MUSIC IN THE HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 June 1926, Page 20

MUSIC IN THE HOME.

, GRAMOPHONE NOTES. A FINE VIOLIN BACKET, Gramophone listeners who have missed Erika Mortal’s recording of the “Capriccio Valse” (Op. 7), arid the "Romance” from Wieniawski’s “Second Violin Concerto in D. Minor” (Op. 22), should by all means hear this tine bracket. Erika Morini is a comparative newcomer, who Ims given intense pleasure by her playing of Wieniawski’s “Romance,” a piece of music written by a violinist and therefore exploiting all the effective resources of the instrument. Generally speaking, women players lack precisely those qualities in interpretation that ene might expect of them, tenderness and delicacy, which the opposite sex are much more successful in getting into their music. This is very noticeable at students’ concerts; girls almost without exception smash and bang, whereas men, when they succeed in rising above the technical side of their art, manage to humanise their interpretations more than the others. However, in this case, Sime. Morini’s playing is most sensitive and tender, a real joy. Even in the fireworks on the reverse, which shows us a fine technique, she does not lose her artistic sensibility. A special tribute must be paid to the beautifully played and recorded piono part. ONE OF THE BEST PIANO RECORDS. Everyone who loves the art of one of the greatest of pianists need have no hesitation over buying Paderewski’s record of Schubert’s “Impromptu ta B Flat Major.” The difficulties of making a good Paderewski disc seem at length to have been overcome; indeed , the one under review could hardly be bettered. And if the piano tone be good, what of the interpretation? One can only say go and hear it and be enraptubed. The “Impromptu” is an air—very akin to the well-known “Rosamunde” one—with five variations and a coda. The exquisite poise of the last variation, the tenderness of the coda, is delightful. OLD ENGLISH SONGS. As a singer of old English folk songs, Dale Smith has a big reputation. His rich baritone voice seems particularly well adapted to this type of singing. His diction is as brilliant as his interpretation powers, and his delivery of Moffatt’s “Since First I saw your Face,” with “ Helen of Kirkconnell’ on the reverse of this effective Columbia record, typify the tone qualities of a voice always worth hearing. He is well heard, too, in other Columbia recorded songs of past generations, such ns in “The Jolly Tinker” and “Now Phoebus Stake th.” THE MARVELLOUS ORPHEANS, If a million couples have danced to the playing of the Savoy Orpheaus, how many millions have heard them on the wireless and the gramophone? One is told that over five millions of their records have already been issued to the public by H.M.V. alone. One is told that “three to five hundred new dance pieces are composed every week,” and that every week ‘‘’thirty or forty new items a re added to the repertory of the band,” and that the Orpheans who at a conservative estimate carry from five hundred to a thousand current tunes in their heads change their programme gradually but completely about every three mouths. The size of the band in the recording room varies, according to the tune, from twelve to eighteen players. Sometimes more brass or more strings are required than at other times; sometimes one may detect the bass clarinet or the thrum of steel guitars. It all depends up the orchestration. Half-a-dozen test records are often made before the critical taste of the experts is satisfied with a tune; but as topicality is the essence of dance music the records once passed are issued without delay.