THE GRAMOPHONE

Southland Times, Issue 19102, 21 November 1923, Page 10

THE GRAMOPHONE

Records of the Recordings

(By

“Vox Populi.”)

The December, issues in New Zealand include striking items by the H.M.V. On four records (D 665—D 668) we have Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, in C minor, played in its entirety by the Royal Albert Hall Orchestra under the baton of Sir Landon Ronald. The great Fifth is inscribed on four double-sided Black Label discs and should be one of the features of the year. Another series, also in Black Labels, gives us the songs from “The Beggar’s Opera” (Gay-Austin), sung by Dorothy Smithard, Phyllis Blackburne, Violet Marquesita, Kathlyn Hilliard, Sylvia Nelis, Nellie Walker, Nenny Lock, Frederick Ranalow, Fred Austin, Alfred Heather, A. Wynn, Colin Ashdown, Frederick Davies, Scott Russell and Tristan Rawson. There are five records (D 524 to D 526, D 615 and D 616).

The third symphony of Beethoven to be recorded for the gramophone is the great A major, No. 7, just issued in London on five discs by the Columbia Company. Previously there had been a much curtailed record of the “Eroica” (No. 3) and a remarkably fine one of the C minor (No. 5). The new record gives the Seventh Symphony in extenso and counts with the finest achievements of the craft. It has been played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Mr Felix Weingartner. The Seventh Symphony is beyond all cavil one of the masterpieces of universal music, and in the 110 years of its life it has enthralled every generation of musiclovers (says a London reviewer). It ranks w’ith the C minor symphony for its expression of passionate vitality, but whereas the C minor is of tragic cast, the .A major speaks of a furious joy in life. Each movement suggests a gigantic dance, and in particular the magnificent energy of the Finale even to-day sounds strangely modern. These discs give a remarkably fair impression of the great work, and are the first among recent issues to be recommended to those who take the gramophone seriously. The discs are double-sided. Beethoven occupies nine sides, and Mr Weingartner has filled the remaining one with a little thing of his own—it would have been more tasteful to allot it to a Beethoven work.

Another famous symphony of a later age, Tchaikovsky's in B minor (“Pathetic”), has been recorded by the Albert Hall Orchestra under Sir Landon Ronald for His Master’s Voice Company, and was released in London. This likewise is on five double-sided discs, and according to one critic is eminently successful, particularly the famous march which takes the place of the usual scherzo—a brilliant piece of recording, which gives something of the thrill of an actual performance. Excellent, too, is the effect of the voluptuous 5-4 dance movement.

Rimsky-Korsakov’s orchestral music, so bright and defined in colour, seldom fails to make good gramophone records, and a suite of pieces from his opera “Coq d’Ur,” conducted by Mr Albert Coates for His Master’s Voice (three double-sided records), was issued in London recently.

Mr Norma Allin has made what is described as one of the very best of his records for the Columbia Company in two extracts from Wagner’s “Ring”—Hagen’s soliloquy and his summons to his tribesmen (“The Twilight of the Gods”).

Mme. Elena Gerhardt has added to her /Eolian-Vocalion records Schubert’s “Erl King.”

In the September releases in London is a record of Alfred Cortot’s piano-playing in Mendelssohn’s spritely “Rondo Capriccioso” (H.M.V.), and in the same disc is a doublesided disc by the Coldstream Guards recording Mr Gustav Holst’s Military Band suite in E flat (Chaconne, Intermezzo and March), a disc that every admirer of the composer will like to hear.

It may be remembered that the Southland Girls’ High School held a bazaar in April to raise funds for a gramophone. A No. 6 Cheney was procured and a list of records ordered. Since the second term, recitals have been held, as a rule fortnightly. The work has been based on the scheme set forth by Percy Scholes in “Learning to Listen by means of a Gramophone.” The subjects dealt with have been: Folk songs, Handel and his contemporaries, Mozart and English composers (ancient and modern). One or two miscellaneous programmes have also been given. Though hampered by a lack of records at the beginning, a variety of fine mu§ic has been played for the girls and gramophone day is appreciated by all. Pupils were asked to take note of the programmes and after each recital to mark the three favourites. This week a plebiscite has been taken of the six favourite records. In no case has an adult influence been brought to bear on the pupils, and the results have been most interesting. While the majority have voted for fairly well-known items, a wide area has been covered. The twelve records obtaining highest marks are:— 1. “Trois Chansons pour les Tous Petits,” sung by Calve (162). 2. “O Sole Mio,” sung by Caruso (86.) 3. “The Lowland Sea,” sung by Dearth (79). 4. Prelude in C Sharp Minor, played by Hambourg (75). 5. “Le Cygne,” played by Marie Hall (69). 6. The Hallelujah Chorus, sung by the Sheffield Choir (65). 7. ‘Tse Gwine Back to Dixie,” sung by Alma Gluck with male voice chorus (64). 8. Bach-Gounod “Ave Maria,” played by Squire (61). 9. “John Peel,” sung by Robert Radford (56). 10. Overture to “The Magic Flute,” played by the Mayfair Orchestra (55). 11. “Gathering Peascods,” played by the Victor Military Band (48). 12. Scarlatti’s Pastorale and Capriccio, played by Mark Hambourg; “Ombra Mai Fu,” sung by Dame Clara Butt (40).