THE GRAMOPHONE

Southland Times, Issue 21265, 11 December 1930, Page 15

THE GRAMOPHONE

NOTES FROM NEAR AND FAR,

f (By

Vox Populi.)

COLUMBIA HISTORY OF MUSIC. \ To call this new Columbia enterprise epoch-making is to state a simple fact. There have been and there are many musical history books —both .)large and small—but. they have all suffered from a very obvious drawback. Whereas a History of Literature can quote any number of poetical or prose examples, and a History of Painting chn reproduce pictures of any period or style, a Musical History can only reproduce music in its printed form. And music does not truly live until it is performed. In this Columbia History we can hear the music that we read about. In one album (Volume I of an extended series) is a book by Percy A. Scholes, giving names, facts, clatefe, and everything of interest concerning the representative great works of music (in Volume I, up to the year 1600) ; and in the same album are eight four-shilling records supplying the representative great works themselves. The great works of this early stage of musical history are, of course, brief—none running to more than one side of a disc. The greatest authorities in each department of music have collaborated in the making of the records. In this first volume Sir Richard Terry and his choir give us the original church music from which the modern musical art has derived. Rudolph Dolmetsch and his children play the Elizabethan instrumental music of the very early Tudor days—the virginals, the lute, and the variously sized viols. Dolmetsch is a musician living in the English lake country, and has devoted his many years to the study and performance of almost forgotten instrumental music. His large family also are all engaged in this romantic recreation of the music of the middle ages. The. St. George’s Singers, under the direction of Rev. Dr. E. H. Fellowes, give us beautifully sung examples from the Elizabethan madrigal writers. One could write columns in critical praise of this recording achievement, but space will permit only of the mere listing of each record. Here they are:— (I) “Veni Sancte Spiritus”—Plain-song with Organum; (2) “Mira Lege”—Plainsong with Descant; Terry and Choir (Columbia 5710). (3) “Christie Redemptor” and “Conditor Alme Siderum” (Dufay); (4) “Nunc Dimittis” (Palestrina); Terry and Choir (Columbia 5711). (5) “Sanctus” from Palestrina’s “Mtssa Papae Marcelli”; Terry and Choir; (6) “The Earl of Salisbury”—Pavaue and Galliard for Virginals; Rudolph Dolmetsch (Columbia 5712). (7) “The King’s Hunt” (John Bull) ; (2) His Toye, His Dreame, His Rest (Giles Farnaby)—Virginals Solos by Rudolph Dolmetsch (Columbia 5713). (9) Divisions on a Ground —for Viol de Gamba and Lute (Norcombe) —Rudolph and Arnold Dolmetsch; (10) Fantasia for a Chast of Six Viols (Weelkes) —Dolmetsch family (Columbia 5714). (II) “Awake, Sweet Love” (Dowland) -—Cecile Dolmetsch, soprano, with Viol and Lute accompaniment; (12) »“Summer is icummen in” (John of Fornsete), St. George’s Singers (Columbia 5715). (13) “Rest, Sweet Nymphs” (Pilkington); (14) “Sing We and Chant It” (Morley)—St. George’s Singers (Columbia 5716). . ,

(15) “As Vesta Was Descending (Weelkes) ; (16) "The Silver Swan” (Gibbons) and "Fair Phyllis—St. George’s Singers (Columbia 5717).

THE AUTUMN OF GLAZOUNOV’S "SEASONS.”

(1) "The Seasons”—Ballet Suite (Glazounov, Op. 67); Part 7—Bachanal; Part 8 —Petit Adagio; Part 9—Finale, Les Bacchantes; played by Glazounov and Orchestra.

(2) “The Corsair”—Ballet Suite (Delibes) —"Dance of the Flowers”; played by the Lucerne Kursaal Orchestra (Columbia LOX3S-36). The’ previous three "Seasons” from Glazounov’s piquant ballet have already been released. "Autumn” is a grape-laden piece of music, at times quite hectic in its gaiety and in the middle section reminiscent of the mellow atmosphere of Keats. The playing is superbly crisp and colourful, and the charming waltz on the odd side makes a pleasant make-weight. H.M.V.

Elizabeth Schumann (soprano) and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra, in “Die heiligen drei Konige aus Morgcnland” (The Three Holy Kings from an Eastern Land), (in German), R. Strauss. Elizabeth Schumann (soprano) and members of the Vienna State Opera Orchestra in “Josua” —O hatt’ich Jubal’s Harf’ (O Had I Jubal’s Lyre), (in German), Handel.

The exquisite Handel aria (“O Had I Jubal’s Lyre”) is too well known to need comment. “Die Heiligen drei Konige aus Morgenland” is one of Strauss’s few essays in music on a sacred subject. We do not associate him with such subjects, and, turning to the book of correspondence between Strauss and von Hofmannthal, we find the following significant passage: “The chaste Joseph himself is hardly in my line, and I find it difficult to write music for a character that bores me; a God-fearing Joseph like this I find infernally hard to tackle. However, perhaps I may yet find lurking in some queer ancestral corner of my nature some pious melodv that will do for dur good Joseph.”—H.M.V., D 1632.

.“Mass in B Minor” (Bach), complete recording, with Elizabeth Schumann (soprano), Margaret Balfour (contralto), Walter Widdop (tenor), Friedrich Schorr (baritone), Philharmonic Choir, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Albert. Coates). There is no record of the “Mass in B Minor” being performed in its entirety during the composer’s lifetime, and it was nearly a century after his death before it was published. It. was first given complete in England in St. James Hall, Regent Street, on April 26, 1876, under the direction of Otto Goldschmidt, the soprano soloist being Jenny Lind. The choir specially organized for this performance became that body now known as the Bach Choir. The whole structure of the work displays a wonderful grandeur and majesty of conception only possible to a genius of Bach’s calibre, while the beauty and magnificence of the music has seldom been equalled. The entire composition has been' wonderfully recorded by the above remarkable combination of artists, under the able baton of Albert Coates, who gives a splendid interpretation of the Mass. (H.M.V. 01710-1726.)

Berlin State Opera Orchestra in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”—(Overture, and ’Wedding March (Mendelssohn), (H.M.V. ClBB3-84.) . Grace and delicacy, mischief and fun—fiery lightness—Puckish devilry—truly was it said of Mendelssohn’s Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that “Shakespeare himself has not more 'magic at command to transport us from the noise of cities and the chill of wind-swept streets." The music is instinct with the clear, cool freshness of green fields and woods—the gentle zephyrs of a summer night—and it was written by a boy of seventeen.

Mischa Elman (violinist), in “Serenade in G Major” (Arensky) and “Minuet in G, No. 2” ((Beethoven). Here are two of the little pieces which great violinists keep for the end of their programmes—they are trifles which bear constant repetition. Many tines have we heard both Kreisler and Eluan play the Beethoven Minuet just before the hall lights were turned out as a signal to a very enthusiastic audience that there would lie no more encores. H.M.V., DA1094. ,