RECORDED MUSIC

Evening Star, Issue 19782, 4 February 1928, Page 16

RECORDED MUSIC

[By Erato.]

A SCRATCHLESS YEAR. The advantages of the new method of recording impress one afresh every time one buys new productions. it is difficult to say whether voice recording or instrumental music most emphatically shows the benefit. Both seem equally improved. Take, for example, some of the newly-recorded songs There are a couple by Rachel Morton, a lady with a delightful soprano voice, who gives us ‘He Loves Me,’ from ‘Eaust,’ and ‘By the Ramparts of Seville." from ‘Carmen.’ The singer is perfectly at home in either and has a deliciously clear and pretty, and seemingly effortless tone. And you hem it without a sign of a scratch, Tudor Davies give the vigorous ‘ Legend of Kleinsack,’ from the ‘Tales of Holfman,’ and the ‘Onaway! Awake, Beloved,’ from ‘Hiawatha,’ to perfection. The improvement .in the voice effect compared with that from former records is most striking. Another most attractive example of the good effects of the new style upon a tenor voice is afforded by two wellknown songs, ‘Your Tiny Hand is Frozen,’ from ‘La Boheme,’ and ‘On With the Motley,’ from ‘ Pagliaeci,’ sung by Browning Mummery.

ACHIEVEMENT AND PROMISE

Among the instrumental recording achievements of the past year have been some remarkably fine expositions of the new style. The succeeding records of Cortot’s performance of Chopin’s wonderful ‘ Twenty-four Preludes ’ gave a remarkable illustration of how much more true and delightful the piano sounds on the gramophone with the new recording. Equally remarkable were several new recordings of pipe organ music. Among the newest of these is a pair of pretty things on a small record by Arthur Meale, playing on the magnificent instrument in ‘Westminster Hall, They are, ‘ Twilight Melody ’ and ‘ Marche Festive.’ You want a fairly largo gramophone to make the best of the fine pedal notes and their reverbrations among the great spaces of the Hall, but the writer played them with quite good results upon a small portable instrument. The effect of the absence of scratch was as wonderful as in the vocal records. It enabled one to enjoy the softest stops. SUCCESSOR IN ‘HEAR MY PRAYER.’ ? The appearance of a second record by the Temple Church Choir, in the first September list of His Master’s Voice, will interest the gramophone public—for the choir’s ‘ Hear My Prayer ’ record, issued in June, has been received with remarkable enthusiasm. Mendelssohn’s anthem consists largely of a soprano solo, and this fact has enabled the public to “discover” a wonderful boy singer in Master Lough, one of the choristers. Most people have probably been hoping that any new record from the Temple Church would give the boy a similarly prominent part, but in this instance he is merely one of the trebles in. a truly exquisite ensemble. ‘ 0 Filiae efc Filii ’ and ‘King of Glory,’ the two pieces now recorded, are both essentially choral numbers, and the performance by the choir certainly seems to justify their reputation as being one of the finest church choirs of the present day. The hymn ‘ 0 Filiae et Filii ’ is an ancient Easter carol, which has been sung in the Round Church of the Temple on festival _ occasions from time immemorial, and is recorded with the musical arrangement of Mr G. Thalben Ball, the Temple organist. The ‘ King of Glory ’ was composed by Sir Walford Davies —who was himself organist at the Temple Church for more than a quarter of a century—specially for the services in this historic building.

TWO FAMOUS CHORUSES. i,.V (1) ‘ll Trovatore 1 ‘ Anvil Chorus 1 (Verdi); (2) ‘ Faust ’ Soldiers’ Chorus ’ (Gounod); sung by La fccalu Chorus of Milan. Columbia. UlolU. Ono could wish that this [mucus Italian chorus had ■ chosen something a little loss hackneyed, hut the quality of their singing is beyond criticism. And yet, in a way, their choice is judicious. These two stirring choruses give us a rare chance to hear the vigorous men’s voices that are usually devoted to the modest task of providing a “ background .” It is a real and rare pleasure to hear how they let themselves go in the rousing ‘Soldiers’ Chorus,’ and how they enjoy the “effects ” of that picturesque ‘ Anvil Chorus’ that the early Verdi himself was so fond of. These La Scala. choruses are a taste that nobody can regret having acqyirecl, and this record follows fast on their brilliant success last month in the ‘Cigarette Chorus’ from ‘Carmen.’ GEMS FROM GERMANY. A new departure has been made by the Gramophone Company (“His Master’s Voice”) by the issue in this country of a number of recordings made in Germany in connection with the German branch of-their business. A preliminary selection of such records has been issued this month, and it is proposed to issue further batches from time to time. While we are already more or less familiar with the best German orchestras through the gramophone, it vs interesting to have examples played by a combination not so well known in England—namely, the members of the Staatskapelle, of Berlin. On two double-sided records this fine orchestra gives excellent renderings of the overture to 1 Tanuhauser,’ and on the fourth side of the chorus of the State Opera, Berlin, sing ‘The Pilgrims’ Chorus ’ from the third act of the same opera. Equally good are two other records made by the same orchestra containing the overture to Weber’s ‘Oberon’ and the popular prelude to ‘Per Fledcrmaus ’ of Johann Strauss.

IMPORTANT ORCHESTRAL DEBIT. San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Alfred Hertz, in ‘ Caprice Viennois ’ (Kreisler) and ‘ Copelia ’ ballet, dance of the automatons and waltz (Delibes). 1)1,272. This is the first “ His Master’s Voice ” record to be issued by this famous American symphony orchestra and its conductor. ft is rapidly becoming common knowledge that there are several symphony orcliestras in America which are, by virtue of economic conditions, no longer obtaining in the Old World, setting an extraordinary high standard in orchestra playing. The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is one of these .bodies. The conductor, Dr Alfred Hert2) used (it may be remembered) to make records for “ His Master’s Voice ” some years before the war, when he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He is well known as one of the finest of living conductors. For this record the orchestra has performed two elegant little trifles—a very effective arrangement of Kreisler’s melodious ‘ Caprice Viennois ’ and on the reverse two movements from Delibes’s ballet ‘ Coppelia.’

. STRACCIARI. (1) ‘Carmen,’ Toreador- song (Bizet); (2) ‘Pagliacci,’ prologue (Leoncavallo). Sung by RicCardo Stracciari (baritone). Col. 7,355.—0 f the many recordings of the Toreador song my preference still goes to Straccian’s, if only for the infectious virility of his vocalism. With him, it is not enough to sing the part; he must live it; and one does not have to worry, as with so many songs in a foreign language, as to whether it is a dirge, a love song, or a hymn of hate. Straceiari’s histrionic powers put the issue beyond doubt. But there is even more

to admire in his technique —the rounduess and openness of his tone and.the warmth of color that he can always conjure up. A PADEREWSKI GEM. I. J. Paderewski (piano), in ‘ Nocturne a Raguze ’ (Ernest Schelling). DBl, o29.—This beautiful and melodious work was composed by Ernest Schelling, a gifted composer-pianist, and the only pupil Paderewski ever. had. During his recent tour of Australia and New Zealand Paderewski stated that of all records ho had ever made he thought the ‘ Nocturne a Raguze ’ "was the most perfect as regards reproduction. However, not only the piano tone lias been most successtuly reproduced, but the wonderful playing of the world’s greatest pianist is at its very best. ITALIAN MANDOLINS. . ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ (Mascagni) : (1) Intermezzo, (2) Siciliaua. Played by the 1 Circolo Maudolinistico Guiseppe Verdj, of Leghorn.—This is good stuff. British orchestral productions have, one must confess, a tendency to become rather tearful. The Italian likes his music served up with a laugh, and in these two excerpts from old familiar ‘ Cavalleria ’ the very tone of the playing is a tonic for the blues. But this mandolin band cannot be dismissed just as a drawing room novelty. It is capable of fine performances, judged by any standard you like, and the sixtyfive performers constitute a well-bal-anced band. Proportion and solidity of tone arc maintained by a goodly number of lower-toned mandolas and guitars to give weight to the middle and bass parts, and a full, round, ample volume is achieved.