GRAMOPHONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 72, 16 June 1927, Page 16

GRAMOPHONES

The Victor Light Opera Company has made two charming electrical recordings of selected gems from the “Mikado” for H.M.V. The solo voices are fresh, sweet and vigorous, and the ensembles are clear and ringing.

Maartje Offers’s beautiful and rich voice is heard to excellent advantage in the famous Largo from Handel’s forgotten opera, “Xerxes” (or “Serse’’) The reverse side contains the melodious old Italian air, “Caro mio ben,” by Giordani. The recording is by H.M.V.

John Henry’s latest scream is “Blossom Film Scenario.” John Henry has several horrifying experiences in his wife’s scenario for a film; he feels that even these might have had compensations had the choice of leading lady. . . . Exactly what happens on this funny record, however, we will leave you to learn as you listen.

The London String Quartette deserves and holds a high place among those combinations giving the various recording companies all that is fine and artistic in chamber music. This particular quartette has long played exclusively for Columbia, their last and greatest work being the four-record issue of Schubert’s Quartette in D Minor—the famous and exquisite!' beautiful “Death and the Maiden” quartette, which comes out far better under fibre needles than with steel. A good tenor bracket is “Just Because the Violets” (Kennedy Russell) “Smilin’ Thru” (Penn.), sung by Walter Glynne (tenor). The cause of the immediate appeal which this record makes can be traced to the charming singing of Walter Glynne and the simple melodiousness of the songs. The violin obbligato in the softly swaying “Just Because the Violets” is most effective.

Two old favourites are “On With the Motley” (“I Paglicci”—Leoncavvallo) and “Your Tiny Hand is Frozen” (Puccini). All who hear this record (and its subject matter and remarkably low price should commend it to a huge public) will agree that in Browning Mummery there is every promise of a great operatic tenor. He has a true high tenor of ringing quality and a delightfully free delivery.

To Covent Garden stars is to be added the names of Bianca Scacciati, a dramatic soprano whose two Columbia discs, giving selections from “Cavalleria,” “La Tosca,” and “Trovatore," put her among the singing elite; and Francesco Merli, a splendid tenor with an ultra powerful but fine quality voice, whose “Aida” and “La Gioconda” were among the best operatic productions of 1926.

One of the sweetest and most melodious of the chamber works of the immortal Tchaikovsky will be found in the Andante Cantabile movement from his famous Quartette in D. This was one of his early works, but bears the distinct impress of that genius and perfect mastery of form that were to make this great Russian one of the outstanding composers of the middle 19th century. It forms a two-part Columbia recording (L 1803), played, as many of the best examples of string music have been played/ by the Lener String Quartette of Budapest. It has been recorded before by the same company, but this is the first electrical impression gramophiles have had, and it is moreover the first recording of this work to have been made in a concert hall.

De Groot’s .personality is very pronounced in his playing of the “Old Spanish Song” (Aubert) and “Les Millions d’Aurlequin” (Drigo). The ‘Old Spanish Song” seems typically Spanish, with its strange languor which conceals fire. It is easy to imagine the clear brilliance of a Spanish noontide, the white houses shimmering in the heat and perhaps a solitary singer defying the heat with his little love-song. As a contrast, Drigo’s “Serenade” epitomises the gay, yet passionate Neapolitan.

Two worth-while discs are “Elegie” (Massenet) —‘Til not Complain” (Schumann) ; “Invictus” (Huhn) and “Trees” (Rasbach). John Brownlee (baritone). These records have been the subject of previous mention. The more one hears of them, however, the more the quality of the singer and the music impresses one. “Elegie,” and and “Invictus” are particularly fine numbers.

For H.M.V. Kreisler lias recently re:orded “Marguerite” (Rachmaninoff)

and “Serenade” (Dehar). Kreisler and Rachmaninoff are great friends and admirers of each other’s works. Kreisler has transposed several of Rachmani nofFs works for the violin, and the great Russian pianist has made several brilliant nia.no tran-

Rachmaninoff scriptions of the violinist’s compositions. Both in the beautiful “Marguerite” and the charming “Serenade” by Lehar (the composer of “The Merry Widow”), Kreisler’s lovely and caressing tone is heard at its very best.

The “Yeoman of the Guard,” which has recently been recorded for H.M.V. by the Coldstream Guards Band, differs in one important point from the majority of the merry “Gilbert and Sullivan” operas, for it has a tragic ending instead of the usual “and they lived happily ever after.” But that is the only important difference: its music is characterised by the same ever ready flow of delightful melodies which has made the “Mikado,” “Patience,” and “Pinafore” and the rest, so popular.

Joseph Hislop’s latest recording is the “Cavatina,” “Salut demeure” from “Faust (Gounod), with violin obligaito—and “Pourquoi me reveiller?” (Massenet). This great tenor who will shortly make his first tour of Australia and New Zealand, sings two beautiful operatic airs. The melodious “Cavatina” from Gounod’s opera is sung by “Faust” at the beginning of the garden scene, as he looks with admiration at the house in which Marguerite lives. In the last act of “Werther” the hero sings an impassioned poem by Ossian to his beloved Lotte. The melody and the accompaniment are beautiful and Hislop has contributed two very fine discs, which will appeal to all lovers of grand opera.

The latest Melba disc is “Clair de Lune” (Sgulc) and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (Negro Spiritual). Before sailing from England recently Dame Nellie Melba was persuaded to make this record by the new “His Master’s Voice” electrical recording. There is something very wonderful about this final farewell gesture to her admiring public, for Melba’s great voice, the voice which has thrilled millions, rings out as pure and limpid from these records as if the great “Melba and Caruso” nights at Covent Garden were but yesterday. Though Melba recorded often during the very height of her successes at Covent Garden in the old days, we feel that few of her many wonderful records can be said to equal these. • • * Arthur Middleton is a fine bass singer for Edison. ; There is one good record by him, on which he sings “Danny Deever,” and another with “Father O’Flynn.’' The former is coupled with “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny,” by Anne. Case and the Criterion Quartette, and the latter with Arthur Middleton “Little Alabama Coon,” sung by Freda Hempel and tli * Old Home Singers.