COLUMBIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 424, 15 November 1930, Page 17 (Supplement)

COLUMBIA

The Valkyries Bide Again (1) Die Walkure—the Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner); (2) Toccata in F from Symphony No. 5 (Widor); played on a Christie Unit Organ by Quentin Maclean. Columbia DOX 64. Quentin Maclean can certainly lay claim to the title of England’s most versatile organist. He is equally at home with classical music and jazz, and whatever he attempts he carries through with astonishing effect. His 44 Ride of the Valkyries” is a real tour de force in that he approximates real orchestral contrast of colour without once having recourse to freak stops or faked effects. The movement from the Widor organ symphony is a splendid piece of music, exceedingly well played. The average man will, to his surprise, find that in spite of its unpromising title, he likes it as well as the Wagner excerpt. Which all goes to show that good music can also be popular music.

The Squire Celeste Octet Operatica (Famous Operatic Melodics arr. J. H. Squire); played by the J. H. Squire Celeste Octet. Columbia DOX 62. There is possibly no instrumental combination that has done more than the Celeste Octet to popularise good music. A glance at the long list of recordings to their credit will show that seldom have they gone outside the bounds of the finer? music to make their choice. This month their little cxcui» sion into the realms of grand opera fully justifies itself, and the collection of skilfully joined operatic melodics should prove fully as popular as the best selling record they have made- The items included are as follows:—Part 1: Euryanthc, Overture; Ah, So Pure (Martha); Retreat, Dance (Carmen, Act 2); William Tell—Overture, Finale. Part 2: Fierce Flames (Trovatore); When Other Lips (The Bohemian Girl); Questa o quella (Rigoletto); La Traviata—Finale of Prelude. The Glory that was Gluck

Orphcc—Ballet (Gluck); played by the Paris Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Elie Cohen. Columbia DOX 61. There is a beauty about this ccntury-and-a-half-old ballet music that is like a breath from a past age. The music is from the ballet that concludes Willibald von Gluck’s operatic version of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. No words can describe the charm of these old world strains; the cool and lovely string playing; the ravishing flute solo by the famous Moyse. Hear this record just as soon as you can. There has been nothing so good for a long, long time. Hertnan Finck and his Orchestra Old and New (A Potpourri of Popular Melodics arr. Herman Finck). Parts 3 and 4. Played by Herman Finck and his Orchestra on Columbia DOX 59. Herman Finck has very truly been responsible for bringing back through the medium of his Columbia records an extraordinary number of fine, old and nearly forgotten tunes. It will bo remembered that Parts 1 and. 2 of this “Old and New” potpourri were released last month. Parts 3 and 4 arc every bit as good. Every tune is worth hearing and everything is well played- The items introduced are these:—Part 3: Love. Could I Only Tell Thee; My Beautiful Lady (The Pink Lady); Valse Song (Olivette); Green Hills o’ Somerset; I’ll Sing Thee Songs of Araby; An Evening Song; I Love the Moon; Way Down in Pensacola (Havana). Part 41 The Floral Dance; Ho, Jolly Jenkin (Ivanhoe); Hunting Chorus (Dorothy); The Regiment of Frocks and Frills (The Little Michus); The Red Marines (A Princess of Kensington).

Hungarian Folk Tunea Hungarian Folk Tunes (Bela Bartok, arr. Szigcti). Played by Josef Szigcti, violin, and Bela Bartok, piano. Columbia DOX 37.

Bartok, and to a lesser degree, Kodaly, are the two most prominent composers of the modern Hungarian school. Both have made far-reaching researches into the origins of their country’s folk music, and Kodaly has gone as far afield as Spain. The gypsies, of course, have taken Hungarian folk tunes all over the world, and those who have heard gypsies make music will recognise a family likeness in the tunes under review. There are seven on this record, played by Szigeti and Bartok—all well contrasted and intensely interesting. A “King of Jazz” Selection

King of Jazz —Selection- Played by the London Regal Cinema Orchestra, conducted by Emanuel Starkey. Columbia DOX 66.

The phenomenal buccess of Paul Whiteman’s first talkie, “King of 'Jazz,” is no doubt largely due to the catchy song hits scattered In such profusion through the film. London’s finest cinema orchestra —with Quentin Maclean lending extra colour at the organ—play a splendidly arranged pastiche of the following numbers: 4 44Ragamuffiu Romeo,” “It Happened in Monterey,” 44 1 Like to Do Things For You,” 44 Happy Feet,” “A Bench in the Park/’ 44 Song of the Dawn.”