THE GRAMOPHONE

Southland Times, Issue 19515, 15 May 1922, Page 7

THE GRAMOPHONE

3Y "VOX POFUU.” —CD

The gramophone in the sickroom. Have you thought of it? In the Old Country some doctors are now recommending the machine as a means of brightening up the invalid. * # # One of the big hits at Home is Sir Henry Woods Orchestra's playing of Cesar Franck’s “Chasseur Mandit,” an intensely treatment of a supernatural theme. The Columbia record of this combination has been in keen demand. Another Columbia success is (L 1134 Josef Holbrooke’s symponic variations on “Three Blind Mice,” also played by the Queen’s Hall Orchestra under Sir Henry Wood, a clever piece of parodying in which the style of some of the masters is “hit off.” One critic remarks, too, that it is the best record of percussion he has ever heard, rolling tympani being used with great effect in the light-hearted work. Two records I have heard lately I can recommend fearlessly. The first is (054204) the quartet “Addio dolce Svegliare” from I “La Boheme,” sung by Caruso, Scotti, Ferrar and Viafora. It is the scene in the third act where Mimi is bidding farewell to Rudolph. Marcel, the good friend, has tried to make Rudolph understand how ill Mimi is but the poet accuses her of fickleness. Mimi says farewell to him in a beautiful aria and then Musette bursts into the scene. Marcel accuses her of flirting and he and Musette go on bickering while Mimi and Rudolph are floundering in a misunderstanding of deeper portent. This quartet ‘Farewell, Sweet Love” is magnificently done in the H.M.V. records. The second is a duet from T’Elixir d’Amore” (“The Elixir of Love”) sung by Caruso and De . Luca. This is the scene where Belcore, the sergeant, recruits Nemarina for the army, paying him twenty crowns (“Venti scudi”), with which Nemarina hopes to pay Dulcamara for her elixir of love and thus win the beautiful Addina. It is a melodious duet and both bass and tenor show to advantage in it. The number is 2—054092.

Available in this country now are two 12inch Regal records by the Silver Stars Band: Glol3—Tschaikowski’s Overture “1812” and a pot pourri by K. J. Alford “A Musical Switch” (G 1014 a medley linking over fifty well-known airs. The Regal Orchestra plays (G 7737 “Bells Across the Meadows,” by Ketelbey, the conductor of the Silver Stars Band and “The Black- I smith and his Anvil” (Mehden). # Here is a Columbia dance programme:— Vake—“Blue Danube” (257). Fox-Trot—“lndianola” (770). One-Step—“Medley of Old Songs”(s34). Valse—“Blue Bird” (871). Fox-Trot—“Whispering” (853). Valse—“Beautiful Ohio” (768). Fox-Trot —“Mon Homme’’ (859). One-Step—“Swanee” (832). Valse—“Straussland” (892). Fox-Trot—“Jazz Band Partout” (3097). One-Step—“Billets Doux” (3097). w -X* When Helen Clark, the popular Edison contralto, was a little girl, she was called the “child wonder” by the people of Rochester, New York State, where she lived. At a very early age she appeared in amateur recitals, and because of the exceptional purity and sweetness of her voice, was called by that name. For several years she sang with the Boys’ Choir of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Rochester. Because she was the only girl in the choir, and also because the boys teased her about her long hair, she went to a barber one day, all by herself, and had her hair bobbed, so she could be “just like the boys.” Two of her recent records are 50796 and 50801 on the Edison Re-Creation list. -at* or TC One hundred and four melodies are contained in two Columbia records entitled “Tangled Tunes,” played by the Casino Orchestra. A printed slip issued with the records provides a complete list of the melodies, in their correct order, as played on the records, which are numbered 2423 and 2424. # # # Regal Dance records at hand:— G77ol—“Cuckoo’s Call,” waltz (Nicholls) and “Saucy Waltz” (Swayne). G77o2—“Eldorado,” fox-trot (Ives) and “Bimini Boy,” fox-trot (Whiting). G773B—“Campanas,” Bell fox-trot (Pastatte) and “When Buddha Smiles” foxtrot (Freed-Brown). G7739—“Rebecca,” medley fox-trot (Stanford) and “Home Again Blues,” fox-trot (Akst), both played by the Regal Jazzola Orchestra. There are four Strauss records on the Columbia. The composer conducted the London Symphony Orchestra playing his own works exclusively for Columbia:— Ll4l9—Don Juan—Symphonic Poem. In four parts: Parts I. and 11. Ll42o—Don Juan—Symphonic Poem. Parts HI. and IV. Ll42l—Der Rosenkavalier—Waltz. In two parts. Ll422—Salome-—Dance of the Seven Veils, In two parts. Rosina Buckman sings for “H.M.V.” “When Thou Comest,” the “Inflammatus et Accensus” from Rossini’s “Stabat Mater” (D 467 On the other side of the disc is “Pleading” (Elgar). The Edison Company has released discs of Handel’s “Messiah.” Ten of the chief selections of the Oratorio are in hand. They are:—“Come Unto Him” (82139); “Comfort Ye, My People” (80258); “Ev’iy Valley Shall be Exalted” (80258); “Glory to God” (80277) ; “There Were Shepherds” (80277) ; “Hallelujah Chorus” (80292 and j 50304); “He Shall Feed His Flock” (80291); “I Know that My Redeemer Liveth” (83042) ; “Trumpet Shall Sound” (83042), and “Why do the Nations ” (82538).