GRAMOPHONES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 434, 16 August 1928, Page 14

GRAMOPHONES

Two Elizabethan love songs, “Passing By” (Purcell), and “Drink To Me Only” (Jenson), sung by Alfred O’Shea, tenor, for Columbia (03503). For the wedding of the best English literature to the best of English music these two songs can only acknowledge the most famous Shakespearean songs as rivals in greatness. They are the greatest love-lyrics in the literature of English music. “Passing By” deserves to be even more popular than the more famous “Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes.” Alfred O’Shea sings them both with a voice of rare charm. He has a singularly beautiful voice, which he uses with great taste and a wealth of sympathetic feeling.

Radio, says a London musical critic, is not only following but copying the gramophone. And the copying process is anything but perfect. Very often it is a complete failure. Recently the statement was published that an attempt was being made to broadcast the song of a nightingale. Previous attempts in this direction were failures. Gramophone owners need not be reminded that more than 12 months ago the song of the nightingale was recorded in the woods of Oxted and featured by the H.M.V. Company. And this was not all. The great choir of birdiand —including every class' of the feathered tribes that fly the air of these countries—was recorded in that mystic and wonderful product, which gave us a picture in sound of the coming of dawn in an Old World garden—a picture greatly enhanced by such natural effects as cocks crowing and farmers’ dogs barking. (H.M.V. 82469.)

The La Scala chorus Is heard in two fine numbers—“Soldiers’ Chorus” (in “Faust”), and “La Sonnambuia —Ah! fosco cielo” (Bellini). The interval with which the recently issued choral numbers from “Ernani” (8.2623) and from Verdi’s early operas, “Lombardi” and “Nabuceo” (8.2622), were received, has resulted in another release by the same famous operatic chorus. The attractive chorus, “With Sombre Sky,” from “Sonnambuia,” will prove quite a novelty, while the “Soldiers’ Chorus” from “Faust” is ever a favourite number. The singing and recording are excellent. (H.M.V. 8.2624.)

Those two delightful Schubert lyrics, “Who Is Sylvia?” and “Serenade.” have been sung by Charles Hackett (Columbia 7,367). “Who Is Sylvia?” of course, is very familiar, and a favourite with countless balladsingers. Hackett sings it with the right amount of feeling. “Serenade” he tackles even more confidently, and he does full justice to this pleasing and fragrant love-song. The lyrics and their accompaniments, for their own sakes if not for the singers', should find an honoured place in every record collection. The recording is beautifully clear, every work being distinct, and every note at its exact value.

Old-fashioned songs by a new contralto are given by Essie Ackland (contralto), in “Love’s Old, Sweet Song” (Molloy), and “Poor Man’s Garden.” This record is of an unusual character. It may set a new fashion in vocal records; for the grand organ, and a particularly fine one at that, is used for the accompaniment. Essie Ackland has a magnificent contralto voice, and the rich background provided by the organ is at once an asset and a splendid setting. Essie Ackland is a very promising young Australian contralto, who studied at the Sydney State Conservatorium of Music, and supported Jean Gerardy, the ’cellist, on his tour of Australia and New Zealand. She subsequently left for England, where she has become a popular concert singer. (H.M.V. Cl4lO. )

Two glorious choir records are those containing “Holy, Holy, Holy,” “Nunc Dimittis,” (Columbia 4209), and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” and

"Nunc Dimittis in B Minor” (Columbia 4210), sung by the choir of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. Worship and beauty meet on equal footing in these thrilling records of the famous choir of St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. This choir and its predecessors have seen the pageant of English history pass before their eyes; the privilege of being in the choir is eagerly sought after, and, once obtained, is held only by the finest of singing and the severest of training. It would be hard to imagine a better rendering of these familiar hymns and anthems.

Two gems from “Tosca” have been sung by Fernand Ansseau (tenor), in “Recondita armonia” and “E lucean le stelle” (Puccini) (“La Tosca”). Fernand Ansseau, the famous Belgian tenor, sings Cavaradossis well-known arias from the first and last act of Puccini’s “Tosca.” The recording realistically brings out the tenor's fine and resonant voice. (H.M.V. DAS9S.) isUS)|.Mrea

The New Zealand season of grand opera, under the auspices of the Ful-ler-Gonzalez Company, should give an appropriate fillip to the already wellestablished interest of gramophonists in this wonderful field of music. The His Master’s Voice list for August, incidentally, is rich in operatic fare. In addition to tho discs noticed below, it will be found, on reference to the catalogues, that the whole range of operas to be presented in New Zealand is very fully covered in H.M.V. records In some cases, the operas may be obtained in very complete sets, such as “Faust,” “La Traviata,” “La Boheme,” etc.

This month we have another “Two Black Crows.” This time it is “Our Child,” and “Elder Eatmore’s Sermon on Throwing Stones.” (Columbia 02619.) No longer any need to introduce the Two Black Crows to gramophiles! Already over three million of their records have been sold—far

away a world’s record for records. Those who are afraid that quality will fall off need have no fear. This is just as uproariously funny as any of the rest, and the nigger prayer meeting is as rich as anything they have ever done.

It is hardly possible to fully comprehend Elgar’s E flat Symphony at one hearing, for it is very rich in design and of considerable length. More than a dozen themes and motives, striking episodical matter, contrasting harmonic beauties, and superb instrumentation, combine to present the spiritual message of the symphony in a lavish dress, the very brilliance of! which is so dazzling for the inner meaning as to he clearly felt at first acquaintance. Yet it is possible to realise at once that one is listening to the work of a genius that is presented with the finished craftsmanship of an established master. After its production the work was strangely neglected, but, in 1920, it met with a brilliant revival, and, chiefly owing to the persistence of Sir Landon Ronald, has since become the best known of Elgar’s two symphonies. An authoritative performance, played by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Edward Elgar, was issued by “His Master’s Voice” (D. 1230-5) recently.

A magnificent new contralto is Maria Olczewska, who is heard with the Berlin State Opera Orchestra in “Carmen” (Habanera) Ja, die liebe hat bunte flugel (Love is a Wild Bird), Act 1., with chorus (in Oer man) (Bizet), and “Samson et Dalila” —Printemps qui commence (Fair

Spring is Returning), (in French* (Saint-Saens). This disc marks the H.M.V. debut of Madame Maria Olczewska (pronounced “01-chevs-ka one of the greatest contraltos of the day. She is well known to Coven: Garden audiences of the last two or three years’ seasons, for she has en joyed very many triumphs there in Wagnerian and Straussian operas, and last year, in “Carmen/’ She is also an unusually accomplished leider singer. Mme. Olczswska’s voice i- ; of magnificent proportions, of sapprising compass, and of incredibir richness and subtle gradation of tom The record of the famous “HaifJnera” is splendid. It is sung with restraint and yet with abandon. gives you the complete scene from th* entrance of Carmen herself, in a way that as far as we know, no other record does. The beautiful Song,” from “Samson and Delilah, i; no less excellently performed. (H.M. D 1386.)

Sheffield Choir items are always a ceptable. Their latest are “I Alpha and Omega” (Stainer) and ~Th* Sun Shall Be No More” (Woodware (Columbia 92584). The Sheffield Choir’s two anthems are almost amonthe best 19th century church mw* products, and that means that the? come up to a very high standard. Le thusiasts are not likely to get a t* ter record of the type for a long tjjfReproduction is splendidly clear. famous choir has fervour amounting almost to exaltation, and these * rr qualities one would far rather hear ua record than politeness and polish

* • * . Wilhelm Backhaus ( pianoforte )■ » Sonata in C Minor, Op. 13 ( etique”), Beethoven (H.M.V., h 1031), provides us with an excelie_record. Many of Beethoven’s possess explanatory titles: « the “Moonlight” Sonata, the "Appassionata,” the '‘Emperor ’ certo. and several other composition* all of which are now generally by those descriptive designations, erally, however (as in the abo amples), we find that these were not bestowed by Beethov self, but by some enthusiastic mirer, who summed up in a impressions of the music an vgr \ c lead has been followed by -pathin general. But the t' l in c etique” attached to the So t jje Minor. Op. 13. ema JSfr * composer himself. w ““ l n j ß » of meant by this clue to the m _ eruir the work we cannot say » there being no evidence a {ar )*s» the message of the work he obvious than in the case et jque.' kowsky’s “Symphonic , ou toi Beethoven’s “Pathetique s **f emo iion account of the urgency o elpr eS that the composer is tryws (p. The solemn introduction. ' ant <though fiery) , Ada? ,n and the tender and beautj are deservedly famous, an ]css Rondo, though it has rec nts . * tention than the other mo'em in no way inferior to their ««