RECORDED MUSIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18352, 24 August 1929, Page 13

RECORDED MUSIC

The re-recording of Elgar’s orchestral arrangement of the Bach Fantasia -s.nd Fugue by the London Symphony Orchestra, under Albert Coates, makes n interesting comparison with the prelu.octrical disc. The new record has all [the added power and impetus of the i.ew system. There is more clearness of detail, and increased sonority which t..e glorious music needs. The Fanivfla is a lovely bit of expressive writing, and the Fugue, with that middle r ation founded on the chromatic rising phrase, shows how free is the form, #nd how the right man can make it (rue of the most powerfully impressive ol all forms. This is a record to keep V Ith the Philadelphia recording of the 'Toccata and Fugue of last year. UI.M.V. D 1560). In his latest picture, “Auld Lang Gyne,” Sir Harry Lauder is to sing cine of his most popular songs. George 7 parson, who directed “Auld Lang f ne,” is fitting these songs by means { r : gramophone records made by His Master’s Voice. The songs will be [ ?he End of the Road,” “It’s a Fine I fling to Sing,” “A Wee Doch an iris,” “I Love a Lassie,” and | \uld Lang Syne.” Ills Master’s Voice ill play- a very important part in the ? ,'oduction of talking picture. An eni .-ely new plant lias been installed at , xyes for the pressing of the 16-inch |. cords used in talking pictures. The ’library of existing records at Hayes, -. flich is the finest in the world, is \i iw available to talking picture prol< .icers. t The 'colossal bass voice of Ivar Ard--1 resell is heard in two airs from Mozart’s “Magic Flute” Osiris” and “Within These Sacred Walls”—two of the great legato melodies in existence. This Scandinavian bass made a great impression at Co- ' vent Garden this season, and he is not •. 33s striking on the gramophone. The • jeauty of his voice and the subtlety of ; lis phrasing ‘are faithfully ; it may reasonably be doubted whether * die two songs of the High Priest have 'ever been delivered with such a gorg- « *ous abundance of phenomenal tone. There is grandeur and dignity about the voice and the singing. The orchestral time is good and the choral retrains in “O Iris and Osiris” come off extremely well. (H.M.V., C 1625). “Pagliacci”—Prologue (Leoncavallo). Sung by Armando Borgioli, baritone. Col. 01500. Even the evergreen Pagliacci Prologue i 3 welcomed afresh when it is sung as artistically and with the same vocal finish as Borgioli delivers it in this record. Borgioli—not to be confused with the tenor of the same name—extracts the maximum of dramatic value out of the Prologue. His inflexions are always interesting, and his breadth of phrasing gives dynamic movement to the rendition. The orchestral score is full of varying charm, and is finely played.

(1) If Ever I Meet the Sergeant,” (2) “Time to Go.” Sung by Robert Easton, bass. Columbia 01502. Robert Easton is a newcomer to the gramophone, but should soon be an old favourite if he continues to sing such breezy stuff in this manly, jovial style. “If Ever I Meet the Sergeant” is a great song with an unexpected ending that will trip up most listeners. On the other side, his deep bassq trolls out a shanty, “Time to Go,” in real seadog fashion. This is the kind of record that everybody enjoys, and there sheuld be a great vogue for Easton.

(1) “Hoea Ra” (Maori Song), (2) “Home, Little Maori, Home.” Sung by Ernest McKinley, tenor. Columbia 01551. Ernest McKinley, the wellknown New Zealand tenor, who is princopal of the Westminster Glee Singers, now on an American tour, is famous wherever he goes for his interpretation of Maori songs. One of the best of his many records gives an old Maori song, “Hoea Ra,” with words in Maori and English, and one of Afred Hill’s most charming compositions, “Home, Little Maori, Home.” His ringing and flexible tones provide a real thrill, and no New Zealander should miss this.

Four more capital sea chanties from the collection edited by Sir Richard Terry, “Miss Lucy Long,” “Walk Him Along, Johnny,” “Johnny Comes Down to Hilo,” and “O Shallow Brown,” have been recorded by the English baritone, John Goss and the Cathedral Male Voice Quartet. They are sung with that authentic tang which has marked previous chanty recordings, and it is almost impossible to believe that this can be the result of art and not of rum and shag. “Miss Luey Long” is a tuns with a most engagingly queer shape, and “Johnny Comes Down To Hilo,” with its sudden halts and jolts, rips along as exhilaratingly as a clipper in a choppy sea. (H.M.V., 82940).

The following is a selection from the latest H.M.V. dance records: —“Where the Shy Little Violets Grow,” fox-trot, played by George Olsen and his Music, and “A Night of Memories,” fox-trot, with vocal refrain, by Nat Shilkret and his orchestra; "My Suppressed Desire,” fox-trot (from the motion picture “Gang War"), vocal refrain by Carleton Coon, and "Who Wouldn’t Be Jealous of You,” fox-trot, vocal refrain by J. L. Saunders, by Coon-Sanders’ Orchestra; "When Summer Is Gone,” fox-trot, vocal refrain by Frank Munn, by Nat Shilkret and his orchestra, and “A Preoioua Little Thing Called Love," fox-trot (from the motion picture “Shopworn Angel”), with vocal refrain by George Olsen and his Music; “All by Yourself in the Moonlight,” fox-trot, and “If I Had You," fox-trot, by Irving Awonson and his orchestra; “Deep Night," fox-trot, vocal refrain by Rudy Voice, and “Weary River,” fox-trot, vocal refrain by Rudy Valee and Connecticut Yankees.

“The King of Jazz" has a huge following among lovers of dance music, and even the highbrows are interested in his daring orchestral effects and subtle control of rhythm. He is at his brilliant best in his two latest records. Columbia 07021 pairs “Blue Hawaii” with “Coquette,” the theme song of the film of the same name. Columbia 37022 gives a sparkling version of Arndt’s melodious and intriguing "Nola,” and one of the latest song hits, "Louise.” The playing of all four pieces is infectiously fresh, and shows that there are some incomparable. instrumentalists in this great orchestra.

There is no denying the fascination of the Spanish idiom in music. It is picturesque and strongly rhythmical. This month a de Lalla symphonic poefn, “Nights in the Garden of Spain.” is played on five sides of three records by the Symphony Orchestra, under M. Coppola, assisted by the eminent pianist Madame van Barentzen, and on the sixth side Madame Barentzen plays a solo. “Andaluza,” by the same composer. The “gardens” is one of Manuel de Falla’s most characteristic compositions. It is not a piano solo with orchestral accompaniment, but a suite of three symphonic movements in which instrument is of importance. The composition is strongly national. De Falla is so immersed in his country’s folk-song that his work is not only Spanish music, which may be—and, indeed, has been —all sorts of things, but suggests particular aspects of 3pain with extraordinary vividness. The almost Orientally decorative lavishness of the present work leaves no doubt that it is concerned with Andaluza, the port of the Iberian peninsula where the Moors left their mark, not only on the architecture of the Alhambra and the Alcazars, but on the folk lore and, if the gardens of Spain be called true country, on the very landscape. A most excellent pianist takes part in the performance and the tone of her instrument is very cleanly reproduced, but the orchestra also comes over well. (H.M.V. D 1569-70-71). (1) “Weary River” (2) “Wedding Bells.” Sung by Goodrich Silvertown Quartet. Columbia 01538. A good male voice quartet is one of the pleasantest vocal combinations imaginable. The Goodrich Four have enjoyed a reputation in U.S.A. for many years, and thus have the first essential of all—experience in singing together. Their pleasing voices blend to perfection in two delightful numbers that are sure to charm. Heifetz, the violinist, while on a visit to London, told a “Daly Chronicle” representative that he and his wife, Miss Florence Vidor, the film actress, had been invited to make a talking picture. “I have been asked to provide the music in a film in which my wife would star,” he said, “but we ha've not got beyond considering the suggestion yet.” Heifetz and Miss Vidor have been married for about a year. Since her marriage Miss Vidor has not done much film work. Heifetz thinks that broadcasting is a mistake for artists. “So often It does not do the artist justice,” he said. “The listener, especially if he has an adequate

receiving set, cannot know if it is the artist who Is at fault, or the transmission I have never broadcast for this reason. Gramophone reproduction is quite different. If I don’t like a record it can be destroyed. I have Just made some records in America for ‘His Master’s Voice,’ including an electrica' record of Mendelssohn's ‘Wings of

Song.’ ” The dearth of new music for the violin is causing Mr Heifetz some anxiety, and he is anxious to find unknown composers of violin music in order that his repertoire may be increased. “When I was in Rumania I heard a melody played by a restaurant violinist which pleased me very much,” he continued. “I asked the player to write out the part for me. and I am

now arranging it, and hope to play It in public. It was apparently on Old Country tune, and had not till then ever been written down.” Mr Heifetz practises every day and everywhere. He plays in his suite at his hotel, and always on train journeys. During tne long tour in the United States which he has just finished he played continually in the train,, .only stopping when the train stopped.

We are still in the habit of speaking of “Young Szigeti,” and find it hard to remember that at 37 he has left the infant prodigy stage for behind him. Just before the war the musical world of London, America and the Continent were marvelling at the maturity, the poetic insight of his interpretations, but marvelling chiefly that they should come from such a youngster. Now he has developed beyond all knowledge, and more than one famous critic has put this Hungarian genius among the first three living violinists. He has certainly the neatest elbow of any fiddler, and much of the smooth, silky tone which he can always command is due to the sureness of his bowing. The fiery quality of his technique is well displayed by a wonderful recording of Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 (Columbia 03573). His tone has a certain pealing quality, a triumpant ring, that shouts the virtuoso’s joy we may presume, at overcoming with such daring ease the fiendish technical difficulties of tbs piece. In quieter vein in his recording of Hubay’s “Zephyr” and the delicate "Siciliano and Rigaudon” by Fransoeur (Columbia LI 788), In which Szigeti charms us afresh with his sense of melody and rhythm. In Tartini’s “Sonata in G Major” (Columbia 03621-2), Szigeti demonstrates again his clever technique and sweetly pure tone in perhaps the finest and most exquisite of Tart ini’s many sonatas “Quartet In F Major" (Op. 59 n<x 1) (Beethoven). Played by the Lener String Quartet. Columbia L 1837-41. Beethoven’s second series of Quartets, known as the Rasoumovsky, are far larger in scope and style than his earlier works, and are among the outstanding masterpieces of the “second period.” Favourite with musicians is the first of the series. It Is composed of an Allegro, one of Beethoven’s most nobly broad and spacious movements* with a magnificent chief tune; an allegretta full of a singularly fascinating sort of humour; an adagio which is one of the kings among its composer’s slow movements; and a vigorous and powerful Finale, which introduces the famous “Theme Russe." The playing by the famous Lener Quartet of Buda Pest, is bold and forceful, but never loses its understanding subtlety, while they achieve some astonishing beauty of tone.