, n -» I Hear the Soft Note ” “ Tr’n Clear That Medieval Art,” “ Silvered 1 is Our te.-?“ lr/ “ d “»• 3 A record of Arthur Fear, the vomm English baritone, this year secured an engagement at Convent Garden, in the .Page song from “FaMaff” is worth voSe ng o5 Ir th! e o?k haS -9 1 * i e dea t! Fal « tf >ff “ Woo Tho.. th Th» t « er 6 J, d< ; °, f , * he disc is vw»°«r u i?. Snowflake,” from Sultivans ‘ Ivanhoe. 1 The second aria k « number, but there is no unsteadiness in the voice. taeel'' D t'L S>^- ho 1 I ?f Orchestra, in “Tin l ks e an< V ,J bv B a * shows some fine playinir Arnold r#v * was born in LonVn if' oJe he music lm “ Ti/t 11 ??- Ur , es conLmporSy 01/ *; Af Tmtagel ” (composed in 1017 ; and Mediterranean” (1921) are with the popular ‘Garden of Fand ” the bestAlSigh modern PO Th e cy “■& "„? d fly {?•,'>'% o^K.t'S Britain s leading dramatic tenor both of whom are wel remembered for their nfoMges nt fr P om - ih » tlle Belectßd P a8 ‘ 8 2 R f, s from “ Valkyrie ” and “ Twilmlii of the Gods, which were issued last veur figure m an important recording of^*l,l Beene between Sundry and Pafsifa! in Khngsor s inagio garden (act 2) from Wagner’s “Parsifal.” With the excenfrom °the° “ e pnr ß Tf’-,f« ls 5 c ? ne T as omitted „„„ 1 A 6., Parsifal set issued some time ?ff’ ar ! d the dramatic interest is sustained throughout by the keen and tense inter, pretation by Ljungberg and Widdon The scene is recorded in four parts aSd or chestral support is given by the London gmpta, Orchestra Mduclcd by Afbert Fa ”l tlobeeon again makes an annearthe T b h\ 8 Sirituala B ‘ nßer in all Wa 80D « 8 aad From “ Tannhauser ” , (“Ein Fumh. bares Verbrechen! ”) and for “Les Huguenots” Ein Feste Burg”) goto r a dl i c tvar Andresen. Judgel bv hts records, Ivar Andresen is a fine basso Soiled Ice AdJ 1 / 1 Sie e e d, of item^s th 8 tlle l act that C ?ub cuoice oi item is always of outstanding interest, and we see partly the reason ce9sfu\T ar Andresen ’ 3 records are so suctrS m di , L (b V B e ell ovlrtu« ak Z/^^ conducted Sy { nphon J’ Orchestra, of r tiiia an en 3°y the ingenious strains f “Pfl Ra ?^ W p rn » SC A ool t? f imposition. cell) “ V?n?fT n ( « y ernch a nd Purceiu, Venetian Song, set by Tosti y the Maestros Vocal Quintet, are dainty performances. The “ Purcell ” F llo JoTote the music to Herrich’s “ PassdnJ y r>H not the Pur cell of Elizabethan r+ a ?i s, i- composer of Passing Bv” still lives, and is by no means a great composer, ,n spite of the. dainty c fmrm of this little song. For those who would like a choral setting this one by Evans is not likely to be bettered. 18 “Haere Atn” “Hoki tvt»i wi n « Hoki Mai,” and “Toi sung by the Rotorua Sr “dis s Sable and yet SUDR with “Titi-Torea ” and “E Hara to Wnea ” snng by. the Rotorua Maori Choir. make up the thirteenth of the new series of Maori records. Of the two Native 1 choral pieces, one. at least, will be well known by tune to most. “ Titi-Torea ” is a song with which the Maoris accompanv a circular “stick game.” It is Cht hearted and rhythmic. Bud Bijhnss and Carson Robison may be heardjn ‘‘Open Up dem Pearly Gates tiT aT jd Old Kentucky Cabin.” i The voices blend admirably in these two unusual numbers. The tuneful bodies t^ e - °M ne K r ° songs arc backed with novel instrumental effects in the accompaniments. 8 * Bitch My Lonely Caravan at Night ” (Coates) and I Look Into Your Garhave been sung by TT.c Hon, Brownlow (baritone). The Brownlow is a newcomer to the lecordmg studios, and his first record should be successful. This singer’s voice has been compared to that of the late Gervase Elwes, and not without reason, merit poßsesses sev eral vocal qualities of “The Keys of Heaven,” that old ' (ffieshme folk song, and Studies in ImitaHon. (a) ‘Simple Simon” (Herbert Hughes—after Couperin), fb) “There aS . r 9 l '°°, ked Ma »” (H. Hughes—after Czerny), form an attractive disc. So inr this month we have had a quartet a quintet, and now an octet. Male voice ensembles are popular. The Studies in Imitation are clever parodies by a modern English musician on the styles of several well-known composers