THE GRAMOPHONE

Southland Times, Issue 19770, 19 February 1923, Page 7

THE GRAMOPHONE

(By

"Vox Populi.”)

Continuing my notes on the records sent by Allan Young, Ltd., of Dunedin, let me say that it is a noticeable thing that 12-inch records seem to reproduce better than 1 flinch. I have noted this in all makes. Amongst the Regal offerings from Dunedin was a good “Faust” selection played by the Silver Stars Band, and an i nusually pleas ing violin solo by Signor Manuello (G 1018 on which he plays two fantasias, “Cavallerla Rusticana” and “Il Trovatore.” Signor Manuello produces a fine tone, and he plays like an accomplished musician. The opening of the Classic Symphony Orchestra’s record of the “Poet and Peasant” overture (Von Suppe) is rough, but the record (G 1017 improves as it goes on. Alexander Prince, the “Concertina King,” is heard (G 7851 in two medleys, a One-Step and a Fox-trot—both good. On G 7838 and G 7850 the Regal Dance Orchestra provides us with a quartette of sprightly Fox-trots, including one cn “Peggy O’Neil” and another on Rinisky-Korsakov’s “Song oi India.” A collection of really good stories, told clearly and humorously by the Editor of “Tit-Bits” (G 7842 is worth having. You can get every word the speaker says. The record is called “To Make You Smile,” and it does more than that. # # #

I notice that an American inventor has designed a reproducer with a spruce disc in place of mica, which, he argues, produces a metallic tone. He claims that the spruce diaphragm gives much better results.

Following are the latest H.M.V. dance records issued in the Old Country:— PAUL WHITEMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA. Bl42o—“Three o’clock in the morning”— Waltz, and “Syncopate”—Medley Fox-trot (introducing “Some little Someone”). 81424—“Y0u won’t be Sorry”—Fox-trqt, and “Truly”—Fox-trot. THE VIRGINIANS. Bl42l—“Nobody Lied”—Fox-trot, and “The Yankee Doodle Blues”—Foxtrot. ZEZ CONFREY AND -HIS ORCHESTRA. 81422—“1 love her—She loves me”—Foxtrot, and “Can you forget?”—Foxtrot, played by the Club Royal Orchestra. THE BENSON ORCHESTRA OF CHICAGO. Bl423—“Stuttering”—Fox-trot, and “Those longing for you Blues”—Fox-trot. “QUEEN’S” DANCE ORCHESTRA. (Directed by Jack Hylton.) Bl42s—“Uncle Sambo”—Fox-trot (“Round in 50”), and "Eleanore”—Foxtrot. Bl426—“Caravan”—Fox-trot, and “Loving as we do”—Fox-trot. # # # “The other night I heard at a friend’s house the whole of Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ concerto on the gramophone, a reproduction, and a splendid one, of the performance by Lamond and the Albert Hall Orchestra, conducted by Engine Goossens,” writes Griffen Foley in the Sydney Sun. “There were no cuts, not a note, or an accent for that matter, was missing from its place. It was produced on 12-inch discs, the first movement filling no fewer than five! The fact of such a colossal performance being reproduced in its entirety emphasises the important mission of the reproducing machines. These machines put to such a use bring the great classics to the homes of the people, and give them the opportunity of gaining a knowledge of them that they would not be likely to attain through hearing them once or twice in a season. To students of the piano the reproduction of a great performance of a great work is invaluable. Other notable reproductions I recently heard were part of the Gregorian Missa de Angelis’ and part of the ‘Missa Cum Jubilo,’ sung by the Sistine singers under Monsignor Rella, and Vespers, and other service music done by the choir of the Westminster Cathedral.”

Latest Columbia issues in London include Dame Clara Butt singing Beethoven’s hymn “The Praise of God” (72651. The London Symphony Orchestra has done three numbers from Wolf-Ferrari’s opera “The Jewels of the Madonna.” This record contains the intermezzi, and the introductions to the second and third acts. The oratorio series is continued by Miss Carrie Hcrwin, a brilliant contralto who sings “O Thou that Tellest Good Tidings to Zion” and “He was Despised” from “The Messiah.” This series will be worth having.