MUSIC IN THE HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1926, Page 20

MUSIC IN THE HOME.

GRAMAPHONE NOTES,

WAGERIAN LUXURY.

The records mentioned in the foregoing paragraph are well worth hearing. Those of you who have already purchased “Siegfried’s Journey to the Rhine” and the “Fire Music” ought certainly to have the “Funeral Mareh” in order to enjoy the clever repetition of motifs from the former. The “Tannhauser" march is too well known to require much introduction —it is one of those instances of a work whose popularity is so great that it has been “arranged” for almost every conceivable combination of instruments. In its original form, however, it is most effective. The “Swan Chorus” from “Lohengrin” is not perhaps quite so well known. It is an exquisite fragment. Elsa has been falsely accused by Ortrud, and to prove her innocence her champion must meet Telramound in battle. In answer to her prayers, Lohengrin, clad in silver mail, appears in a skiff drawn by a white swan. The chorus utter a delightful commentary on the swan, and Lohengrin offers his services to Elsa as her protector from calumny.

A BOOK FOR GRAMOPHONISTS.

In his new book, “Music and the Gramophone” (Allen and Unwin, 7s fid), Mr. H. L. Wilson has hit upon the excellent idea of writing a book, “devoted to works completely recorded,” and, moreover, works of such permanent and abiding worth th the book will not go out of date. Mr. Wilson gi.es no record numbers, but merely the names of the companies who have so far recorded the works he has chosen. The book for the most part is made up of quotations that show very wide reading and that give the romantic background which adds body to the flavour of the heard record. The Beethoven Symphonies are very fully treated, and the range of composers extends from Bach to Stravinsky, with Wagner, Puccini, and Strauss contributing the only examples of vocal music.

A NEW EACKHA’S DISC

“Waldesrauschen” (Liszt): (a) Waltz in D Flat, Op. 64, No. 1.), and (b) Study in C Major, ’O, No. 7, Chopin. The “Waldesrauschen” is one of Liszt’s most delightful and melodious concert pieces; brilliant to a degree and written with that exquisite knowledge vf the resources of the keyboard so characteristic of the great pianist-composer. The two Chopin pieces form a charming contrast in style, yet in their very different way’ they are no less brilliant; indeed, many might consider the difficult C Major Study even more attractive than the Liszt. Backhaus plays all three pieces with the crisp touch and superb ease which have placed him amongst the foremost of the great pianoforte virtuosity.

“THE MOONLIGHT SONATA.’’

The famous Moonlight Sonata, written by Beethoven in the early days of the piano, and long before the full possi ilities of this instrument had been fully exploited, is a new Columbia tworecord issue one can truthfully term a thing of beauty and a joy for ever. It is an amazing blend of romance and power, of tenderness and restraint, and a work never easy to play or to record well. Indeed, it seldom is played as Beethoven intended and up to the present has never received a recording worthy of its immortal reputation. The ultra modern way of capturing and releasing those sound waves we know as music has, however, at last brought out the glories of this Sonata with extraordinary success. Howard Jones has demonstrated a phenomenal capacity to play this well-beloved work that is ahead of most of the interpretations given to it by more famous pianistes. He gets all its values without over emphasis, stagey effects or loss of sentiment, and lie plays with not only exquisite skill but with a splendid understanding of the acoustics and requirements of the recording-room.

The result is that all the delicacy of the undulating first movement is revealed with ineffable charm, and the thun-der-claps that occur in the Presto Agitato sections are brought, scientifically, within range of the recording mechanism and not allowed to develop into an incoherent mass of choked sound.

These two records (9094, 9095) stand for to-day’s culminating achievement in piano recording, not excepting the wonderful Chopin Sonata recently played by Percy Grainger, and they are practically guaranteed to give unqualified delight to any ear showing the smallest trace of musical appreciation.

NORMAN ALLIN.

As a rule Norman Allin favours the distinctly dramatic type of song, but in a new Columbir record (D 1541 he has broken into much lighter fare. His way of singing “Off to Philadelphia" gives it a fine impressive sort of jollity, and in a newer number, “A West Country Courting” he shows a nice touch of dry humour that gains by virtue of the profundity of his powerful voice. Excellently recorded, this is a parlour record that many will easily appreciate.

HESELTINE’S NICE RECORD.

Heseltine brings back to lovers of "The Immortal Hour” some of its most poignant moments in his Columbia version of two of its most popular excerpts—" The Song of Creation” and “The Luring Song”'(3976). He brings out the mystical beauty of this music to the full, although one feels he could have exercised a little more restraint on his tremolo.

ALL SCOTCH

Scotland has given to the world many undying melodies—-nearly all inherently musical, often plaintive and memory lingering, and of course, not seldom gay and lightsome. But if the air be Scotch it is unmistakable as such, whatever the vehicle of interpretation, and readers will find an unusual appeal in the Columbia record entitled “The Thistle," played by the Grenadier Guards’ Band. The numerous well known but not all over-worked airs here incorporated and arranged by Winterbottom are recorded as finely as they are played, and it is a “selection” record that should find wide favour.