MUSIC IN THE HOME

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1930, Page 26 (Supplement)

MUSIC IN THE HOME

RECORDING DIFFICULTIES. Though hundreds of thousands of gramophone records are sold every week, few of the people who enjoy them have any idea of the immense difficulty of obtaining such perfect musical reproductions. A Daily Mail reporter watched the recording for the His Master’s Voice Company of part of Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera, “The Pirates of Penzance,” in a room at the Queen’s Hall, Regent Street, W. The orchestra, the chorus, and the soloists were gathered in a large room with specially deadened walls to prevent any chance of an echo. On a raised platiorm stood the conductor, Dr. Malcolm Sargent, who for weeks had rehearsed the various parts separately, and also together. A red light showed, and Dr. Sargent brought down his baton for the first bar of the music. It takes 4£ minutes to make a I2in record. The music ended, and then a tragedy occurred. Someone coughed while the red light was still showing! That meant that the record would reproduce that cough, so the whole thing had to be done again. The next time the soloist made a mistake in one of the last bars. Nine attempts were made before the record was considered satisfactory, and it will have to pass a further test by music .critics before it is released. Sometimes as many as 30 attempts have to be made. The principals engaged were Miss Elsie Griffin, Miss Nellie Briercliffe, Miss Nellie Walker, and Mr. Derek Oldham. FLONZALEY QUARTET. One of the biggest blows to music in the last few years has been the disbandonment of the Flonzaley String Quartet, and there is no doubt that their recordings will increase in value as the years roll on—for these alone will show how four masters • who blended into one brilliant united interpreted the great works of ancient and modern masters. Their latest recording is one of the most arresting theyhave yet given us. It is the Quartet in D Flat Major, Op.' 15, by Dohnanyi, who is one of the most interesting of modern composers. This work is in three movements, andante-, allegro, presto acciaccato e I’istcsso tempo, and molte adagio, and is without a flaw in the purity of ita style and its complete freedom from artificial effects. However, Dohnanyi lacks neither drama . nor humour. In his works there is no stroke of form without its dramatic value, and no stroke of drama that does' not serve to complete that form . The question of tonality is intimately connected with that of movement, and from the outset Dolinanyi’s sense of tonality is classical on ’other than conventional lines. The scoring ’ of this quartet is rich, : but .economical, and conveys the composer's ideas in the fewest notes with the fewest sounds and the .most practical technique. The Flonzaley Quartet has so long been famous for its devotion to its, artistic ideals and the perfection of its 'achievements that ft is superfluous to dw;ell on. its wonderful performance. It is sufficient to say that the recorders have done them justice. (H.M.V., DB1135). 1 GENIUS OF MOZART. The genius of Mozart is responsible for many stories concerning his marvellous ' memory and capacity to compose under most adverse circumstances. Being extremely : busy supervising the first°production of his “Don Giovanni” in Prague, in 1787 the composer completely forgot to write an overture until the evening before , the premiere of the opera; Mozart sat up all night to write the overture, which reveals a masterly grip of the subject of the opera, ’the composer presenting a vivid musical impression of the ghost of the Commendatory as contrasted with the light and . irresponsible side of Don Giovanni’s character. This solemn atmosphere (Andante) suddenly’ changes at the 31st bar to the spirited Allegro. A new recording by the Berlin State Opera Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Leo Belch, will be found most satisfying both as regards ’ the interpretation and the excellence of the recording. (H.M.V., E 463). MISCHA LEVITSKI. - One of .the most remarkable 10-inch pianoforte records has been made byMischa Levitski, who plays a little “Sonata” of Sarlatti and an “Ecos.- e ise” of Beethoven. Those who attended Levitski’s recitals when he visited New Zealand several ye&rs ago already know this pianist’s extraordinarily crisp playing, which is peculiarly suited ’ to the gramophone. The Beethoven piece cannot but give the highest delight. The music is treated with breath-taking raciness and felicity. Levitski is a young player with an extremely deft and exhilarating touch, and in the “Sonata” he again has a gem that is wonderfully suited to his style. (H.M.V., E 537). ENGLISH 'CELLIST. The, English 'cellist, Mina Beatrice Harrison, should give deep pleasure to the many who refuse to pretend that they are tired of the sublime “Largo” by Handel, and even those who are inclined to yawn will find in Miss Harrison’s rendering the fine artist’s suggestion of a rediscovery! The tone is always smoothly flowing, warm, and round. Into Kreisler’s “Viennese Melody” she imparts some delightful lyrical touches, and the piece is made happily descriptive. The accompaniments are very clear. (H.M.V., C 1647). MENDELSSOHN OVERTURE. The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra appears in the lists, this time with, in tho main. Mendelssohn’s Overture to “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” Written as it was in the heyday of the composer’s youth, it is imbued with.youthful fervour and effervescence. Dr. Alfred Hertz, who conducts the great orchestra, works up a truly fairy-like conception. On an odd side of two large records containing the overture Dr. Hertz’s men have a sparkling interpertalion of Mendelssohn’s famous “Scherzo.” (H.M.V.. DIG2G : 27). GRAMOPHONE “THRILLER.” I The popularity of the modern thriller is responsible for “The Safe,” by Anfela Baddeley and Co. The plot is skilully unfolded, and the imagination of the hearer must be roused at the end of the first side when the heroine is left

screaming in a safe. The recording is good and realistic, and it is easy to picture the office in which the scene takes place, and visualise the visit of the police leading to a dramatic finish which must not be divulged. (H.M.V., C 1738). TWO SARABANDES. This famous Spanish dance form has always attracted great composers. The dance itself is slow and stately and ceremonial, lending itself to sonorous chords. Two recent recordings that come to mind at once are a violin solo by Jelly d’Aranyi and an orchestral version of a Sarabande of Corelli’s, played by Arbos and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra (Columbia 05077). The. first is ’•full xOf colour of almost Oriental heaviness, It is rich and heady, like an old wine, frankly sensuous in its appeal, and, like most of Sarasati's work, more lurid than the occasion justifies. The second hides a suggestion of sadness behind its sedate measures, e.s though some ceremonial funeral, including dancing in its rites.’ ' PUCCINI DUET. The issue of the big duct from the second act of Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut” is no doubt due to the successful revival of this opera at Covent Garden last summer. The singers arc Margaret Sheridan and Aureliano Fertile, who sustained the roles of Manon and Des Grieux in the Covent Garden performance. They make the, most of the eminently lyrical phrases so characteristic of the composer with which this early work is lavishly provided. The record inn- . itself is excellent. (H.M.V., DB 1281°). . A FINE ’CELLO RECORDING. (1) “Melodie” (Tchaikovsky); (2) “Song Without Words” (Mendelssohn); “Cello solos by Gaspar Cassado. Columbia 04288. The young Cassado—the accent on the last syllable—favourite pupil of Pablo Casals, has already taken London and the Continent by storm. One might say that he has conquered New Zealand, ’for his records" have proved among the most popular in their class that. New Zealand lias heard. Lately he has given us some smaller fragments that,° with their exquisitely round and smooth tone and fluent phrasing, serve to ( whet our appetites for bigger things. His latest pairing is entraucingiy explicit and full of warm meaning, ■ SOLOS ON THE WELLINGTON MEMORIAL CARILLON. (1) “In An Old-fashioned Town”; (2) “Somewhere a Voice is Calling.” Played by Clifford E. Ball ,on the Wellington War Memorial Carillon. (Columbia 01714.) With considerable enterprise Columbia have secured two very fine solos on the Wellington Carillon while it was at Gillett and Johnston’s Croydon Bell Foundry. This, as most people know, is -the’ most famous foundry in the world, and the makers proudly claim to have excelled themselves on the Wellington War Memorial. Bell-ringing is an art of its own, with very few masters of the art; sc Columbia arc very fortunate in having secured such a recognised authority as Clifford Ball. . He has made a wonderful record, which wc in this country will especially treasure. The two simple tunes peal out with a sweetness that will astonish anyone who knows how difficult it is to avoid “jangling” on a peal of such colossal proportions. The tone is rich, vivid and clean, and records with remarkable precision' and detail. ELDER CUNNINGHAM. (1) “Annie’s Tryste”; (2) “Land o' the Leal.” Sung by Elder Cunningham, bass-baritone. Columbia 01820. This is a capital record of these two traditional Scottish songs, sung by a man who is in every way qualified to make the best of them. Cunningham’s voice lias real power, and stirs even a Sassenach. At one ’ of his London recitals, an English musical journal tells us, his “Land o’ the Leal” was encored no less than five times. Well, even his perfect enunciation, admirably posed voice, and free style won’t explain that; it must lie some quality that gets right to the heart of his listeners. And. fortunately, this record has caught something of that spirit. THE COLOSSUS OF THE PIANO. News that Ignaz Friedman is extending his American tour is reported in English papers: It will be remembered that on his last visit to this country, about three years ago, critics openly declared that he was foolhardy in following so closely on the heels of his great compatriot, Paderewski. Nevertheless, the brilliant success which met his efforts definitely established him as one of the great pianists of the world, and since then he has gone from strength to strength. In his rendering of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata (No. LlBlB-10) ho shows his profound mastery of technique. • In the collaboration with an orchestra conducted by Phillipe Gaubert, he gives what is virtually the most thrilling record of the Grieg Concerto yet made. Purists may cavil at some phases of Friedman’s .interpretation, but in spite of all, Friedman’s magnificent vigorous playing of this wonderful work is something that is not easily forgotten. If there are any who have not yet heard these records of the A Minor Concerto (Columbia 02702-05), they should, the first time they get the opportunity, ask to hear, the first record of the set played over. If the first side does, not convince them that this work is one to thrill even the man in the street at first hearing, then nothing will ever secure conviction in such matters. Friedman has, in addition, recorded a number of much smaller pieces of music, and’ the same artistry that characterises all his playing is innate in each ‘single-sided morsel of his miscellaneous records. On Columbia 03304 he plays two dainty little compositions of his own, “Marquis end Marquise” and “Tabatiero .a Musique” (The Music Box).

Both, in spile of their obvious modern treatment, are recollections of a century and manner that are now past. On Columbia 01587 he plays Mendelssohn’s Scherzo in E Minor and another of his own pieces, “Elie Danse” (She Dances). There are a dozen other magnificent records by Friedman, but the pick of them undoubtedly is Columbia LIBO4. On the first side is Beusoni’s arrangement of Liszt’s “La Campanella” (The Little Bell). This is a very thrilling piece of pianism, and on a par with the splendid recording of Chopin’s D Flat (Raindrops) Prelude on the reverse. There is possibly no finer gramophone interpretation of Chopin’s

15th Prelude than this particular ■ performance. * An American paper gives some details of the new quarter-tone piano which has been invented by Hans Barth, th® German musician. Its mechanism is simple. It consists merely of one frame of strings superimposed upon another, and one action set above the other, after the fashion of the manuals of an organ. It is actually a doubledecked clavier. the upper series of wiras having a pitch more acute than the lower series by one quarter of a tone. “To an arm quick at the rise and fall, like Mr. Barth’s, and to a finger agile at the strike, like his, quarter-tone

performance offers no serious embarrassment. But Mr. Barth possesses other zeal than that of the exhibitor of an acoustic curiosity. He completes his challenge by asserting himself as a quarter-tone composer. Having appeared in public recital presenting solo pieces of his own for the quar-ter-tone piano, and a concerto of his for quarter-tone, piano and string orchestra, he begins to demand pretty serious notice.” A correspondent to the Daily Mail, defending modern music and modern art generally raises an interesting point:—“ln condemning the work of Schonberg and Epstein we are apt to

forget that the modern ajfist claims tlie°right to express himself in his own wav, whereas the old masters were commonly paid by the Church or some ruling house to produce works conforming to certain conventions and intelligible to their patrons—and what wonders they worked within those conventions! Even Beethoven when free from patronage wrote works of which Weber said that they qualified him lor the madhouse, and in living memory Wagner’s work was execrated.” “Everywhere I find tremendous enthusiasm for Beethoven,” said Wilhchn Backhaus, when interviewed recently in 'Sydney. “Beethoven is nbt only my

personal preference —that was the feeling I found throughout Europe. Love for the music of Beethoven becomes more pronounced every day. There has been an intensification of enthusiasm during the last few years. .Last season I played the complete cycle of Beethoven sonatas in Vienna, and I repeated them later in Paris, with the same success. I spent most of my time on the steamer coming out hero reading a book on Beethoven by Romain Rolland. It is a record worthy of tho subject, „ and I heartily recommend It to all Beethoven enthusiasts." , While in Sydney, Backhaus played 20 of' Charsonatas at ’his eight recitals.