GRAMOPHONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 392, 28 June 1928, Page 16

GRAMOPHONES

Writing in a musical journal, a London critic remarks that H.M.V. have issued some admirable records, one of the very best in every respect being the complete recording of Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.” The recording of Lemmen’s “Storm,” played on the Liverpool organ, although poor stuff, serves very well to display the magnificent tone of the instrument and conveys quite well the cathedral effect. “This record has the finest fortissimos I have heard and without blast. Nearly every note reveals tone of superb quality. » « * Yiie “Venusberg Music” (Eacchanale), from Wagner’s “Tannhauser,” as provided for Columbia by Bruno Walter, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, is really stupendous. The Venusberg music stands the acknowledged pons asinorum of Wagner’s music. Enjoy this, and you can enjoy everything that Wagner ever wrote. Well, thanks considerably to Bruno Walter’s masterly handling of his orchestra, we can enjoy it. How deftly he controls his . strings, and what a volume of “ordered disorder” he gets out of his brass. No wonder hg stands to-day almost without an equal as a conductor of Wagner. The music is terribly and awfully graphic. One can follow it step by step, picture the drunken orgies, the unholy beauty of the scene. It is truly a vivid and enduring masterpiece. It is recorded in four parts (Columbia 04016-17).

An excellent record is provided by Rachel Morton (soprano) with orchestra: “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” and “Come Unto Him” (from Handel’s “Messiah”), D. 1247 (12in). Rachel Morton has made a record which almost places her in the front rank of her type —certainly suggests that, with her voice, and singing no worse than here, if she concentrates on opera and oratorio, she should very rapidly indeed be known as one of the two or three best of her class in the country.

Harold Williams, a fine Australian baritone, sings for Columbia “Water Boy” (Negro convict song) and “Gwine Away”; Columbia 0823. This sounds authentic for a British singer; it is really quite hard to believe that it is not a negro singing to us. One knows of old the vigour of Harold Williams’s voice, and the versatility of his art, but this is quite a surprise. These two ballads are typical of the best negro music, especially “Gwine Away’ an old favourite. Harold Williams is at his best on this record, and that is praise enough for any singer.

“Prokofieff is a Berlioz of to-day. His orchestra and his instrumentation are Brobingnagian. Since he brings these to the service of the ‘Love of the Three Oranges,’ one wonders what would have been done had the subject been the love of three water-melons (a cheap joke, but for a moment the music paralyses the intellect). One thing is certain (says the ‘British Musician’), here on ‘His Master’s Voice’ is marvellous gramophoning, even if at first few gramophonists will be able to hear the music through the sound: the heavy brass is firm and assured as the striding of elephants; the whirling upper parts are clear and swift as light. Albert Coates and the London Symphony Orchestra are the adequate masters of this astounding music. (Let the March and Scherzo be played before the Waltz-Scherzo.)” This set ought to be here soon. An interesting performance is provided by Georges Thill in the Cavatina song from “Romeo et Juliette” and the “Flower Song” (Columbia 040119). We hear so many namby-pamby tenors nowadays who warble of love as though they were frightened of it, that it is a real pleasure to hear a fine manly voice. Nor does M. Thill fall into the other extreme. His voice, for all its robustness, is effortless and easy, and free from all affectation. And he is delightfuly free from the sickly tremolo that seems to have fallen like a blight on even the best of our tenors. Notice how easily M. Thill strikes that glorious top note in the Cavatina from “Romeo,” and what a delightful contrast he makes of the impassioned “Flower Song” from Carmen. • * * The H.M.V. June list includes some popular discs well worth hearing. We have Paul Whiteman’s Rhythm Boys In “Miss Annabelle Lee,” and V. Dal-hart-C. Robinson (with violin, banjo, and guitar), in “Hear dem Bells” (E.A. 286); Jesse Crawford (Wurlitzer Organ), in “My Blue Heaven,” and “The Song is Ended” (E.A. 284); National Cavaliers (male quartet, with piano), in “Dear, on a Night Like This,” and “I Told Them All About You” (E.A. 293); V. Dalhart-C. Robin-son-A. Hood (with banjo, violin and guitar), in “Sing on, Brother, Sing,” and F. Crumlt (tenor, with organ and guitar), in “Wake, Nicodemus” (E.A. 294) ; V. Dalhart-C. Robinson (duet with orchestra), in “Far Away in Hawaii," and “My Blue Mountain Home” (E.A. 295) ; The Salon Orchestra, in “My Blue Heaven,” and the New Light Symphony Orchestra, in “Just a Memory” (E.B. 18). These are records of a quite new kind, in which popular songs of recent issue have been set for large ensembles—for voice and orchestra in the first, and for orchestra in the second. » » » The “Gavotte in D” (Popper) and “Popper’s Mazurka” (Popper), ’cello solos by Pablo Casals (Columbia 7358). constitute an interesting record. The chief glory of this record is in the superb playing of Casals. The music itself is sufficient to give him ample scope for those subtleties of phrasing and rhythm for which he stands alone, but little more can be said of it save that it is cheerful and spontaneous. But any music which suits Casals will suit his lovers, so long as they can revel in the rich tone he extracts from his instrument. How feelingly he builds up the melody. In his hands these two sparkling pieces seem to grow as a logical outcome of the first notes. The is perfect. In view of the popularity in Australia of the sprightly musical comedy, “The Girl Friend,” some mention of the H.M.V. recordings from this latest stage success should be of interest The list is as follows: “Blue Room,” The Revellers, EA 228; fox trot, Savor Orpheans, EA 254; “Girl Friend, F Crumit, EA 229; fox trot, Olsen’s’Orchestra, B 5317; “Girl Friend,” medley fox trot, parts 1 and 2, J. Hylton’s Orchestra, B 5323; “Mountain Greenery,” Crumit, EA 255; fox trot, R. W. Kahon’s Orchestra, B 5313, “Vocal Gems,” Light Opera Company, C 1399; “What’s the Use of Talking?” FT., Olsen’s Orchestra, B 5313.

Two great organ recordings are “Toccata in C" (Bach) and “Fantasia in G Minor” (Bach). Organ solos by W. O. Webber. Columbia 9133. One could not wish for anything more completely satisfying. The sonorous pedal passages are splendid and the new electric recording has given the upper register a glowing vitality that is most refreshing after the brittleness of these notes on older organ records.

That fine new baritone, Armand Crabbe, sings with orchestra, “No Coieta” (Sobrinho), sung in Portuguese, and “Chant de Berger” (“Le Temps s’envole” (“The Shepherd’s Song”) from Gounod’s Mireillo" (DA755, ten-inch). This is the first record of Crabbe’s for H.M.V. For full-bloodedness it would be very hard indeed to beat. Crabbe has a very big, very rich voice, aud uses it excellently in every w-ay. The Portuguese song is not to be confused with the Spanish “Ay, Ay, Ay,” so well known, but it is a still more exhilarating piece. * * * A great American tenor, Charles Hackett, records for Columbia “A Brown Bird singing” and “Duna” (Columbia 03545). Charles Hackett is to be congratulated on a very successful concert tour of Australia. He

has adopted the sound policy of recording the two numbers that came out highest in popular favour. Would that more vocalists would apply the same acid test. “Duna” deserves all the nice things that have been said about it, and if this is a fair sample of Hackett’s rich and polished art he certainly deserved his Australian triumph.

Florence Austral, who appears in the His Master’s Voice list with Browning Mummery, in two delicious duets from “II Trovatore” (D 1302), has recently been having a busy run of engagements in various parts of the country. In order to keep her widely scattered appointments she has frequently been obliged to travel through the night, and for this purpose fitted her motor-car with a bed. It shows that the life of a popular singer is not always one of peace and quietness; but the December record shows also that the rush and bustle have not affected her voice. Her singing is exquisite. * * * Two records each containing items recording 4,000 violins, are presented this month by Columbia. The numbers are “March of the Highlanders” (Pattison), “Recollections of England” (Mareston), (Col. 9119), “Red Cross March” (Oliver), and “En Route” (Schubert), Columbia 9120. Another remarkable feat of recording has been notched by the Columbia in giving.us these two records, one side of each being played by 1,500 “boy and girl violinists” belonging to the “National Union of School Orchestras”; the other side of each record is played by 4,000 of these youngsters, and in all four pieces the Grenadier Guards’ Band accompanies most discreetly. They achieve a mighty and massive effect, partly on account of their numbers, but more because the tunes chosen are broad enough for this kind of treatment.

The Neopolitan Trio in Serenata Silvestri (with violin, flute, and harp), and the Florentine Quartet, “Torna a Surriento” (with violin, ’cello, flute, harp (E.E. 79), provide two soft and lovely numbers by well-known organisations. The separate tones of the violin, flute and harp are easily recognised; and once recognised, the listener is very likely to be somewhat proud of his knowlede. On the companion number, of course, the ’cello is introduced. Alfred O’Shea, has recorded many beautiful things for Columbia, but none so acceptable as his Irish Ballads. He sings the old favourite “Kathleen Mavourneen” with great charm. This Australian tenor has a really beautiful voice which he uses with great taste. On the reverse side is a pleasing old ballad “Oft in the Stilly Night,” sung very expressively and with great sympathy. (Columbia 04009.) * * * It will be hard to find a more satisfying affair that Gota Ljungberg makes of Franck’s “Panis Angelicus” and the Bach-Gounod “Ave Maria” (D 8962). This is emotional singing at its best, and as a demonstration of what the gramophone can do nowadays it is a triumph for H.M.V. recording. * * * The popular “Hungarian Rhansod'-. No. 2” (Liszt-Wood), is played by Sir Henry Wood and the New Queen’s Hall Orchestra for Columbia (L 1412). There are few works that make a more direct appeal to the imagination than Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 2. Bold, rushing, tiumphant, depending for its force on the sweeping phrases that pile on top of each other, it is nevertheless built round melodic themes of great simplicity. It is one of those pieces that always sound w*ell. Sir Henry Wood has set and conducted in an entirely novel way. He has emphasised the richness of the melody, and, without increasing its naturally swift tempo, has somehow contrived to heighten the sense of irresistible forces sweeping to a great cliamx. There are some excellent records in most H.M.V. issues for the youngsters. Have you heard Charles Penrose in “Land of Nod,” 82366; “Laughing Jazz Band,” 82367; “Pirates’ Island,” 82366; “Popular Jocular Dr. Brown,” 82367; “Rainbow Fairy,” and “Tale of Tippity Witchet (on discs 82364, 2366, and 2367).

Alfred O’Shea, the brilliant Irish tenor, who is now appearing in Auckland, records exclusively for Columbia, and under their auspices has made some very desirable records. One contains Liszt’s “Liebestraume,” fitted with words by G. Dechelette, and “Ombra Mai Fu,” from Handel’s Largo. In the Liszt number the lyric is most appropriate to the haunting melody which O’Shea sings with deep understanding. In Handel’s Largo his great voice is heard to even better advantage. (Columbia 04012). On the other record (No. 04024) he sings Tosti’s “Parted,” and “I Hear You Calling Me.” These two are of the ultra-popular variety, but nevertheless O’Shea sings them very effectively.