Recorded Music

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18642, 21 May 1932, Page 14 (Supplement)

Recorded Music

Siegfried Funeral Wlaroh.

Siegfried's Funeral March from ‘GotterdammeVung’ (Wagner) ; played by Bruno Walter and the British Symphony Orchestra. This new release of the march — perhaps the best known of all excerpts from Wagner’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’—ls certain to a welcome from music-love"s. The playing of the music, claimed by many to be the noblest funeral march ever penned, is one of the finest things that the gramophone has yet given us. Seldom, if ever, have drums and brass been reproduced on a record with such fidelity. The scene which the music accompanies Is a grim one. Hagen has stabbed Siegfried in the back, and the slain hero is borne slowly through a defile in the mountains to his last resting place. Truly, as Walter conducts it in this version, the musio is the very epitome of nobility in grief.

Murdoch In New Plano Triumph.

(i) Valse Trlste (Sibelius, Op. 44); (2) Norwegian Bridal Procession (Grieg, Op. 19, No. 2); played by William Murdoch. Here is a fitting sequel to the brilliant Murdoch recording of the Rachmaninoff Preludes released some time ago. The Sibelius Item Is a transcription, and a fine one. In it Murdoch shows how he can make the piano ‘sing,’ and the riohness of his tone comes through with an astonishing clarity. In piquant contrast of mood ig the light-heartedly bucolio ‘Bridal Procession,’ one of Grieg's earlier piano pieces. Murdoch plays both items like the master that he is. A Novelty. If you have a good Imagination you will enjoy filling In the .last line of the limerloks recently put out. The titles of the records are: “Rhymes,” and “More Rhymes.” Both these numbers are particularly well put across by Billy Cotton and his band. From overseas reports, it appears that both these numbers have taken England by storm, and there Is no reason why the New Zealand publio should not appreciate them as well. Billy Cotton. Amongst the most entertaining reoords that have come out veoently is the oomedy quiok-step recording of “Colonel Bogey," played by Billy Cotton and his band. This is particularly bright, and on the reverse side the same band give us another comedy number, “When the Clrous Comes t o Town.”

LATEST RELEASES.

New Dance Musio.

Among the best of the new dance titles are tiie following—all splendidly played and recorded:— "Waiting For a Call From hou (foxtrot) and “Little Mary Brown” (foxtrot), both played by the Columbia Dance Players. Six numbers (all foxtrots) played by the Savoy Hotel Orpheans are as follows: —“White Flower of the Islands” and “I’m Just a Darkle" (slow F.T.), both from “Flower of Hawaii"; “Linda” and “Sweet and Lovely” (slow F.T.) ; and “I Don’t Know Why" and “A Faded Summer Love" (both slow foxtrots). Notable Performance.

There are not, when one comes to consider it, so many pianoforte quintets by the “bigger” composers, in the evervday repertoire. There are those by Schumann, Brahms, Elgar, and Dvorak, but the list is short. The presentation of these records of the Cesar Franck Quintet (recorded for the first time in its entirety), is therefore a musical event of Importance. The performers are Alfred Cortot, the eminent French pianist, and the International String Quartet. Cesar Franck (1822-1890) was one of the most important composers of the French School of the Nineteenth Century. (He was not strictly speaking, “French," for he was Belgian by birth.) His works were comparatively few, and the majority of those which are to-day the most popular were written after the Franco-Prus-sian War. The quintet recorded here was written in 1879, and is one of the earliest of the “big” works. It is a 'beautiful work, and like much of Franck’s music, contains many passages that are of great spiritual appeal. The “cyclic” method of treatins the leading themes, which Franck used with such effect in later works (the Symphony for example) is here in evidence. By it Franck has contrived to give an impression of bind-' Ing unity and consequently of great strength It entails the use of the principal themes of preceding movements in those that follow, thus creating a curious and sometimes dramatic “ echo ” effect. The First movement is in a very characteristic self-ques-tioning spirit and the transition to the mood of happy resignation and quiet, joy in small things that comes with the second movement is very effective. The tremendous energy of the finale is in superb contrast. It contains one of the greatest melodies in all music. Alfred Cortot is an ideal interpreter of the master’s works, for he is one of the most important authorities upon the works of Cesar Franck. He has found excellent collaborators In the International String Quartet.