Music in the Home.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 14

Music in the Home.

GRACE NOTES

(BY VIVACE.), Not for a long time has it been possible to chronicle any new advance in recording; the last occasion was when the Columbia Company produced their non-scratch records. Now they have produced a novelty, which opens up new vistas for the imaginative. It is a “ double track ” record. Only two discs have been issued embodying the new process, and they both carry the Regal label and the ordinary Regal price. Double track recording permits of two recordings on each side of the disc, the recording tracks being parallel. For instance, on each side of the two discs now on sale, there is a popular dance tune played by a dance band and sung by a tenor with piano accompaniment. You choose which you want played, place the needle at “ a ” or “ b,” as the case may be, on the edge of the disc, and let her go. In a ten-inch recording the items are not quite as long as usual, but the same process recorded on a twelve-inch disc would make it possible to get the equivalent of four ten-inch recordings on the one disc. The recording of the two discs mentioned is superb and they should prove very popular, not only as a novelty, ! but also as souvenirs of another advance in recording. RECORD REVIEWS. Columbia. When Gladys Moncrieff first started recording for the Columbia Company it was felt that she was worthy of a celebrity label. The company, however, put her recordings out on the popular 4s Columbia record. To-day, they have gone a step further, and certainly shown wonderful enterprise by putting out her latest recording on a lOin Regal record. The titles she sings are “ One Heavenly Night ” and “ Along the Road of Dreams.” Both these titles are from the film “ One Heavenly Night,” and there is no doubt that the recording and the singing are exceptional. This record is, I think, the best that Gladys Moncrieff has ever made. Her singing is thrilling, particularly in “ One Heavenly Night,” and the orchestra makes a wonderful job of the accompaniment. Most recent records by the Don Cossacks have made use of Gretchaninoflf’s arrangement of folk-songs. . Now they have recorded two old wedding songs of unknown title and unexplained theme—both as exciting as you like. The pinging staccato chords that introduce most Don Cossack items these days must be in the nature of a trade mark—something like Mr Jetsam s signing-off “ Ha-ha-ha! ” Both of these “ Hochzeitlieder ” are on the one side, and on the reverse is Aljoscha’s Song from Gretchaninoff’s opera, “ Dobrynja Nikititsch.” In spite of our not knowing what all these things are about, we musttadmire once again the rich vocal resources of the Cossack Choir—unaccompanied male voice singing of a kind unequalled in the world. “ The Irish Organist ” is the title Terance Casey has given to a medley of Erin’s —The Minstrel Terence’s Farewell to Kathleen, Norah Creina, Paddy Whack, Londonderry

Air, St Patrick’s Day, Wearin* o’ the Green, Garry Owen, Rory o' More, Kathleen Mavourneen, The Ilarp that Once Thro’ Tara's Hall. This is worthy to take a place alongside Casey’s other famous concert organ pot-pourris—a splendid example of cinema organ registration. Casey is an artist at the Compton console, and now that he has done his own nationality justice, he should be more popular than ever. Trust the J. 11. Squire Celeste Octet for the picking of popular winners! Their latest success is P. Willoughby’s arrangement of Johann Strauss tunes. The waltzes included—if memory stands in good stead—are culled from the output of both Johann fils and Johann pere. “ The Blue Danube.” “ Acceleration,” " Artist’s Life,” “ Tales of the Vienna Woods,” “ Wine, Women and Song,’ and “ Morning Leaves,” arc among the ever-popular tunes packed on to both of these twelve-inch sides. This is certainly one of the most brilliant records contributed by “the world’s finest, miniature orchestra.” H.M.V. Mischa Elman, who recently gave a distinguished performance of the solo part of the Tchaikowsky Violin Concerto, has now made a re-recording of Raft’s “ Cavatina ” and Dvorak’s beloved “ Humoresque.” The “ Cavatina,” with its broad melodic line, is played with a beautifully round tone and depth of feeling. The flow of the melody is continuous, and Elman introduces some delicate tone shadings. “ Humoresque ” is a charming little tone poem which was originally written for the pianofore, but its violin arrangement has proved so popular that it is seldom now associated with any other instrument. The work belongs to the class of programme music pieces in which the true meaning of the composer’s title is left largely to the imagination of the listener. At one moment the music seems to bubble over with merriment and at another one finds touches of wistfulness. It is one of those delicious little morsels which arrest the fancy, and Elman’s delicate touch brings out all its charm. The violin tone has been excellently reproduced, and is nicely balanced by the pianoforte accompaniment. j* Peter Dawson, who is to visit Kew Zealand shortly in company with Mark Hambourg, has made a new record of two widely-contrasted songs, “ I am a Friar of Orders Grey” (Reeve), and “ Rocked in the Cradle of the Deep (Knight). In both he is equally convincing. The first is a rollicking song and Dawson enters thoroughly into the spirit of his humour. He makes the friar a lovable character. “ Rocked in the Cradle of the deep ” is sung with conviction. It is nicely phrased, and Dawson’s singing is marked by fine resonance of voice. His enunciatio*n is very clear and he receives valuable aid from the orchestral accompaniment. This record certainly goes a long way to supply the reason for Peter Dawson’s phenomenal popularity. To-day he holds the distinction of having made a greater number of records than any . other r.rtist, and more noteworthy still, his hold of the public has nor waned.

Mischa Levitzki has made a notable record of Chopin's “ Scherzo No. 3 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 37.” Strictly speaking. a scherzo should be a playiul, iertring piece, 1 ut Chopin, as he did with his nocturnes and ballads, made his rcherzos verf table tone poems. Towards the middle of the work there is p*. lovely choral-like tune, over wh : ch descending passages in the treble fall like gently rustling leaves around the trunk of some noble tree. Levitzki, who is touring New Zealand at the present time, must rank as one of the most poetic of Chopin interpreters, and his touch seems to be peculiarly suited to recording. As a result the gramophone reproduces realistically every subtlety and gradation of tone. This is a record that must rank with his superb recording of Liszt's “ Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6.” All the arresting charm of John McCormack’s voice is unfolded in his recording of “ Song of the Night ” (Young-Waldrop), a song which is poetic in sentiment and set to a delicate melody. Such a number is eminently suitable for M'Cormack’s sympathetic voice, and the great tenor is always artistic in his expressive utterance of both words and music. Oil the same record he sings another exquisite little song, “ The Gateway*" of Dreams ” (Callaghan-English), and here again his tone shading is almost miraculous. Some of his notes seem to fade into a melting quietness which holds one enthralled. It is difficult to define the fascination of M’Cormack’3 art. It is simple, it is spontaneous, and above all completely satisfying.