THE GRAMOPHONE.

Otaki Mail, 1 September 1930, Page 4

THE GRAMOPHONE.

fflS MASTER'S VOICE

Magnificent Schumann Trio. Cortot, Thibaud, and Casals, in Trio in D Minor," Op. 03 (Album No. 9o). Schumann, H.M.V., Schumann as a writer ot music had few rivals and no peers, and t is undoubtedly in the music wrten for his favourite instrument (either as solo or part) that he rises to h s greatest heights. The '-«*»«"*££ Concerto" (D 81059-62) and "PianoS Quintet" (DBU9M) are already available on "His Master's Voice 18cords. This superb trio,- «*»%& played by Cortot, Thibaud, and Casals, will prove a great acquisition to those who already number themselves among Schumann admirers. Two Tine Dawson Songs. . , Peter Dawson (bass-baritone), m "Glorious Devon" (German) and 180 Drum Major" (Newton). H.M.V., 83280. . ' Peter Dawson's repertoire seems to bo unlimited. A warm welcome is being accorded to this ie-recording ot old favourites. Temple Church Choir Organ Scores. The Choir of Temple Church, London, in "The Heavens are Telling ("The- Creation"). Haydn. H.M.V. E 3288. ... i The Temple Church Uioir have made a superb record of "The Heavens are Telling." Their singing.is as fine as ever, and the balance between the parts as well as between voices and organ is perfectly maintained. A Wonderful Potpourri. Light Opera Company in Songs of the Past, introducing: "Good-bye, ■Dolly Grav," "After the Ball," "Sweet Marie," "Where Did You Get That Hat," "Say an Bevoir, but not Good-bye," "Daisy Bell," "A Hot Time in the Old Town," " Ihe Sunshine of Paradise Alley," "Two Little Girls in Blue," "She was Bred in Old Kentucky." "Comrades," "The Picture that is Turned Towards the Wall, "Little Annie Eoouey," "Johnny, Get Your Gun." H.M.V. V 1741. What memories these will stir!. And to those who were too young to remember them in the days of their popularity, they will give a great deal of pleasure, for their old-time melodies have a charm entirely their own. Ramsay MacDonald Speech. Mr Bamsay MacDonald's speech which followed that of the King at the opening of the Naval Conference in January last, has been recorded on two ■ gramophone records, which are to hand this month. The records were actually made in the House of Lords itself, while the Prime Minister was delivering his speech to the assembled delegates, the microphone in front of the Prime Minister being connected with a recording van. The voice comes through with remarkable clearness. Mr MacDonald suggests a slight nervousness by clearing his throat half-way through the first sentence, but there are no further interruptions. He talks "with an interesting variety of pitch, and colour, and his enunciation is almost faultless. It has been said that this is one of the finest speeches delivered in recent times, and after hearing the records one has. no doubts. (H.M.V. 83303-1.) Comments have been made recently that the "Prize Song" from Wagner?s opera "The Mastersingers" has not I been recorded under the new methods, but those have now beeu stilled by the issuing of a red label disc in which the song is sung by Joseph Hislop. The last verse of the glorious air is magnificently declaimed, and here Hislop's fine tenor voice conies out in all its lyrical beauty. He is commendably steady ih.tlie"high passages. Hislop on the same record also gives Lohengrin's Narration, "In Distant Lands," which is wonderfully well phrased. In this aria Wagner's music attains a freedom and intensity of expression previously : unknown. lii both areas the magnificent i orchestration cannot fail to arrest ! marked attention. The orchestra has been made a powerful agency to enrich and heighten the expre-'ion of the singer. (H.M.V. DB1351). An Orchestral Tone Poem.

Symphony Orchestra (conductor, Dr. Malcolm: Sargent), in "Finlaiidia — Svmphonic Poem," (Sibelius). H.M.V. CIS27.

• •Joan Sibelius is one of the greatest living composers. His early, compositions attracted considerable attention, and the Finnish Government, anxious that he should devote his life to composition without the necessity of "working for a liviug," guaranteed him a substantial income. Their generosity has been more than justified. Sibelius, free from the necessity of doing any hack work, has written symphonies, symphonic poems, and a violin concerto which together rank among the most important music-of the twen-

tieth century. His great fame rests principally on his two early tone poems —"Valse Triste" and "Finlandia,"

and of this latter work the Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. -Malcolm Sargent, has made a superbly vivid recording. The Skirl o' the Pipes.

The following recordings by the Pipe Band, 2nd Batt. (Queen's Own) Cameron Highlanders, are bound to excite interest: —Inverness, selection, (a; March, Inverness Gathering, (b) .Strathspey, Maggie Cameron, (c) reel. Sandy Cameron, (d) march, March of the Cameron Men; popular airs, selection, (a) Boad to the Isles, (b) Black Bear, (c) Rustic Bridge by the Mill. 83250.

Pipe-Major Boss (bagpipes), 10-inch plum'label, 4/-. (a) Marchioness of Tullibardine, march: (b) Highland Harry, ..strathspey;: (e> Loch Corron, reel;" (a) Captain Maclean of Pennycross, march; (b) Lady Mackenzie of Kilcov, 3trathspey; (e) The Grey Bob, reel. "

j Beautiful Lyric Tenor. ',.-. -The .beautiful sympathetic quality of i Tito Sehipa's voice and its almost miraculous Jight and shade make the Creole song "Ay-Ay-Ay" a gem of the " purest ray serene. The soft dying . notes in the upper register are peculiar to this remarkable voice, and the Creole song with its tinge of .sweet sad- > nes.s is interpreted with wonderful efI feet. The companion number, "C*nj cion Andeluza" (A Granada—To Graj hada), has all the lively rhythm of a i .Spanish dance, and the artistry of the i H'rie tenor is again evident. He has .'caught up the spirit of song, and niore I than .that, he conveys to the listener the atmosphere. .In , both pieces the on-lirsrra jilays a splendid part. (U.M.Vv PB1051). COLUMBIA RECORDS. SiUy Bennett as Detective Columbia's champion laugh-raiser, Billy Bennett, is up to his burlesquing tricks again. His "Detective" is pbout as funny as it can be, for the \>-)<}T sleuth has to adopt every con- j ceiv«ti?p: disguise,-from an elephant to a whelk. he" contrives to do so with uproarious ingenuity. On the reverse side is , "If Winter Comes," ;which' deals, with '-the' sail, fate, of a pork sausage.- 1 through- s flic seasons.. Billy writcx all his own material, and earns a, real welcome: (Columbia DQXB)." ■ *;'':' ■ Folk: Bailees.'

The National Military Band under Stanford Bobinson follow up their BegSnientaP Marches; success with, a realtv "' valuable excursion into old traditional English Folk" Tunes. ,-TKe. music is delightfully fresh and »wet-t, and some of; the'lovely airs, 'though siitrpter aad ; spontaneous, ' would : main.-,

many a "famous- composer green with* \ jealousy. ■ ; Herje * are their names:— Hey Boys, Up<;We -G<* 'jXufiy : Tufty, Hagc ona--Crcena»a-J?arMn's; B^.r€ ' well.' On" 'the'-second side is j Selleager's Bound, The Black Nag, and If All tho World Were Paper. 'ib'ti* i Lionel Tertis. It is strange that so few. fiddlers should specialise in" that beautiful instrument, the viola, which comes midway between 'cello and violin, and has most of the qualities of both, j with a warmth all of its own. So few violinists are there, that one instantly thinks of Lionel Tertis alone; while 'cello and violin have a dozen or more exponents of equal stature. In a recent record Tertis gives us what might be called his sole "popular" disc—a pairing of Rubinstein's Melody in F and a melodious "Chant Sans Paroles" by Tchaikovsky. Columbia have put the disc in their popular-priced section. (Columbia 01571). An Exquisite Debussy Opera. Towards the end of the last century Debussy wrote an opera, "Pelleas and Melisande," : which, though received at the time with the usual hostile questioning of the public, delighted the greatest musicians of the day. One and all expected that as he had found an art-form so obviously suited to him, he would continue to create fresh masterpieces But no, "Pelleas" remained his sole opera. From that day to this it has pleasured a growing public. Columbia now offers it in abbreviated form on six 12-inch discs. A group of famous French singers form the cast, and it may safely be predicted that the quality of their singing, so completely foreign and unfamiliar to ears accustomed only to the English, Italian, and occasionally German methods, will come as a complete and delightful surprise. The sense of poetry is not absent from a single note. The flesh and blood singers uphold the fugitive dream-like atmosphere with great credit. Even the pedestrian passages abound in charm. Particular praise must be given to the unfailing purity of the voices and to the delicately exact enunciation. The opera is given on six 12-inch records in an album. (Columbia 02865-60). A Living Genius. Sibelius, honoured in Finland during his lifetime as other great men are honoured in their native lands after their death, is to have another signal recognition. The Finnish Government are bearing part of the cost of making gramophone records of some of his works (Ist and 2nd symphonies, etc) and Columbia are bearing the other part of the cost, "And so once again this amazing Company," as an English musical paper says, "do something toward the making of history. The veteran Robert Kajanus, who is 75 years old, is visiting England to conduct the English orchestra, which will play for three recordings. Bring Back the Good Old Days. A real best seller this month will be* "An Old-time Sing-Song" with that grand old veteran Charles Coborn in the chair. Eleven old favourites including "At Trinity Church" have been sung by a chorus and soloists (including "Charlie" Coborn himself) in rousuig, enjoyable fashion. Tho record is a brilliant reproduction of the old easy-going musichall sing-song which was the favourite form of entertainment of forty or fifty years ago with the songs of about the same period. It assuredly brings back the old days, and will not only appeal by the robust singing but by the evident spontaneity of all concerned. (Columbia DOX2O). From a Forgotten Opera. The 8.8. C. Wireless Military Band, • conducted by Walton O'Donnell, commit themselves heart and soul to the cheerful elegances of the Overture ti the "Black Domino." This is an opera written by Auber in 1837. The opera enjoyed a huge contemporary ; success, but though not of the stuff which masterpieces are made, contain- ' ed sufficient good music, to deserve the ' perpetuation of at least its Overture. • The music is romantic and colourful, 1 abounds in lively touches, and contains 1 an air to two which even the jazz mer- • chants have thought worth filching. Which is something. (Columbia D 044). An Old Favourite Returned. Harry Dearth has created some- - thing of a sensation by returning to . the recording studios. His old admirers will be delighted to see two of his old favourites in this month's Columbia list. They are "It's a Beautiful , Day" and "Lighterman Tom." Those ; who have heard the favourite baritone in -person know that much of his ap- ' peal lies in his deep sincerity, in theart of "getting inside" his subjects. In the "Beautiful Day" he recreates that quaint inflexion of voice when the ■ shy farmer lad, failing inspiration, murmurs to his sweetheart "It's a beautiful day." There is a world of appeal : in this" simple line. (Columbia BONIS).

ZONOPHONE. Duet Delights.' ' ' Esther Col'eraah and Foster Richardsori (duets), in "O Lovely Night" (Ronald) and "Arise, O Sun" (Day). Zonophone 5525. A really wonderful record by two artistes who have the power of holding you enthralled. Tenor Sentimentalities. Maurice Guusky (tenor), in ."That Haunting Waltz" "(Goldstein), and "Those Songs My Mother Used to Sing" (Smith). Zonophone EEl9f». Maurice Gunsky's records need no introduction. You remember»"Lay My Head Beneath a Rose" (EEI7), and say "It is Gunsky," and buy them. Another Kind of Duet.

Jim Miller-Charlie Farrell (duet), in "Ou a Summery Night" and "That's Whv I'm Jealous of You." Zonophone EE2O.

The voices /of Miller and Farrell blend so well, they easily get the best out of their numbers, and these are two exceptionally good songs with catchy tunes. Famous Old Overture.

National Symphony Orchestra, in "Seiniramide," overture (Rossini). Zonophone EEI9S. The National Symphony Orchestra have made a very fine record of this popular overture. The shading effects and solo passages arc beautifully done, and the record well deserves a place in every music library.