RECORDED MUSIC

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 3 December 1927, Page 13

RECORDED MUSIC

POPULAR FANCIES.

The ‘’Gramophone’’ magazine recently instituted a competition for best selections from the new electrical process of recording. Amongst the winning numbers the following H.M.V. discs had a big following:— Orchestral. — Wagner, "Rienzi" Overture; J. Strauss, “Fledermaus" Overture; Weber, "Oberon’’ Over, ture; Elgar, "Enigma Variations”; Beethoven, "Fifth Symphony” ; Elgar “Second Symphony” ; Beethoven. “Violin Concerto” (Kreisler); Beethoven, "Emperor Concerto” (Backhaus); Weber, "Der Freischutz” Overture; Thomas, “Mignon” Overture; Mozart, "Cosi fan Tntte” Overture; J. Strauss "Tales from Vienna Woods’’ and "Blue Danube’’. Mendelssohn. "Violin Concerto in F. Minor" (Kreisler); Wagner "Magic Fire Music”: Wagner "Prehide to Act Hl” ("Meistersinger.”): Wagner. Prelude to "Tristan and Isolde ’’

NORTH COUNTRY COMEDY,

Henry Hearty (comedian) in "Dismal Desmond”—“Doubles.” A real “hearty” North of England comedian in two numbers which brought the house down in Bradford. They will surely provoke untold mirth elsewhere.—Zonophone 2848.

THE STARLIGHT EXPRESS.

Elgar’s "The Starlight Express,” a delightful fantastic play by Algernon Blackwood, was mounted some years ago at the Kingsway Theatre in London. A recorded group of songs from “The Starlight Express" comprises four 12in. discs (H.M.VD. 455-8). most of them sung by the late Charles Mott, an excellent baritone and an artist whose premature death in the Great War aroused widespread regret. His sinning of the “Organ-Grinder's Songs’’ acquires a double pathiw ro full is it of tenderness, repose and sustained charm. Such gems as No. 1. “To the Children”; No. 2 "Bine-Eyed Fairy.” with its graceful waltz measures: and No. 4, "The Curfew Song,” wistful, expressive, deeper in feeling—all these are tar too good to be lost.

A CLARKSON ROSE TICKLER

Clarkson Rose (comedian) with orchestra, in "Mulligatawny” and "J Can always do with a little bit more," (Zonophone 2916), If you buys a Clarkson Rose record* yon can relv on a good laugh. Buy this one and you will be looking up al] the others in the Zonophone catalogue

KIPLING IN SONG

Settings of Kiphng’s verses entitled "The Fringes of the Fleet” have been sung in the recording studios by Charles .Mott <iml other competent artists (H.M.V, D. 453-4, 12in.). They breathe the spirit if not the very air of the "briny,” and. in their simple, rollicking character, might almost be described as up-to-date sea-chanties. In “The Lowestoft Boat” and “The Sweepers” Mott suggested the veritable breezv, salt-water touch: while in "Submarines" the music is of the right mock-mysterious sort, with the swish of the waves outside to complete the illusion.

TWO MELODIOUS SONGS.

F’ranklyn Baur (tenor) with orches. tra—“At SundoWn” (W. Donaldson), and "I’ll take care of Your Cares" (Dixon-Monaco). Two very melodious and fine items sung by a very popular artist. The oßsliestra] accompaniment, with its remarkable richness and colour, enhances the pleasant melodies. An extraordinary attractive record. Zonophone E.E.49.

THE NEU "MAM’SELLE.”

The University of London has approved a new system, which, it is claimed, will revolutionise the teaching of French among English-speak-ing people. The system will be made available to the public early in September by means of a text-book illustrated by "Hig Master's Voice” gramophone records. Monsier E. M. Stephan, who has been closely connected with the scheme from the lieginning, stated in an interview recently that the new method would enable any ordinary person—though previously ignorant of the language—to speak French fluently and colloquially within two or three months. “Dunn? the past four years,” M. Stephan said, “the University staff have reduced the French vocabulary for the purposes of their course to exactly 1000 words, allowing anyone to take part in a discussion on any ordinary subject. Research has also shown tis that we can eliminate entirely the use of the preterite—and students will thus he relieved of a tense that has been a bugbear to most generations. In the same way they will be spared the second person singular, and the use of the whole subjunctive mood has been retarded except in the case of certain colloquiay phrases. But our most important consideration has been the phonetic structure of the French language, and we have found how to reduce this to an almost absurd simplicity. By means of a few curves and straight lines a student can now see at a glance the intonation that constitutes the subtlety of a spoken sentence.”

< A GOOD IDEA. The H.M.V. book of translations of Chaliapine’s songs is a step in the right direction, says a London enthusiast.*

OLD FASHIONED DITTIES. Vernon Dalhart (tenor) —"The Old Fiddler’s Song” (W. VV. Smith), and “The Old-fashioned Picture” (Carson Kobisun). Old-fashioned sentimental songs with violin and guitar accompaniment. "The 01.1 Fiddler’s Song" is the story of an old-time wandering fiddler grown decrepit in the ministry of the bow and resin. The melody is simple ami the words pathetic. The other song is a (harming one written by Carson Robison. Vernon Dalhart su f s, as ever, with the purest and soltest voice and most perfgei enunciation. (Zonophone E.E. 58).