GRAMOPHONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 374, 7 June 1928, Page 14

GRAMOPHONES

“Records I Like” Some Great Artists Make Their Choices “Which of the records you have made is your own particular favourite ?” was the question put to a number of gramophone celebrities by a correspondent of Compton Mackenzie’s “The Gramophone.” Some of the replies are of sufficient interest to merit reprinting. Peter Dawson: My favourite record, of course, if any, is the Prologue to “Pagliacci,” and for ballads, “Oh Could I But Express in Song” (Malashkin), “Indian Love Lyrics,” “The Lute Player,’* “The Floral Dance,” and “She is Far From the Land.” In fact, all the new recordings are simply half-a-dozen ot one and six of the other. Amelita Galli-Curci: My favourite record is “Lo, Here the Gentle Lark.” Jascha Heifetz: “Andante” from the Goldmark concerto, because the mood in which it was recorded is so well caught in the reproduction; “La Plus Que Lente” (Debussy) ; “La Fille Aux Cheveux de Lin,” because it is the first successful recording with mute; “Noc-

turne” (Boulanger) ; “Meditation” (Glazounov); and “Hebrew Melody” (Achron) because it is the first recording with orchestral accompaniment. Other favourites are “Rondo” (Schubert), “Havanaise” (Saint-Saens), and “Spanish Dance” (Granados). John McCormack: I think the best record I ever made is the record of “Lullaby of Jocelyn,” with my dear friend, Fritz Kreisler. J. H. Squire (the J. H. Squire Celeste Octet): Our best 12-inch record is the “Melodies from Tschaikovsky”; the best 10-inch is possibly “Moment Musical.” Albert Sammons: It is difficult to say which is my favourite record. Some of the smaller pieces come out more perfect than the bigger works,' but I think we should regard the best of the bigger works in preference to the smaller trifles. I would say the Max Bruch Concerto—Columbia record under the old process—and “The Devil’s Trill” (Tartini) under the latest electric recording, are the two best—for preference, “The Devil’s Trill.” Jan Lener (of the Lener String Quartet) : Much depends on one’s mood, and it is therefore very difficult to choose a record to which one would give preference at any time. My favourite is the first of the E Minor Quartet Records (Beethoven, op. 59, No. 2). Muriel Brunskilll: I think I like the Elgar “Sea Pictures” the best, of my recordings that are on the market. ~ The one most like my voice and singing, though, is “He Shall Feed Fils Flock” from “The Messiah.”

Una Bourne: The Mozart “Sonata in B Flat” with Marjorie Hayward; “Finnish Dances” (Palmgren); “Sevillanas* (Albeniz) ; and “En Troika” (Tschaikovsky). Evelyn Scotney: “Caro Nome”' from “Rigoletto”; “Mad Scene” from “Hamlet,” and “Laughing Song” from “Manon Lescaut.”

Giovanni Martinelli has a powerful and dramatic style which is well suited to Turlddu’s song of farewell from “Carmen,” his recording of which is included in the H.M.V. list for June. His splendid voice is heard to advantage in this emotional number where Turiddu, with a foreboding of ill, bids his old mother good-bye, and asks her blessing. He begs her to take care of Santuzza, should he die. On the other side is “O tu che in seno” from Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino,” in which the strong emotional appeal is also well brought out by the tenor.

The illustrious Irish tenor Alfred O'Shea, who is shortly to visit New Zealand, has recorded “Killarney” and “Fairy Tales of Ireland” for Columbia 04014. The ever-popular Alfred O’Shea gives us two very welcome Irish songs this month, and though Australianborn, he has retained enough of the brogue—or can assume it, which comes to the same thing—to give them the authentic flavour. “Killarney” needs no introduction. We have had no adequate recording of it before, and O’Shea’s version is bound to be popular for the sake of song and singer alike. “The Fairy Tales of Ireland,” if you agree that it is worth singing, is also superbly sung. We know what power O’Shea has; here he shades it with great discretion, and every note is quietly convincing.

Lawrence Tibbett’s second recording for His Master’s Voice has been done in association with Lucrezia Bori and with happy results. This pair sing the Barcarolle number from “Tales Of Hoffman.” The characteristic swaying rhythm of this ever-haunting melody is delightfully handled. Among the good records of this number that have been heard this latest must command attention, if only for the splendid combination that has been effected by these two rising artists. “Calm As the Night,” by Goetze, on the reverse side is another interesting performance (H.M.V. D.A. 192.)

Beethoven’s “Pastoral” symphony, “Symphony No. 6 in F Major,” with Felix W'eingartner conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Columbia L 1893-97, is presented on five records in album with descriptive notes. Beethoven tells us that he did not intend this as “programme music,” but more as the expression of feeling than painting. But as it depicts a nightingale, a quail and a cuckoo, to say nothing of a storm of thunder and lightning, and the trickling of a brook, most of us will read a picture into it. Felix Weingartner has caught the “atmosphere” to perfection. His reading of the storm music is surely one of the most vivid things recorded. In the wild crescendo of rain and wind, the shattering bursts of thunder and the flashing of lightning, his wonderful control of the orchestra never relaxes, and he rises to heights of serene beauty in the quieter country scenes. The whole work is like a breath of sweet country air.

Beniamino Gigli (tenor) and Giuseppe De Luca (baritone) have provided a splendid recording of the famous duet from Puccini’s “La Boheme,” “O Mimi tu piu non torni.” This is one of the popular songs of the opera this pair do full justice to the scene where Rudolfo and Marcele, alone in their attic, sing the sad story of their former loves, Mimi and Musetta. On the reverse side these artists sing the “Solenne in quest’ ora” duet from Verdi’s “La Forza del Destino.” It is night on the battlefield and Don Alvaro (Gigli) makes his friend Don Carlo (De Luca) to swear that he will not read documents entrusted to his keeping. This is a spirited interpretation sung by two artists who combine with the necessary restraint. It is undoubtedly one of the best records of the month. (H.M.V. D.B. 1050.) Stracciari’s “Ideale” (Tosti) and •‘Elegie” (Massenet), sung by Riccardo Stracciari, baritone. Stracciari’s magnificent baritone is heard to great advantage in Tosti’s “Ideale” and Massenet’s “Elegie.” In the “Elegie” he sings the slow melody with a smoothly flowing rhythm and full even tone, and very expressively brings out the mood of despair. There is a fine violin accompaniment to this, by Sacha Jacobsen. Note the sadness that lies in the dramatic movement of the melody. In both this and “Ideale” shows the true artist in his subtle use of mezzo-voce. (Columbia 7356). * * =* A great orchestral record by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra, in “Invitation to the Waltz” (Weber), D 1285. The same truly marvellous qualities which made the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra’s record of the “2nd Hungarian Rhapsody” of Liszt so sensational, render this new record especially worthy of your attention. It presents to you, with a realism that is really astonishing, the polished performance of a huge symphony orchestra of over 105 performers. The piece chosen for this record was Weber’s “Invitation to the Waltz,” a delightful little “tone-poem” with a naive but charming little story behind it. There is an old lavender background for the little story for the yaltz was new in those days; a maiden is in the room next to the ballroom, and—as the music begins—a young gentleman of her acquaintance asks if he may “have the pleasure of this dance.” After a little shy dialogue between them, they move toward the ballroom. As they enter the strains of the waltz the band is playing becomes louder and sweep round the dancers. It is a very brilliant, energetic waltz. From this brief beginning you will probably prefer to make up the rest of the story to your own taste; it is very clearly told in the gay and brightly coloured music. (The number of the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra’s record of the Hungarian Rhapsody is D. 1296.) * * * The Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Albert Coates, gives us “The Planets,” No. 3, Mercury, “The Perfect Fool” and Dance of the Spirits of the Earth.” (H.M.V. D. 1308.) It is most fitting that Albert Coates should have conducted the Symphony Orchestra for this recording of one of the movements o f Holst’s Suite, “The Planets.” For Albert Coates has done more than any other man to popularise this suite in Europe and America. “Mer- Albert Coates cury” was the winged messenger of the gods of Mediterranean mythology. He is caught and limned in this movement. It is scurrying, hurrying music, flashing with strange orchestral tints: as unstable as only quicksilver can be. On the reverse is a movement from the little ballet which occurs in Holst’s burlesque opera, “The Perfect Fool.” Two gems from “La Forza del Destino” are sung by Gota Ljungberg (soprano) “Pace, Pace, mio Dio!” and “Madre, pietosa vergine” (Verdi). H.M.V. D 81352. Mine. Ljungberg has selected two of the loveliest melodies from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino,” two prayers sung by the unfortunate Leonora seeking oblivion and rest within the convent walls. Her beautiful voice of exquisite purity and freshness is splendidly reproduced and enhanced by the orchestral and harp accompaniment. * * * The Lener String Quartet gives a super rendering of Beethoven’s “Quartet in C Major, Op. 59, No. 3.” (Columbia LIB6O-63). The Lener String Quartet, which has recently finished a very successful tour of England, might well be termed the aristocrats of chamber music. Everything they give us is impeccable taste, and their ensemble is a revelation in unity. It is most pleasing to see them avoid the usual fault of over-stressing the first violin. The C Major Quartet is the most popular of the many that Beethoven wrote. The second movement in particular, andante con moto, is one of his most brilliant inspirations. Recording is brilliant, the string tone having completely lost that suggestion of “edge” that is the fault of many violin records.

A fin© orchestral performance is the “Danse Macabre” (Saint-Saens), in two parts, by Sir Henry Wood, conducting the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra. This weird symphonic poem is based on a “Death Dance” excerpt from a little-known poem by Henri Cazali, which SiiintSaens appended to his score. The composition opens with an appropriate symbol of mysteriousness the striking of -nid night. The skeletons begin Sir Henry Wood * el >; bizarre and fantastic revels, represented by the xylophone. Death, represented by a hauntingly lovely violin solo, stalks through the orgv, which moves to a startling crescendo until the crow of the cock is heard, and the turbulent riot fades into silence. Sir Henry Wood and his fine orchestra play this piece with a relish for its eeriness, entering wholeheartedly into the spirit of the fantasy. Their tone is astonishingly ample and round, for which doubtless the recording in the vast Scala Theatre, London, is much to be thanked. (Columbia 04021.)

Pablo Casals has recorded two very fine numbers in “Evensong” (Schumann) and “O Star of Eve” from Tannhauser (Wagner). (Columbia 7360). It should almost be enough to say of this record that it is played by Casals, recorded by Columbia, and contains Schumann’s “Abendlied” and the lovely “O Star of Eve.” What more can we want from a ’cello record? Casals is the true artist, as always. His deliberate phrasing has never been more artistic, nor his tone so sound and mellow. A word of praise, too, must be given to the most competent accompaniment, especially as a restrained background to his rich and resonant ’cello tone in the Wagner. A fine record.