THE GRAMAPHONE.

Shannon News, 1 May 1925, Page 3

THE GRAMAPHONE.

The May lists of new records include several noteworthy and attractive recordings. First arid loreinfist—to orchestral tastes, at any rate—is the complete recording by uie Boyal Albert Hall Orchestra oi Schubert's famous "Unfinished Symphony" m hi-inch double-discs, it is an haunting piece of work, with its ever-re-Curring fragment of melody whicn, catcmng the ear shortly after the introductory .bars, returns again and again tQ delight you. Two good songs from Peter Dawson this month—" The Road Across tlie .sea" (Bovven), and "The Curtain

Falls" (d'Hardelot). "The Road riei'iuss tlie Sea" is a worthy companion to. the many other hue songs about the sea that we have had irom Air Dawson. "When" the Curtain Falls" finds him in a rather softer mood; but though the nature of the appeal is different the song itself is , just as attractive as the other and the singer makes the most of the climax at the end. ! If you have never before heard tlie Irish bagpipes, now is yq-u chance. It reminds one of tite joke about that much-reviled discovered them first, and gave them to the Scots as a joke. The Scots haven't seen it yet!. However, to our muttons. Liam, Walsh (that's Irish enough, isn't it?), plays a hornpipe medley and a reel medley with wonderful effect. The record is worth while if only as a curiosity. With all respect, it is rather a relief to get Chaliapine away from his be-loved Russian folk-songs and back to something of a more cosmopolitan appeal. In his latest .bracket he gives us the .numbers fromj "Faust"— "Vous qui faites d'endormie," with chorus and orchestra, and "Le Veau d'Or," each, ag you may suppose, sung in French. A splendid bracket. "Le Veau d'Or" ("The" Golden Calf") is sung by Mephistopheles during Act II to a group of men sitting; outside the inn. As might be expected of such a character, the song has a cynical ring, and is, in effect, a long jeer at the weakness of humanity as evidenced in its worship of gold and the good things of this "world. "Vous qui faites l'endormie" is the famous Serenade that Mephistopheles sings to his guitar in Act IV. He stands before the window of Marguerite (betrayed and abandoned by Faust) and clothes his sneers in this form.

/As frequently remarked, good humorous records are scarce. There is nothing wrong, however, with the two which come from John Henry and Ben Lawes. The former has a diverting description of an ascent in an aeroplane—"John Henry's Aeroplane" (in two parts), m which the roar of the propeller adds, a realistic touch Ben Lawes gives us a laughahle account of a baby's christening, in two parts. Ketelby's )'Bells Across the Meadow" and Howard Carr's intermezzo, "The • Crystal Gazer," are two not very high-brow and rather pleasing orchestral numbers by. the ' Lyric Theatre Orchestra. Both should please.